Part of preparing for the entertaining season each year was transforming the house into a place that felt festive the moment you stepped through the door. It always began outside, with the wreath and the lights, and then slowly worked its way indoors through the living room, the dining room, and every hallway and corner in between. By the time we were done, every surface seemed to gleam and sparkle with Christmas and New Year’s cheer.
Looking back, it makes me smile to remember how much joy I found in those little rituals. You might guess that the same sense of care and decoration carried over into the menus I created and honestly, it did. Each one was special, almost like a small gift for our guests.
I only wish I had more photos from those days, but we were always too busy cooking, organizing the service, and keeping the evening flowing to stop and document anything. The photo I do have was snapped quickly, just one, but you can see how much fun we were already having as guests arrived and we gathered in the living room with bubbly and hors d’oeuvres.
In the end, the memories live in the moments, not the snapshots.
What I do still have, though, is the menu itself. And that’s what I’m sharing next. I prepared every single dish listed. It was a lot of work, but it never felt like it. We loved to entertain, truly loved it. The planning, the cooking, the laughter drifting from room to room… it was all part of the season.
Those gatherings shaped so many of our holidays, and revisiting them now feels like opening a little time capsule. So here it is, the menu that once filled our home with warmth, good food, and even better, good company.
A Festive New Year’s Celebration Dinner
Aperitif
Dom Perignon
Hors d’Oeuvres
Black Olive Tapenade & Camembert on Toast Rounds
Chopped Egg on Toast Rounds
Wines
Puligny Montrachet
Amuse Bouche
Smoked Ham Filled Crepe Purses
Appetizers
Chicken Consommé with Julienne of Vegetables
Trio of Salmon
Mandarin Quail
Sorbet
Wines
Mory St Denis and Clos Des Lambrais
Entre
Saddle of Venison
Roast Breast of Pheasant
Game Sauce
Braised Fennel
Rosti Potatoes
Cheese
Epoisses Le Medllion
Camembert L’Edele de Claron Buche Caprifeuille
Stilton Wheel
Walnuts
Dessert
Chocolate Glazed Chestnut Roll with Vanilla Cream
Table Arrangement
White Roses,
White Frissia
Mixed Greens, Juniper, Balsam and White Pine
