From all of us, we wish you a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Especially a healthy one.    To stay healthy--remember chiles are just great for your body as well as fun to eat in oh so many forms.  Eating chili is so heart-warming.  And, the best part is that chili can be made in big batches  and freezes well, so you can have several meals from just one cooking.  I actually think chili improves with age, whether in the freezer or a few days in the refrigerator.   Chili season is here!  It is wonderful for game watching if you are interested in sports--it is almost a custom to have chili and guacamole for Super Bowl.

For New Year's eve, I have for many years served a Fondue Party.  It is a great mixer and I think is being revived in popularity.  Nonetheless,   I have kept serving it on New Year's eve.  In Switzerland ,where it began, it is the custom that those who partake in fondue,  will have good luck through the coming year.  One of the fun customs is that if a man drops a piece of beef or whatever meat or seafood is being served into the hot oil or broth, he is supposed to go around the table and kiss all the women and ditto if a woman drops a piece, she must go around the room kissing all the men at the table.  

I always like to start off with Cheese Fondue with chunks of crusty baguette for dipping into the  yummy cheese mixture--which after that course is served, I move the cheese fondue pot to the table where the beef fondue is being enjoyed.  The freshly cooked beef chunks are very good dipped into the cheese  fondue.  I like to make several dipping sauces --usually  five, as I have fondue plates with five separate spaces for the sauces or spice mixtures.  I am sharing my favorite dipping sauces with you today.

Starting next week, we will kick off the year with our Red and Green Chile Favorites class on January 6, which is SOLD OUT.  We are scheduling a second Red and Green Chiles class on January 20 instead of the Bread class.  So if you missed out on the January 6 class, you can register for this one.  There are spaces available  in  most all of the scheduled 2022 classes.  Also, we still have space in our weekends, week long and Oaxaca tour.

Stay tuned--we will be having specials on both our Pecos Valley products as well as  our classes.  I look forward to cooking with you in 2022!

BEEF FONDUE

(BEEF BOURGNIGNONNE)1

1/4  pound beef tenderloin or any tender cut per person

Peanut or vegetable oil, 1 to 2 quarts, depending on size of fondue pot

Italian parsley for garnish

1.  Select the best beef you can find and cut into one-inch squares, trimming off any fat or gristle.
2. Place the beef in a serving bowl and garnish with the parsley. Allow to set at room temperature if within 2 hours of serving time.
3. Prepare several saues, being certain to always have Bearnaise Sauce as one of them—as it is so delicious with the beef.
4. To serve, heat vegetable or peanut oil in fondue pot to high heat. If using sterno or alcohol, heating the oil on the range speeds up getting the oil hot.
5. Provide 2 fondue forks per person and a table fork and knife. Mention to those cooking the fondue with you that they should always remove the meat from the fondue fork to prevent burning their mouth.

BEARNAISE SAUCE

Yield: 6 to 8 servings (1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons)

¼ cup dry white wine

¼ cup white wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon minced green onion (coarsely chopped if using blender)

1 teaspoon fresh parsley or chervil

Freshly ground black pepper

3 egg yolks

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) melted

2 Tablespoons fresh minced tarragon or parsley (1 Tablespoon if dried)

1. Combine wine, vinegar, green onion, 1 teaspoon parsley or chervil and pepper and cook, using a medium low heat until quantity is reduced by half.
2.  Melt butter in the microwave or in a pan with a pouring spout. Place egg yolks in the bottom of the blender jar, add the vinegar mixture which has slightly cooled. Blend until well mixed. Switch blender to highest speed and add melted butter in a fine stream, blending until thick and creamy. At remaining tarragon or parsley and blend until mixed.

ANCHOVY BUTTER

Yield: 6 to 8 servings or 2/3 cup

1, 2 ounce tin anchovy fillets or paste

½ cup unsalted butter ( 1 stick) softened)

½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Several grinds of black pepper (1/8 teaspoon)

1. Combine all in a small bowl, mixing until well blended. Garnish with a few sprinkles of pure mild chile.

HORSERADISH SAUCE

Yield: 6 to 8 servings or 1 cup

1 cup dairy sour cream

3 Tablespoons prepared horseradish

Fresh or dried dill weed

1. Combine the sour cream with the horseradish, tasting and adding salt to taste if desired. Garnish with the dill weed.

Variation: If desired, use above recipe and substitute Dijon Style Prepared Mustard for a Mustard Sauce.

CAPER SAUCE

Yield: 6 to 8 servings or 1 1/3 cups

¼ cup sour or dill pickle, chopped

2 Tablespoons capers, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon style mustard

1 teaspoon parsley, chopped

1. 1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and garnish with some whole capers.

Other ideas are Barbecue sauce or any kind of rub.