This warm and cozy Christmas drink will get you in the holiday spirit. Try adding extra spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg for even more flavor. To turn this drink into an Eggnog Hot Chocolate, substitute the espresso with chocolate.
This standing rib roast studded with thyme, rosemary, and garlic is both easy and impressive for a holiday centerpiece. Make sure to let the roast 20 minutes before carving.
Let guests serve themselves with a pitcher of this simple, make-ahead cocktail. For a holiday twist, garnish with fresh cranberries and orange slices. Try using a fruity Spanish rioja for the most traditional taste.
Pomegranates add a bright and delicious flavor to holiday cocktails.
A wonderful tangy, tangerine take on the super-trendy Negroni.
This Brandy Pudding Cake is excellent when eaten warm.
If you’re in a festive mood then you may want to give this delicious Pomegranate Margarita a try.
Here at Tiny New York Kitchen, this is one of our favorite holiday appetizers.
Here is an unbelievably simple party hors d'oeuvre recipe. Often times simple equal sophisticated in my book.
Japanese New Year
Ringing in the New Year is an important holiday activity and exciting event for the Japanese. In Japan the New Year celebration is called “nenga.” The Japanese observe nenga by eating osechi ryouri (New Year’s dishes), going to hatsumoude (first shrine visit), and decorating houses with ornaments like kadomatsu (pine tree decoration), shimenawa (a rope made with rice straw), and kagamimochi (round rice cakes to offer to the gods).
Reading New Year’s postcards, called nengajo, It is customary to send New Year’s postcards to friends, relatives, co-workers, and business clients which is very similar to the Western custom of sending Christmas cards. People in Japan consider it extremely important that nengajo are delivered EXACTLY on January 1st. This makes for the busiest day of the year for Japan Post because they are responsible to meet everybody’s needs to get their nengajo delivered on time. E-cards are becoming increasingly popular, Japanese people still keep the custom of sending New Year’s greetings by the postal service.
Nengajo usually have an illustrated New Year’s message with graphics symbolizing the New Year which may include a sunrise, a plum tree or one of the 12 eto animals (mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig). A specific animal represents each year. The eto for 2014 is the horse (uma).
Among many of the New Year’s activities, “ostoshidama” is the most fun one for children. Otoshidama was originally a gift to celebrate the New Year, but the word mainly refers to money given to children by older people during the holiday. Otoshidama are handed out in small envelopes called “pochibukuro.”
