Happy New Year!
This year, I have resolved not to make any resolutions. So far I am doing well. I have been to the gym, once, and I have not said no to another mince pie, since they need eating up.
We welcomed in the New Year with a party. It’s sort of a tradition–more years than not, we have a party. We had parties in Mauritania, where guests came from Abu Dhabi, Sudan, Morocco and Switzerland. We had parties in Morocco where everyone was from America. This year, the bulk of the celebrants came from Iraq.
For some reason, I got a wee bit irrational about the food. I cooked for 2 days. I made 5 dozen coconut pies (tarts, really), and 3 dozen mini-quiches, 6 dozen chewy ginger cookies, and guacamole and chips. I made thousands, it felt like, of small pizzas, topped with mozzerella and hamburger cooked with onion and garlic and home-made sauce and crust. I gave myself a massive headache. At the last minute I made a batch of espresso/chocolate chip “muffins,” just in case. I made Donn and the kids do all the cleaning, including the last-minute frantic “Quick! Take that stack of books and stick them on the floor next to my bed! Close the door!” Luckily, none of the guests went anywhere near my room.
Everyone brought food. We had masses of food. Entire villages could have eaten their fill off that table. 5 days later, we are still eating food from the party, and everyone left with some to take home too.
This is only half the table…
The bright orange thing that looks like a dead muppet is called “kanarfa” or something like that. It is shredded pastry with food colouring, filled with cream cheese and pistachios, and it is delicious. Plus, you feel subversive, like you’re eating Snuffleupagus or Animal or…who’s bright orange?
Leslie made marionberry-filled mini chocolate cupcakes with marionberry-cream cheese frosting.
We had, in deference to the fact that my friends are Muslim, only sparkling cider. But it was very tasty!
We had some fun introducing these young arrivals, soon to be Americans, to an indispensable part of American life…Looney Tunes. First they watched some cartoons, then Looney Tunes – Back in Action, which has some very clever and funny parts but really, in my opinion, you only need to watch it once. My kids disagree.
It was a fun party that went until about 1:30. I think a good time was had by all. I know my headache lasted well into the new year, but it’s gone now, and so is the baklava, and the goulash (which isn’t soup–it’s this meat pastry thing that is delicious) and the qu’ba (deep fried meat and potato pastries…a big favorite round here). There are still a few coconut pies left though. Who wants to come over and help eat them up?
Happy 2012 to all! What did you do to celebrate?
7 comments
January 4, 2012 at 11:54 pm
Miss Footloose | Life in the Expat Lane
I would have gladly been at your house and helped with the cooking and doing the dishes! And sacrificed the alcohol 😉 Sorry it gave you a headache though – not fair.
The orange shredded wheat pastry looks and sounds like what we called Kanafeh in Ramallah. Initially I had to get used to the supersweetness of the Middle Eastern pastries, but other than that I loved the sticky, cheesy nutty character of them. It was fun walking by the sweet shops and see all these big round trays with all the different kinds in display.
La Multi Ani Fericit: A Happy, Healthy New Year to you and your family from Moldova
January 5, 2012 at 6:51 am
Ariana {And Here We Are...}
That is a whole lot of love on that table!
Lucky for us, we found a kind neighbor like you, who was willing to invite a family of foreigners to her party on New Year’s Eve. We didn’t know a soul, but it still felt great to be included.
January 5, 2012 at 8:29 am
LIB
Your friends won’t go away from your house hungry! I’m glad Donn & the kids did all the cleaning–they have to earn their baklava somehow!
Happy New Year to you and the fam!
January 9, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Kara @ The Chuppies
I love these photos and the food looks amazing!
No resolutions…just possibilities…
January 10, 2012 at 3:32 pm
gulrotkake
gulrotkake Hrm, Not the best post unfortunately. Sorry to be so blunt! You should try some Norwegian carrot cake ( gulrotkake lavkarbo ) to cheer you up instead.
January 18, 2012 at 3:08 am
Martin Grey
A very fascinating theory. Do you have more reasons? Focus on, it will be a good blog site later on
January 21, 2012 at 10:57 am
MaryWitzl
We made gyoza (Chinese-style dumplings), and tons of sushi — but I wish to God I could have gone to your party; I’d have traded you a ton of sushi (all hallal!) for some of your delicacies.
Your photos of Hemet make me feel so nostalgic. Riverside being fairly close by, we used to go to Hemet a lot when I was a kid; my sister almost got bitten by a rattlesnake there, and I remember the blue skies, and the palm trees…