New Year’s Eve: Party Like It’s 1959!

Let’s face it…with high unemployment, tensions abroad, expanding Federal debt, and lingering recession, 2009 wasn’t the greatest of years. All the more reason to usher it out on New Year’s Eve with style, retro style that is. What better way to bring in the new than to celebrate the old. Dress up your party buffet table with these classic, and yes kitschy, holiday favorites.

Cheese Fondue

• 3/4 lb. natural Swiss cheese (about 3 cups)
• 1 Tbs. enriched flour
• 1 clove garlic, halved
• 1 1/4 cups sauterne
• dash of freshly ground pepper
• dash of nutmeg
• 3 Tbs. cooking sherry
• French bread, cut into bite sized pieces

Toss cheese with the flour to coat. Rub the inside of the fondue cooker with the garlic. Pour in sauterne, warm just until bubbles start to rise (don’t cover or boil). Stirring constantly, melt the cheese a handful at a time. After cheese is melted, add seasonings and cooking sherry. Add a small amount of warmed sauterne if the fondue becomes too thick during. Makes 5-6 servings.

Hot Black Eyed Pea Dip

• 1/2 bell pepper, 2 stalks celery, and 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup catsup
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 – 15 oz. cans black eyed peas (one must have jalapeno)
• 1 can tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 cup bacon drippings
• 3 Tbsp. flour

Lightly saute the bell pepper, celery, and onion. Add black pepper, Tabasco, catsup, salt, bouillon cubes, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Over low heat cook and stir until it reaches a boil and the cubes have dissolved. Add peas, tomatoes, garlic, and sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes. Combine bacon drippings with flour and stir into peas. Cook 10 minutes more until thickened. Stir well and serve in a warm crock pot along with tortilla chips.

Cheese Sputnik

• 1 large grapefruit
• American cheese, cubed
• Swiss cheese, cubed
• ham, cubed
• smokey links
• spam, cubed
• pineapple, cubed
• fresh grapes

Trim the bottom of the grapefruit flat and set it on a serving dish. Using toothpicks, spear the cheeses, meats, and fruit then stick the toothpicks into the grapefruit. Arrange evenly to create a “satellite” look. The combination of ingredients served is up to you…be creative. You can even wrap the grapefruit in aluminum foil for an authentic sputnik look!

Chili con Weenie

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 Tbs. cooking oil
• 1 – 1 lb. can (2 cups) chili with beans
• 8 frankfurters, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 1/4 cup green pepper, diced
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Brown meat and onion in oil. Add chili, frankfurters, chili sauce, soup, and salt. Heat thoroughly then add green pepper. Garnish with some of the frankfurter slices and black olives. Serve over hamburger buns. Makes 8 servings.