New Year's Eve is a time for celebration, whether it's a party with friends or an evening of a more intimate nature.
Tom and I used to stay out till the wee hours ringing in the new year. Now, we prefer staying at home, sometimes falling asleep well before the magic second when old turns into new. But I still want to make it a special evening, and food plays an important role. The menu is usually centered around filet with some kind of sauce.
A few weeks ago, I bought filet for the first time in several months and was amazed at the price. It had gone up exponentially. Not wanting to pay $12.99 per pound at Bi-Lo, I went to Publix, where it was $1 more per pound. Surely Don's Meat Market would sell it for less and be as good as the rib-eyes I've gotten there in the past. But, no, filet was $16.99 a pound there.
By this time, though, I was tired of getting in and out of the car. I just wanted to go home. So I paid the price, telling myself this was a good thing because I was supporting a locally owned small business.
The good news is that when I found them on sale for $9.99 a pound at Bi-Lo right before Christmas, I knew to stock up.
Here's a recipe a friend found online and sent my way with the recommendation to serve it with mashed garlic red potatoes and sautéed green beans, along with Sister Schubert rolls. What a treat. It sounds like the perfect way to celebrate the new year.
Celebration Filets
4 (6-ounce) filet mignon steaks
Seasoned salt to taste
Cracked black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups onion slices
1 teaspoon white sugar
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Season steaks with seasoned salt and black pepper, and arrange in a single layer in a large baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard and rosemary. Pour mixture over filets, and turn to coat. Marinate for up to 30 minutes.
While you are marinating the meat, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion slices in butter until soft, then stir in sugar. Continue cooking until onions are caramelized. Set aside.
Prepare coals and lightly oil the grate. When coals are ready, place the steaks on the grill and cook for about 10 minutes, turning once. When they are almost done, move steaks away from heat to indirect heat. Top each filet with a quarter of the caramelized onions and blue cheese. Close the lid, and continue cooking until the cheese is melted.
Looking for an inexpensive champagne to toast the new year? I've always been a fan of Barefoot wines -- they're a pretty decent wine for the price. But have you tried the California-based winery version of champagne? Because it's not from the Champagne region in France, we must call it sparkling wine, but Barefoot simply calls it Barefoot Bubbly. And you can find it for $10 or less per bottle in several vintages: brut cruvee, pinot grigio, extra-dry, rose cuvee or Moscato spumante.
I sampled the extra-dry over Christmas and have to tell you, even though I prefer a more expensive Champagne with mellow flavors, this one was remarkably good, with a slightly sweet edge. It won a bronze medal in the Long Beach (California) Grand Cru Wine Competition back in 2008.
I always look forward to seeing the clever Chick-fil-A calendars, and the designers of the 2011 calendar have outdone themselves. The theme is "The Cows of Reality TV," and each page brought a smile as I glanced through my copy. Cows for each month are disguised as characters from reality TV shows. It's a well-done spoof on the reality craze that never seems to stop. "Shows" include American Patty Haters, Extreme Barn Takeover and Boogyin' With the Bovines. Don't overlook the coupons attached to each month; you can cash them in for savings.
The Cows of Reality calendars are $6 each and are available, while supplies last, at all Chick-fil-A restaurants and online at www.chick-fil-a.com.
Happy 2011 to you all.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6285.