Instead of sending you a menu with my own recipes for New Year’s Eve, I thought I’d shed some light on a few of my favorite Substack food writers. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2025.
Candace Nelson’s Sweet Success
“My New Year’s Eve tradition is caviar and crème fraiche with these amazing potato chips that come in a pail. And pink champagne, of course.” Candace recommends the caviar from Marky’s, and I know anything she recommends will be a treat. Candace and I have been friends since our 20s when we met in San Francisco and then attended the same culinary program.
Annie Fenn’s Brain Health Kitchen
“One of my favorite spirit-free drinks for NYE is a Big Batch Spiced Apple Cider Mocktail. And here’s a crowd-pleasing app: Chipotle Walnut Parm on Radish Chips with Guac.” Annie’s Substack is a wealth of knowledge about improving cognitive and brain health. With Alzheimer's in my family history, I truly appreciate her tips and wisdom (and tasty recipes).
Martin Sorge’s Great Bakes
“Here’s a great recipe for Cheese Puffs, aka Gougères, and a double dose of pistachios with Pistachio & Blood Orange Cake + Pistachio & Raspberry Brownies.” Martin is the winner of The Great American Baking Show, and his dessert recipes are approachable and have a warm writing style. There's nothing like gougères and champagne on NYE, so I highly recommend you whip up a batch.
Pamela Salzman’s Monday Musings
“A big batch of hot onion dip from this post!” Pamela and I have been friends for a long time, comparing notes about blog writing, teaching cooking classes and the adventures of Substack. I highly recommend her healthy recipes and cooking tips!
Jaine Mackievicz’s Dinner at Janie’s
Jaine has such a unique and sweet story; take a moment to read about her here. Her grandmother’s Creamy Borscht would make for a cozy bowl on NYE. If you’ve never had Borscht topped with tangy and tart sour cream, you're in for a treat.
Aliza Sokolow’s THIS IS WHAT I EAT
I met Aliza years ago when we both attended a conference for the International Association of Culinary Professionals. One afternoon, we snuck out of the conference with Pamela Salzman (see above!) to get a tunacado sando at Joe & the Juice and enjoy the quiet. She just posted a recipe for Chocolate Olive Oil cake that looks simple enough to pull off without pulling a muscle but celebratory enough for NYE!
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Thank you to all the Substack writers who contributed ideas and recipes: Candace Nelson, Martin Sorge, Aliza Sokolow, Pamela Salzman, Annie Fenn and Jaine Mackievicz. Happy New Year!
What a bevy of glorious NYE noshes! You bet I'll have cheese puffs next to my Champagne.