A Quiet New Year's In

New Year's,especially this one, is a time to celebrate. How to ring in not just a New Year but a new decade? With a quiet night at home. Somehow it's just better than getting all gussied up and eating at a too fancy restaurant or at a too boozy party. Home is where the celebrating begins.

You can just serve hors d'ouevres or appetizers or go for a full on sit down dinner. The thing is to make both choices easy and fun. For hors d'ouevres , think about buying the trays of mini  spinach pies or mini quiches.Another idea is creating flatbread rounds tops with bruschetta and shredded mozzarella. Top it with pepperoni and olives, anchovies and sliced peppers. A charcuterie board is another fun option .Everyone can create their own sandwiches. Go to your local deli counter. Order ham , prosciutto, mortadella and salami. If you want you could add in slices of turkey and chicken, and possibly some tuna in olive oil for a more Mediterranean vibe. Also have slices of hard cheese as well as some gooey soft ones. Think slices of smoky Gouda and sharp cheddar with gooey Brie and Camenberts. As for breads, you can't go wrong with a few crusty baguettes , sourdough boules and shiny rye loaves. Pumpernickel would go well here too.Add some pickles and olives for nibbles. As for drinks - champagne and hard cider are your best bets. You could also have white and red wines too for those who prefer it.

As for  sit down dinners, fondue or bagna calda are fun ways to get together at a table. Fondue is an easy cook. It's a tasty mix of Gruyere and Emmenthaler cheeses with kirsch, a clear colorless brandy made with Morello cherries.If  this is too strong then use dry white wine. Cornstarch can be added to thicken it. Have plenty of crusty french bread cut into cubes for dipping. Again you can serve champagne with this for a festive flair. A Piedmontese treat - and something I grew up on is bagna calda. This is an infinitely delicious dish translated into hot bath starts out with melting olive oil and butter together along with garlic. Usually a tin or about twelve anchovies are added. You can add more if you want that rich unami flavor. We had always used Savoy cabbage which adds a sweetness and also chunks of semi broiled London Broil. The beef and the fish together are heavenly, especially if you put the pieces on Italian or French bread. Have more bread to sop up the sauce until there's nothing left. Another variation of this is fileto Piedmonese with bagna sauce topping steak served on buttered toast. This is an easy but tasty dinner party dish. Serve with a crisp salad and a good red wine.

The best New Year's Eve is a quiet one. Have it at home away from the maddening crowds. Serve up hors douevres or a hot dinner for a delicious, memorable evening.

Your Holiday Liquor Cabinet

Even though it's early December it's never too soon to stock up on holiday libations. We tend to focus on the foods of the season as opposed to the drinks which means it's a quick run to the local liquor store on the night of any holiday celebration . Be ready and fully stocked for your gatherings .

By now most hosts and hostesses have a good idea of what type of get together they'll be having. If
it's a formal sit down dinner with the boss and coworkers then think about getting a case of good wine.It's always impressive to have a bottle of one of the best to offset  a good roast or capon. Think about buying the organic kind whether it be white or red. They're made with grapes that haven't been sprayed with any pesticides or chemicals. They also contain no allergy causing sulphides either.If you're serving one particular meat such as beef or pork, you may want to have a variety of different reds to suit your guests tastes.

Of course nothing beats an at home  cocktail party, complete with a variety of different mixed drinks. . Go out and buy the staples  the usual, whiskey, ryes  and gins along with some of the flavored vodkas. For this last you can try a taste test to see what  vodka flavor works (there are so many of them these days with flavors running from cotton candy to blueberry). If you're planning on making punch or egg nog then stock up on a few bottles of rum. Also if you have a few wine drinkers in the crowd then buy  a mix of Cabernets and Merlots . If there's any toasting to be done then get that crate of champagne. Also some people may just prefer it or a sparkling wine as opposed to any mixed cocktail so have a few extra single bottles somewhere so that you don't run out.,

It's time to start shopping - for alcohol. Before the parties and dinners start make sure your wine cellar orliquor cabinet is fully stocked. Nothing ruins a gathering more than running out of the bubbly or closing the bar.