Root Vegetable

We tweaked this Old World sweet-and-sour dish with confit duck, and the amazing result knocked us out.

A fennel trifecta—you'll find that the sweet fronds, bulb, and seeds mix harmoniously in this dish.

Chickpeas add meaty body to a home-style vegetable soup; round out the flavors with a sprinkling of grated cheese.

Think beyond the salad bowl: Cooking escarole tempers its slight bitterness; pine nuts are a mellow complement.

Traditional papillote takes time and requires origami-like folding. Here, we use foil to make a no-mess pouch; the fish becomes infused with the flavors of tomato, capers, garlic, and lemon.

Nori, or sushi paper, can be found in Asian markets and health food stores.

Editor's note: Erika Lenkert, author of the book, The Last-Minute Party Girl: Fashionable, Fearless, and Foolishly Simple Entertaining, learned this recipe from Chef Hiro Sone. For Lenkert's tips on throwing a last-minute New Year's Eve party, click here. One holiday I hosted a potluck dinner party in Napa with some of my favorite food friends, including one of my very favorite chefs on earth — Hiro Sone — accompanied by his talented pastry chef wife and dear friend Lissa. Hiro anted up this soup, which I forced him to teach me how to make. It offers truly luxurious results with minimal effort. Kept covered and warm in a double boiler on the stove, its velvety texture and creamy flavor should last the length of any party.

Editor's note: This recipe was created by Erika Lenkert, author of the book, The Last-Minute Party Girl: Fashionable, Fearless, and Foolishly Simple Entertaining. For Lenkert's tips on throwing a last-minute New Year's Eve party, click here. When it comes to entertaining I'm a selective cheapskate. I thrive on figuring out how to get the most bang out of minimal bucks for things like decor, so that I can splurge on a few fantastic ingredients, like high-quality American caviar for this dish. When throwing a party I love doing something really easy that looks and tastes fabulous. This is one such example — a hearty scoop of American caviar atop a bite of petite potato salad inside a shot or martini glass. If using shot glasses, serve it with mini plastic spoons, which can be found at ice cream stores. For martini glasses, go with teaspoons or demitasse spoons.

Be sure to start marinating the game hens at least six hours ahead. At Standard Tap, Carolynn Angle uses poussins — small chickens that weigh about a pound each. If you can find them (they're sold frozen at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores), buy six and cook them whole.

It is said that eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day will bring good luck. Here's a fresh take on the southern dish traditionally made with salt pork (we've subbed in andouille sausage) and served over rice.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Marcus Samuelsson's book, Aquavit : And the New Scandinavian Cuisine Salads like this one are part of the Swedish smorgasbord enjoyed on special occasions such as New Year's. Called skagen in Swedish, this salad is named for a Danish fishing village across the river from Sweden. It's a very traditional dish that appears on every smorgasbord table in the country. Here is our version, which includes smoked salmon, shrimp, and crabmeat. It makes a great lunch served with crusty French bread or whole-grain crispbread.

This creamy-crispy take on mashed potatoes, similar to a giant latke, is ideal for a dinner party because it can be assembled ahead.

With different hues of orange and gold, this dish makes a great holiday side.