New Year's Eve & Day - 12/31/2011 & 1/1/2012

Beyond the extraordinary company of the Corries, our long standing New Years companions, Guy Corrie's cheese selection gives me something further to look forward to in our gluttonous get togethers. In particular, the items from Berkeley's famous "The Cheese Board Collective" send me into a frenzy of excitement - according to our faithful forager, there is always a line waiting for the day's picks, and we are lucky enough to reap the benefits of the shop's expertise and Guy's remarkable drive. The Berkeley shop also boasts decadent bread choices, from rich sourdough cheese rolls to airy Zampano spheres, coated with salt and red chili pepper flakes. These cheeses are, unsurprisingly, most remarkable - pictured here are a triple cream, a fragrant blue, a soft goat's milk, a cow's milk from the parmesan family, and an oozing variant so stinky that after serving its purpose, the underlying cutting board was banished to the patio for the night.

Pizzas are the perfect New Year's Eve food - they allow variety, and most importantly, leisurely consumption - as we'd finish one, another one would go in the oven, easily constructed with the previously prepared ingredients. Multiple sampler slices ensured that everyone got a slice of our innovative combinations.

spinach, chunks of trout

farm fresh eggs, sunny side up

spinach, garlic base

caramelized onions

succulent mushrooms, thin crust

capers, rich red chunks

thin coating of cheese

on delicate wilted greens

and meyer lemon

our standard new years 

never complete without crab

and ocean's pink gift

thick pineapple chunks

bacon spheres and olive rounds

version, hawaiian 

bright red pepper rings

perched atop bright rainbow chard

melted cheese blanket

and it's the gift that keeps on giving - our New Years celebration would not be complete without Guy's omelets stuffed full of decadent leftovers and crafted with utmost expertise - on this occasion, the fluffy egg tortillas were filled with caramelized onions, crab or salmon, capers, quattro formaggio cheese, kalamata olives, spinach, chard - what a wealth of savory flavors, a perfect way to begin the new year. 

In the making - crab and caramelized onion thus far

The finished product

The salmon, not to be outdone