Here’s the thing about New Year’s Eve: you stay up late and drink a few. The next day? Not always pleasant. Here are a few tips: Besides hydrating with plenty of water while you are imbibing, eating food that contains protein and fat can help slow the alcohol absorption. Best game plan is to make a few items that don’t take much time, can be prepped in advance, and just happen to taste great with wine, beer, and fizzy drinks. Yes, a nice cheese and charcuterie platter will help, but adding a few zesty flavors will keep things more interesting, don’t you think? Below, a few to try. Cheers!
Salami crisps with sour cream and basil
Watch these disappear; you may need to double up on the batch. The salami crisps can be made up to 8 hours in advance; store at room temperature in an airtight container. Recipe from “Giada’s Family Dinners” by Giada De Laurentiis; makes 24 pieces.
24 thin slices Italian dry salami (about 4 ounces)
1/3 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with aluminum foil. Arrange salami in a single layer in the two sheets. Bake until they are amber brown, making sure they brown evenly (about 10 minutes.) Transfer crisps to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to absorb oil; set aside to cool. When ready to serve, spoon a dollop of sour cream on each salami crisp; sprinkle with basil and serve.
Chili garlic peanuts
This traditional Oaxacan bar snack uses short, round peanuts with red skins, called Spanish peanuts. Recipe from “Big Small Plates” by Cindy Pawlcyn; makes “a big bowlful” that disappears quickly.
2 whole heads garlic, peel on
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil (high smoke point)
2 pounds shelled raw Spanish peanuts, skins on
2 or 3 fiery-hot dried chilis, like arbol or pequin, slightly crushed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
Separate heads of garlic into cloves, but leave peel on. Trim off root ends. Place oil in a pan large enough to hold everything; heat until almost rippling. Add peanuts, garlic and chilis; stir and shake continuously for about 10 minutes, until peanuts have darkened. Add salt and lime zest and juice; gibe pan another good stir and shake. Pour peanuts into a serving bowl and serve warm.
Quesadillas with barbecue meat and brie
This sounds weird, but is actually quite delicious. Try roast chicken or beef. Recipe from “Fast Appetizers” by Hugh Carpenter and Terri Sandison; makes about 6 servings.
1/4 pound barbecued or roasted meat
1/2 papaya, not quite ripe
1/4 pound Brie cheese
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1/4 cup bottled barbecue sauce
1 green onion, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro sprigs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Cut meat into very thin slices. Peel, seed and cut papaya into very thin slices. Cut Brie into very thin pieces. (You can do this part up to 8 hours in advance.)
Place a tortilla on a flat surface; spread with barbecue sauce evenly across tortilla. Layer on half the meat, papaya, Brie, green onion and cilantro. Cover with second tortilla; press firmly and set aside on a plate. Repeat process for next quesadilla, using remaining two tortillas. Place a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add half the butter. When butter melts and begins to bubble, carefully transfer a quesadilla to pan. Place a small plate on top (weight will help give a nice texture.) Cook until golden, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove plate; turn quesadilla, top with plate, and cook another 30 to 60 seconds, until golden on both sides. Repeat for second quesadilla. Cut into wedges, transfer to serving platter, and serve warm. If made ahead (up to 2 hours), refrigerate then reheat in a 500 degrees. oven for 5 minutes.
Cucumber-dill deviled eggs
The crunchy filling makes these eggs addictive, and a good pairing for bright sparkling wines. Recipe from “The Good Home Cookbook” by Richard J. Perry; makes 16 pieces.
8 large eggs
3 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/3 cup peeled, seeded and finely diced English cucumber
8 thin, unpeeled cucumber slices, halved
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Gently add eggs; cook 12 minutes. Drain eggs and immediately cool under cold running water. Add ice cubes to the saucepan; put eggs on ice until completely cool. Drain and peel eggs, then halve lengthwise and gently remove yolks. Transfer 6 yolks to a medium bowl; reserve remaining 2 yolks for another use. Lightly mash yolks with a fork. Stir in yogurt, dill, garlic powder and cayenne. Gently fold in the diced cucumber; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange egg white halves on a platter; fill cavities with the yolk mixture. Top each piece with a cucumber slice and serve. Can be made in advance and refrigerated overnight.