Steve and I had a magical New Year’s Eve.
I have to start with dinner which was Beef Wellington as the main course (actually it was the only course – we saved our appetite all day long for this and didn’t want or need to be distracted by appetisers!). It was a team effort, as is much of what we do. Steve made a beautiful red wine sauce from oxtails, onions, carrots and celery. It simmered for about 4 hours and reduced from three quarts of liquid to 2 cups. I made puff pastry and duxelles, a finely chopped (minced) mixture of mushrooms, onions, shallots and herbs sautéed in butter, and reduced to a paste with cream and Amontillado added at the end. We got a perfect piece of filet beef which we seared, wrapped in prosciutto, then duxelles, finally in the puff pastry and baked it until the beef was medium-rare. The accompaniments were pommes Anna and haricot vert. And, I made a very special dessert for a man who loves dark chocolate – pots de crème au chocolat.
It was a very special meal. Besides celebrating the passing of the old year and coming of the new one, we celebrated our first full year together and our first New Year’s Eve in our home. After our late dinner, we sat on the sofa, talked, listened to music, danced, had our luscious dessert with a goblet of Australian Merlot, called a couple of friends after midnight and stayed up until 3 o’clock; just so happy to be here and with each other.
Last night was also magical with the blue moon illuminating the heavens. The old expression “once in a blue moon” has to do with something that is rare, special, uncommon, even absurd – but not impossible. The most popular current definition of a blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month. The New Year’s Eve blue moon is more exceptional, happening only once every 19 years.
This New Year’s Eve and Day feel ‘everyday magical’ and it already seems as though 2010 will be filled with everyday rare, special, uncommon and – why not – absurd happenings.
Speaking of magic, I don’t think I’ve said but Steve and I are writing a blog together called ‘On the Way to the Wedding‘. This link goes straight to his take on our New Year’s Eve.
Blue Moon image from Tamilshavai.com
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January 1, 2010 at 5:31 pm
The time of our lives «
[...] The following day we began our preparations for New Year. We’d decided to make Beef Wellington for New Year’s Eve and secured a fine piece of filet mignon from our butcher Michael Howard, whose shop is just across the road from our home. Melinda has already talked about that meal on her blog. [...]
January 2, 2010 at 4:28 am
k grace howes
Happy New Year Melinda! I am always inspired by your words and your work, even the food you and Steve so beautifully prepare and consume. Thank you.
I am ever so interested in the gorgeous picture of the blue moon intertwining with the dark branches at the beginning of this post. Can you tell more about it.
January 2, 2010 at 7:44 am
Melinda
Hi Grace and a very Happy New Year to you and yours!
I love that photo!! I wanted a picture of something other than food on this post and googled ‘blue moon’ and found that one. It links to a website written in Tamil (which Google Translator wouldn’t) so I am not sure of the provenance of the image. I also found it linked to a Ning group called Creative Worship Tour but can’t find where to leave a comment.
It looks like a photo of the moon & trees with a blue filter.
January 8, 2010 at 2:44 pm
sandi
What a wonderful journey it was on the path of your words and photographs. Your soul is shared on these pages. That is compelling!