20th Annual New Year's Eve Dinner

New Year's Eve has always been a special night for Zach and me, and each year we celebrate—and collaborate—in the same way: by hosting a dinner party for friends old and new.

Last night was our 20th such affair—a memorable milestone for reflecting on how much I love Zach, the partnership we've built, and the riches we enjoy in the wonderful people we get to call our friends.

We are looking ahead to great things in 2010. But first we gave a very stylish send-off to 2009:

Snacks
Bourbon-spiced pecans
Ticklemore (pasteurized English goats’ milk cheese)
P’tit Basque (unpasteurized French sheep’s milk cheese)

Amuse-bouche
miniature latke
topped with sour cream and sustainable caviar
Champagne

Soup
shrimp bisque
infused with Cognac, sherry, white wine, and tarragon

Salad
baby spinach salad à la Starlite
with Yukon Gold potatoes, Cambozola, and warm bacon vinaigrette

Pasta
handmade pappardelle
with wild-boar ragù, topped with parmigiano reggiano

Main
New Zealand rack of lamb
with Mediterranean spices and orange pan sauce

root-vegetable purée
of carrots, potatoes, and sunchokes

roasted Brussels sprouts
finished with toasted pine nuts in a balsamic reduction

Dessert
chocolate-covered gingerbread cake
Knower family eggnog

Sweets
lemon thins
dark chocolate shortbread with fleur de sel
Viennese vanilla crescents

Wishing you all love, peace, joy, and good health every day of the year!