Pop Cultured
How to throw a (mostly) grown-up NYE soiree.
BRING THE 'PAGNE: The worst stock photo, ever.
Happy New Year's!
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Remember when it wasn't a party until somebody puked? Yeah, those were the days. But do you really like the idea of starting a shiny new year mopping someone's regurgitated bean dip off your bathroom floor? We didn't think so. That's why we're going to help you throw something a tad more sophisticated. Stop using the word party and start practicing your French — no one shows up for a soiree expecting a keg and hot wings.
Fetes are at their finest when the guest list is small. Plan on 10 people total. Build your e-mail invitation around this: "Join us for a New Year's Eve soiree! Hors d'ouevres and dessert from 9-11, champagne toast at midnight, light breakfast from 12:15-1. Formal dress encouraged."
The more people dress up, the more special they feel and the happier they'll be eating more civilized portions. Ask your friends to dress to the nines, but don't turn away folks who show up in tennies.
Don't grease the social wheels by pumping your guests full of cheap beer. Instead, offer games that encourage intelligent interaction or adult-themed silliness: Seven Deadly Sins (Trivial Pursuit with a sexy edge), Truth or Dare and old-school games like Monopoly, Scrabble or Scattergories.
You probably can't avoid serving beer, so go with the brands your friends like. The key is to buy smaller quantities. And since we're going to suggest you serve caviar, have a few bottles of impeccably iced, unflavored vodka set out with chilled shot glasses. Never go cheaper than Stoli (around $23 for a 750 ml bottle), and even that's pushing it. Consider Chopin ($30 a pop), Armadale ($33), Ketel One ($30) or Grey Goose ($29). Once the caviar is gone, put the vodka away too.
Caviar is a no-brainer. There are many choices, which run from $20 to $60 an ounce, but the best comes from sturgeon caught in the Caspian Sea. The priciest is beluga, followed by osetra and then sevruga. The folks at Caviar Assouline (2050 A Richmond St. or at the Shops at Liberty Place) are the city's top pros, and they're more than happy to help you navigate the roe-filled waters.
In general, figure a half to one ounce of caviar per person. It's best served "a la louche" (with only a spoon, which, by the way, should be anything but metal; bone is the way to go). If you want to stretch it further, present it with toast points, creme fraiche, chopped onion, hard-boiled eggs, lemon wedges and capers.
It also takes little effort to make a cheese platter look elegant. Start with a big wooden cutting board, then get cheese recommendations from your favorite cheese guy. (Ours is the adorable Emilio Mignucci at Di Bruno Bros.) Figure on one to two ounces of each variety per person. You'll want a blue cheese (like a Roquefort or Gorgonzola, served chunked); a soft-ripened cheese (like Brie or Camembert, served in wedges); a fresh cheese (like Boursin or Alouette); a hard cheese (for a real treat, try Sardinia Gold from Claudio's in the Italian Markert) and at least one unusual cheese. That can be anything from the wine-brined Drunken Goat to a soft chevre du nord with cranberries and maple or star anise and peppers.
Assemble the cheese artfully on the cutting board and embellish it with spreaders, sprigs of fresh rosemary and plump olives. Fleshy green, red and black cerignolas will do; pat them dry so the juices don't bleed into the cheese. Pump up the platter with side bowls of thinly sliced baguettes, crackers, little gherkins, spicy mustard and hot and sweet soppressetta.
Shrimp trays are another cinch. You could go to a fishmonger for the crustaceans but, most supermarkets will devein and steam them for you, and the quality is just as good. Get two pounds of jumbos steamed with just a touch of Old Bay seasoning (too much makes them messy). Pile ice-cold shrimp around a bowl on a serving platter and garnish with lemon quarters and fresh parsley. The cocktail sauce goes in the bowl. Try mixing some just-spicy-enough Kelchner's with tiny canned shrimp for a fancy-schmancy touch.
On the booze tip, whip up crabmeat martinis. Get some fresh lump crabmeat, sift through it for shells, then mix it in a bowl with lime juice, finely chopped fresh cilantro and a hint of chili powder.Put a teaspoon of fresh salsa in the bottom of a martini glass, top it with a spoonful of crabmeat, another dollop of salsa and a blue or red corn chip.
By 10 p.m., the table should be cleared for desserts and coffee. We suggest a Milanos cookie platter, strawberries with whipped cream, and a tray of individual chocolate-raspberry mousse tarts.
Once the ball drops and the groping is over, put out the breakfast fare and fresh coffee. We're thinking bagels (real ones from your neighborhood deli), butter, lox, cream cheese and sliced onion. Assorted danishes and fresh fruit will round things out nicely.
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