New Year's Eve Appetizer Ideas

If you're hosting a New Year's Eve party this year, you might consider serving bite-sized portions to allow your guests to easily mix and mingle. I’ve gathered some of my favorite appetizer recipes that would be perfect passed around or on a buffet table. I also listed appetizers that can be prepared in advance so you're stress free and ready to enter the New Year in a good mood. Bon appétit!

Vegetarian Terrine Recipe (+Giveaway)

Terrine in French is a jellied dish. It's usually made of meat or seafood but today I made it exclusively vegetarian as an opportunity to experiment with the Redwood Hill Farm and Green Valley Organics products I recently received. Several of the people in my family are lactose-intolerant, so the combination of goat dairy products from Redwood Hill Farm and lactose-free cow dairy products is a real blessing. But the kefir, sour cream and yogurts are not just serviceable substitutions; these are some of the best dairy products I've ever used.

I created 3 layers respectively made with black beans and raw goat milk feta cheese, artichoke pesto; and sun-dried tomatoes and goat milk Cheddar cheese. I used agar agar, a seaweed substitute for gelatin, so the terrine would keep its shape together. To complete the dish, I drizzled it with tamarind chutney. Needless to say I've had a blast cooking with and tasting the products, and if you're lucky enough to win, you will too!

This is the last day of our 25 Days of Giveaways. Enter and you could win a prize valued at $100 (I picked my favorites from Redwood Hill Farm's selection of artisan cheeses also available for sale online at http://www.redwoodhill.com/shop, the full line of GVO products at http://greenvalleylactosefree.com/products/ and Redwood Hill Farms yogurts, kefirs and millk).

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page, Green Valley Organics and Redwood Hill Farms or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "$100 RHF & GVO #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @gvolactosefree: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".

PS: Also, the first 100 people to submit their address and the comment "Pham Fatale" on the Green Valley Organics contact page will receive a coupon for a free cup of yogurt! Hurry to get your coupon (the offer ends on 12/31)!

Ma petite poupée! (My little doll).

PPS: I have one other announcement to make today and it's that my husband Lulu and I welcomed our first child into the world recently. She's a very healthy little girl and she's quite a handful. The folks at Redwood Hill Farms were so sweet to send me a tee-shirt for her to wear, and I thought I'd share the picture with you. She will definitely be a Redwood Hill Farm kid. Merry Christmas everyone!

Rice Recipes (+ Zojirushi Giveaway)

As an Asian person, rice is a staple in our house. So owning a rice cooker is essential. I've owned a Zojirushi rice cooker for several years, and it is the best one I’ve ever used. It has a permanent place on my kitchen counter, so it's a good thing the exterior design is very pretty.

With this machine, you can cook a wide range of foods, thanks to the numerous setting from plain jasmine rice to sushi rice, brown rice, rice soup or even steamed potatoes and steamed cakes. It keeps rice warm for several hours after it's cooked without drying it out. That’s really important to me, because even though we all try to eat together every day, it often doesn’t happen because of everyone’s crazy schedule.

My Zojirushi rice cooker has a simple interface so it's very easy to program the machine to make perfect rice. The provided measuring cup and marks on the side of the cooking pot to indicate the correct amount of water needed make the system virtually foolproof. Perhaps the best part about it is how easy it is to clean, especially with the non-stick cooking insert. As an added bonus, the power cord is retractable, which keeps my kitchen counter neat.

Our friends at Zojirushi have kindly offered one of their Umami rice cookers for today’s giveaway (valued at $275!). For a chance to win, just enter on the 25 Days of Giveaways page. And to get you inspired to cook rice for your next meal, I’ve compiled some of my favorite rice recipes below. Enjoy!

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "$275 Zojirushi Rice Cooker #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".

Mache Pesto Risotto Recipe (+Giveaway)

Remember when I said I always have pesto prepared in advance and stored in the freezer? This recipe doesn't require a lot of effort if you already have pesto on hand. Today I made risotto with my favorite pesto recipe, made with mâche leaves. In case you’re not familiar, mâche, or lamb's ear lettuce, is a small-leaved, brightly-colored green. It has a mild but very distinct flavor.

First, I cooked Carnaroli rice with vegetable stock until tender. Once the rice absorbed all the liquid, I added the mache pesto, caramelized onions and Parmesan shavings. This simple recipe makes a quick and easy comfort food fix in less than 40 minutes.



Today's giveaway is an assortment of all four varieties of HK Anderson pretzels. They are crisper than any brand of pretzels I've ever had. HK Anderson have been making these crunchy treats since 1888. I really like the thin-shelled ones filled with peanut butter. Being French, I didn't grow up with peanut butter and this is one of the few ways I enjoy them. For a chance to win, just enter on the 25 Days of Giveaways page.

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and HK Anderson pretzels or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "Pretzels #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @hkpretzel: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".

Karela Achar Recipe (+Giveaway)

Bitter melon (also known as bitter cucumber, bitter gourd or karela) is an acquired taste. That's a polite way of saying a lot of people dislike it. As the name implies, it is bitter, but when cooked properly, it can make a delicious dish. I learned this particular recipe from my husband Lulu's auntie. Sherin Auntie made achar using Indian bittermelons. What is achar you ask? Achar is to Indian cuisine what nuoc mam is to Vietnamese food. It's a popular, oil-packed Indian pickled condiment. We usually eat it with kichdi (Indian lentil rice) and raita (Indian yogurt condiment).

First, Sherin Auntie seeded the karela and cut them into small shreds. She decided to par-boil them so they'd be tender but this step is optional. She then fried them with Indian spices until it formed a chunky, thick paste and completed the process by sealing the mixture in a jar. The last bit of this recipe is time; you have to let the achar stand for a few days so the ingredients infuse and develop into a flavorful condiment. But I promise you it's so addictive, you'll keep asking for more rice so you can eat more achar.



Today’s giveaway is 4 bags each of Mary’s Gone Crackers 3 pretzel stick flavors.They come in Sea Salt, Chipotle Tomato and Curry. I got a chance to try the curry flavored “sticks & twigs” recently, and I can tell you they go really great with Cypress Grove Chevre. My father-in-law almost ate the entire pack along with the cheese, so I was lucky to get the few bites I did before they disappeared. The pretzels are earthy and the curry flavor really comes through. For a chance to win the pretzels, just enter today’s giveaway.

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and Mary's Gone Crackers, or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "Mary's Gone Crackers #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @GoneCrackers: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".