Stylish New Year's Eve Dinner

Cooking a three-course New Year's Eve dinner for friends and family can be daunting. However, with these simple three recipes, you can make a refined meal that will impress everyone. For a three-course dinner, china, flutes and cloth napkins are the way to go. If you do not have any china, I would suggest borrowing some. If this is not an option I think that Pier One Imports and Anthropologie have some lovely options, especially Anthropologie's sale section. Also, it is most elegant to have the courses plated prior to serving, rather than potluck style.

The First Course

I think a beautiful salad is the simplest way to be successful in a first course. After all, there is not or hardly any cooking involved. For a first course, I suggest starting with a salad of mixed field greens, balsamic vinaigrette, and toasted pine nuts. Make sure to serve on chilled salad plates and salad forks.

The Second Course

Whenever I go to a fancy restaurant, I often order the filet mignon. The key to a successful filet is to know who likes their meat rare and who likes it more well done. Season both sides of the filet with salt and pepper. Cook on grill until desired wellness is achieved. Please refer to Food Network's Steak Doneness Chart for additional information. Allow the steaks to rest for ten minutes before serving so that the juices do not run all over the plate. Serve the filet with chive butter and sautéed baby carrots.

For the chive butter, simply take some softened sweet cream butter (about one stick for every four people) and combine it with finely chopped chives. Spoon into plastic wrap, form a tight roll and put in freezer for a half hour. Finally, remove plastic wrap and cut butter into one-centimeter thick medallions. Place on top of hot filet.

For beautiful carrots, sauté carrots in garlic olive oil until slightly soft and golden on each side. Place three on each plate.

The Third Course

The third course is, of course, dessert. While this may sound like an easy way out, chocolate mousse always looks delicate and fancy. For four people, you will need two packages of chocolate pudding, three cups of whole milk, two egg whites and one-fourth cup of sugar. Make the pudding according to package directions. Then, in a separate container, combine eggs whites and sugar. Next, beat the sugar and egg whites until the whites form stiff peaks. Finally, fold the whites into the cooled pudding. Cut the tip off of a plastic bag, spoon in the moose, and pipe into footed dessert bowls. Top with an edible flower like the ones at sugarcraft.com.