Conversation, food mark New Year's festivities

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smcclanahan

When I think of casual New Year's get-togethers, I think of lots of conversation with good friends and nibbling on good food waiting until the stroke of midnight.

I guess you could say it's eating the rest of the year away. Usually I get so involved with conversation the new year arrives and I've missed it.

I hope this year offers all of life's best to you, including health and happiness. For me, the new year brings happiness just being with family.

They add so much joy to our lives each and every day.

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In thinking about finger foods for New Year's parties, I thought I would share several with you. Starting with a couple of recipes that my niece, Christa, shared with me to pass on to you.

Italian Sausage Bites

1 package (5 links) special select Italian sausage

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes

1 package (1.5 ounce) dry spaghetti sauce mix

1/2 cup chopped, fresh parsley

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Cut each sausage link into 10 slices. Remove casing and place in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook 4 minutes or until well browned, turning once or twice. Remove from skillet; drain. In a saucepan, combine diced tomatoes, sauce mix, parsley and parmesan cheese. Simmer uncovered, 15 minutes. Add sausage, stirring to combine. Place in chafing dish or slow cooker. Serve with wooden party picks. Yields about 50 appetizers.

Bacon Delight Dip

1 package (16 ounces) hickory smoked bacon

1 round loaf, about 1 pound, loaf bread; sourdough, rye, pumpernickel or Hawaiian

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 carton (16 ounces) sour cream

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained

6 green onions, chopped

Cook bacon until crisp. Drain; crumble and set aside. Cut the top off bread to form a cover. Remove bread inside loaf, leaving a 1/2-inch shell of bread. Cut removed bread into 1-inch cubes. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, chilies and onions. Stir in bacon. Spoon mixture into bread and replace bread top. Place in a pie plate or on a cookie sheet. Wrap bread in heavy foil and bake 1 1/4 hours at 350 degrees. Serve round loaf using the bread cubes for dipping.

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I really prefer bacon-wrapped scallops, but these crunchy water chestnuts are good and do add a nice crispy crunch to the appetizer buffet.

Bacon and Water Chestnut Appetizers

1 pound bacon strips, cut in quarters

1 1/2 cans water chestnuts, whole, drained

1 1/2 cups ketchup

2/3 cup brown sugar

Wrap bacon strips around each individual water chestnut. Insert toothpick to hold in place. Place wrapped water chestnuts in a large baking pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Pour off excess fat and soak up rest with paper towels. Combine ketchup and brown sugar. Spoon over the water chestnuts; bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

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This recipe calls for 3 pounds chicken wings, which will yield about 16 wings. You may need to size the recipe according to your guest list.

These are so tasty, you may want to make sure you have plenty.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

3 pounds chicken wings

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons chili sauce

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cut chicken wings in halves at the joint; discard tips. Place in shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, combine rest of the ingredients; pour over wings, turning to coat well. Cover and chill three hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease two baking pans. Remove chicken wings from marinade; reserve marinade. Place chicken wings in baking pans; bake 25 to 30 minutes. Turn and brush wings with marinade occasionally.

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The next recipe calls for bread that you cut out with a biscuit cutter, but I use the small cocktail bread loaf available in the deli section of the supermarket. I prefer the sourdough bread and not the rye for this recipe, but either will work.

Hot Mushroom Rounds

1/2 pound mushrooms, finely chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons heavy cream

10 slices white bread

Parmesan cheese, grated

Spray baking sheets with nonstick spray. Saute chopped mushrooms in butter, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix slightly beaten egg yolks with cream and add to mushrooms. Cook over low heat until thickened, about five minutes. Cut bread with a 2-inch biscuit cutter. Spread with mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Use the whites to cover the entire surface of bread. Bake at 400 degrees 10 to 15 minutes or until just browned.

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Day Ahead Dip

1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened

1 carton (8 ounce) sour cream

1 package dry Zesty Italian salad dressing mix

2 cans tiny shrimp, drained

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 finely chopped green pepper

Mix cream cheese and sour cream together. Add all other ingredients and mix well. For the best flavor, make this the day before you plan to serve it.

Serve with assorted crackers, chips or vegetables.

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The next recipe offers the nice treat of smoked salmon without having the expense of buying smoked salmon. By starting with canned salmon and adding the smoked flavoring, it is more affordable when planning a large buffet. Of course, the real thing would be wonderful.

Smoked Salmon Ball

1 can (16 ounces) red salmon

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese

1 teaspoon lemon juice1 teaspoon horseradish

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

Pecans, chopped

Parsley, chopped

Remove bones from salmon. Mix all ingredients. Chill several hours. Shape into a ball; roll into a mixture of pecans and parsley. Serve with Triscuit crackers or an assortment of your choice. This freezes well.

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Layered taco dips have seen many varieties over the years. It is so versatile you can be creative and use ingredients you might have on hand or go wild with all of your favorite ingredients. I like guacamole on mine as an added treat.

Taco Salad Dip

1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

1 package taco seasoning mix

3 tablespoons picante sauce

1 cup lettuce, shredded

1 tomato, chopped

1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 onion, chopped

2 ounces black olives, sliced

1 can refried beans

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, taco mix and picante sauce in a bowl and mix well. Spread beans on platter, top with cream cheese mixture. Then chill until firm. Layer vegetables and cheese over chilled mixture. Serve with crisp tortilla chips.

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I hope these finger food favorites add to the joy of ringing in the new year with family or friends.

May you have a very blessed new year and happy cooking all year long.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.