New Years Day Dinner

[MJK]

What is your typical New Years Day Dinner? Pork and Sauerkraut is standard. Why? Well my late fater always said you eat pork because a pig roots forward and suaerkraut because cabbage grows up. Never beef because a cow eats from the top down, or chicken because it scratches backward. Root crops grow down so potatoes are out too. Hence anything down or backward on the first day of the year is not good. Fish is okay becaue it swims upstream. Any other traditions out there?

 

[YT2095]

Wow! and I thought I was over technical sometimes )

for us it`s usualy something light, for the simple reason that we`ve discovered that a Heavy meal = Sleep and thus you miss 12 O`Clock.

 

[Alix]

Huh. We usually eat whatever I decide to make that day. We don't have a single tradition for New Years Day. Weird. I will be interested in the responses in this thread.

 

[Barb L.]

Football day here, little smokies/in sauce, meatballs/ in sauce, cubed cheese and sausage, chips/dip etc.) and going to roast a Boston Butt for sandwiches --(I think), eating thru-out the day ! Yum !

 

[kadesma]

Well, since it's my birthday, my whole family takes me out to our favorite Chinese place for dinner...After thanksgiving and Christmas it's a nice change and makes me feel pampered and loved...
kadesma

 

[buckytom]

you asked for it, alix.

i used to have too much to drink, so i'd throw up.

does that count?

just kidding, mjk. we almost always get take out. often thai or sushi.
not sure why except it's sort of day to relax and unwind, now that you've made it through the holiday season.

 

[PA Baker]

That sounds like a good tradition, kads!

Usually I make a big pot of chili that we can scoop from when we like if we're wtaching football. THis year, though, I think I'm going to fancy it up a bit and try a new recipe for beef braised in red wine and creamy polenta.

 

[Jenyfari]

We usually have bits and pieces as in we don't have a major meal but we will have things that we can nibble on during the night. Like maybe prawns, a variety of cheeses, dips, smoked salmon, salamis, olives and so on.

 

[licia]

I make blackeyed peas and rice on New Year's Day, and serve it with cole slaw and cornbread. I cook the peas with some ham left over from Christmas. We usually have something else like barbecue or roast chicken. I don't care much for blackeyed peas, but the rest of the family does so I mostly make it for them, although I do eat one serving for whatever good luck they say it brings.

 

[urmaniac13]

The staunch tradition of the New Years Eve dinner in Italy is lentils and cotechino or zamponi, which are both special kind of pork sausage. They are supposed to bring good luck for the upcoming year and just about everyone eats this menu, followed by spumante (Italian sparkling wine) with some ricciarelli or panforte (both almond based sweets originates from Toscana) as we bring in the anno nuovo at midnight.

 

[VeraBlue]

Roasted christmas tree with braised wreaths and cranberries.

Seriously, New Year's day used to mean a big family dinner, like christmas eve. Unfortunately, this day has lost it's lustre. My daughter has to go back to her dorm that day (she's taking winter session) and my son will more than likely sleep through most of the day if he doesn't have to work. I'm thinking of chicken cutlets and mashed potatoes to comfort all of us.

Happy New Year!

 

[Candocook]

What is your typical New Years Day Dinner? Pork and Sauerkraut is standard. Why? Well my late fater always said you eat pork because a pig roots forward and suaerkraut because cabbage grows up. Never beef because a cow eats from the top down, or chicken because it scratches backward. Root crops grow down so potatoes are out too. Hence anything down or backward on the first day of the year is not good. Fish is okay becaue it swims upstream. Any other traditions out there?

That is very cute and I have never heard those. It sounds like it could be PA Dutch (and from your location).
In the South it is pork, blackeye peas, and greens--of some kind--usually collards. Greens are for money, and I can't come up with the other "meanings".

 

[BreezyCooking]

Our traditional New Year's Day dinner is French Cassoulet, using leftovers from the Xmas roast goose as one of the ingredients.

 

[VickiQ]

The staunch tradition of the New Years Eve dinner in Italy is lentils and cotechino or zamponi, which are both special kind of pork sausage. They are supposed to bring good luck for the upcoming year and just about everyone eats this menu, followed by spumante (Italian sparkling wine) with some ricciarelli or panforte (both almond based sweets originates from Toscana) as we bring in the anno nuovo at midnight.

((Licia))) I was thinking of you on Dec.23 when I made an impulse buy of Torrone to add to the Christmas candy dish.I haven't had it in years and sadly I never introduced my kids to it until now- I couldn't tell you why.When I was a little girl living in an Italian neighborhood in the Bronx-every bakery and deli had it. I haven't seen it available here even in the psuedo Italian bakery.I happened to wonder into a chocolate store of all places and there it was in a beautiful gold foil box calling to me!! Everyone enjoyed it except my father but, that's another story.
Happy New Year to you and yours with lots of love and energy, Vicki

 

[Flourgirl]

New Year's Eve is always assorted hot and cold hors d'oeuvres.

New Year's Day is a nice sit-down dinner with family, much like Christmas. This year we will have a roasted, sliced fillet with scalloped ranch potatoes and roasted cherry tomatoes with garlic. Dessert is still unknown.

 

[carolelaine]

We are having black eyed peas (for luck) and greens (for lots of money) and whatever else I think up. Here in the South, black eyed peas are such a tradition that it is hard to find them in grocery stores this time of year.

 

[Dina]

Gee! I guess we'll be scratching backward this new year since we're having Salvadorian turkey and tamales filled with chicken and some hot and cold hors d'oeuvres. I could tweak our menu a bit to include some pork and cabbage. Interesting description MJK.

 

[Shunka]

We really don't follow any tradition here but it does seem that I always have a pot of pintos with ground beef and chile cooking around then. Served with the choice of home-made tortillas or cornbread. In fact I have a huge pot simmering now and it might last us that long to finish off, lol. Dina, I still have some of my pork tamales in the freezer that I can use with this, want some?

 

[Uncle Bob]

Black-eyed peas..with ham hock/smoked jowl/pieces of bacon = Coins
Greens...Mustard, Turnip, Collards...Mine will be Mustard with T Roots = Cash
Cornbread ( no sugar thank you) made with yellow meal = Gold

Put it all together = A prosperous New Year!!!

 

[elaine l]

New Year's Eve is our wedding anniversary so dh is taking me to a lovely inn at Freeport ME. Dinner will be fine dining and a wonderful brunch in the a.m. Since we will be there on Saturday too I guess we will check out nearby Portland ME for dinner then. Happy New Year to all.