New New Year’s Brunch Traditions

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For my New Year’s Day brunch, I will be enjoying toasted bagels slathered with cream cheese and topped with smoked salmon and a few capers and lemon slices for relish. With some steaming coffee, a comfortable chair, and a roaring fire in the fireplace, it’s a special treat and a festive way to start the New Year – and our tradition for years.

As the holiday season is winding down and the feasting is over, New Year’s Day is a time to simplify while still celebrating. Many cultures have food traditions that combine good food with a special feature that promises good fortune and prosperity in the coming year.

If you’re thinking about how you might start your own New Year’s morning tradition, consider what you want as a main feature at the table. This might also be an opportunity to make use of ingredients that weren’t consumed over the past week or so.

For example, you could start with fruit and make a bright fruit salad – oranges, grapes, strawberries, melon, and even kiwi fruit cut into bite-size pieces, maybe topped with pomegranate seeds and toasted nuts. Or try ambrosia (a bit of nostalgia for those of us who remember the dining fads of the 50s and 60s). For an international flavor, how about a cold fruit soup? If you have a little leftover turkey or chicken, you could make a Waldorf salad with apples or grapes.

If there’s a baker in the house, how about some cranberry-orange bread or a pound cake with chopped apricots that could be made the day before? Or you could get fancier by making a sweet yeast dough, braided into a wreath or a horseshoe or even a Christmas tree with prune or dried apricot filling, to serve as coffeecake in the morning.

For many, it’s a treat to eat eggs, sausages, and bacon – maybe a New Year’s Day indulgence. You could also whip up some cornbread to enjoy with a plate of bacon and eggs. Or think about an omelette, quiche, or breakfast casserole, maybe including leftover vegetables or even stuffing for a truly flavorful and filling meal. For others of us, pancakes, waffles, and French toast with butter and maple syrup are perfect for a once-a-year extravagance. For a larger group, how about a Dutch baby with a creative topping?

Want something a little lighter? How about ham-and-cheese sliders, tinned fish on crackers, or a bruschetta? Top these off with a sprinkle of caviar or capers for a festive touch. Together with a sliced-fruit plate, that might be just the thing for a light, simple, refreshing, and nutritious way to start the New Year.

For something a little different, try rice pudding with fresh pears and honey. And if you have guests, hide an almond in the pudding and see who gets the prize for good luck for the coming year.

The main idea is to come up with a tradition to kick off the New Year. What do you do for New Year’s brunch? Do you have a favorite? In any event, Happy New Year! See you in 2024.

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