For the last few years, my brother-in-law Chuck has been coming over to cook for New Year’s Eve. This is a true treat. Chuck is a chef of high caliber. We have compared his cooking to the work of a great musician. Watching him cook is quite a spectacular event.

Of course I teased him the entire time. I am reading the White Queen by Philippa Gregory right now.  I informed him regularly, by the hour, that if the meal should not be every bit as good as last year he would suffer the same fate as the characters in my novel. Since he is quite attached to his head, he exceeded our expectations.  YUM!

We gave Chuck a curry cookbook many Christmases ago. It was one of those gifts that was really for us. So the ceremony starts with Jabie taking off to Chuck’s to pick the recipe. Then they go to an Asian market for the ingredients. Chuck always says we should be eating by 7. This sends Jabie and me into gales of laughter. We usually eat about midnight. A good curry cannot be rushed.

Jabie called to inform me they had chosen the recipe.  Beef Aubergine. He asked if I had any favorites. Even though I have a French name, I clearly proved I don’t speak it when I said, “Oh yah, I loved that eggplant one he did a couple years back.”  Jabie was sweet when he explained what aubergine meant.  Chuck also makes these bread pancake things that I began calling “roguntaddes” but that is not the name. And I don’t know what is. Jabie made a vegetable dish a well, which he wasn’t that thrilled with but it went well with the meal.

This is my absolute favorite New Year’s Eve tradition. I suppose I shouldn’t admit that, since my co-blogger and I spent many a New Year’s Eve out on the town together. But this yearly tradition of cooking together and visiting, being silly but laid back is just what I love.  We all know the key to my heart is through my stomach!

Happy New Year!

Amy