They Even Knew How To Have A Good Time On New Year’s Eve
In Swimming to Cambodia, Spaulding Grey describes how in touch with the Earth the Cambodian People were before Pol Pot. He describes how they had a good time being born, going through puberty, growing old, dying… “They Even Knew How To Have A Good Time On New Year’s Eve.” So, this begs the question: Do you? Do any of us? It’s the end of the year. The weather outside is frightful. Most people just go through the motions. In fact, when you reach a certain age, you usually fall asleep before midnight anyway. But, maybe if we get back to having a relationship with mother Earth, and learn to not be skeptical, we can pull it off.
But, what is New Year’s Eve? If you use the Hebrew Calendar it falls on a different day each year. Rosh Hashanah is usually celebrated toward the middle to the End of September. Similarly, The Chinese celebrate New Year somewhere around late January to Early February. Both Cultures predate Christianity by centuries. So, how did the Christian calendar become the standard and where did it come from?
After Jesus left a mark on the world, A cult dedicated to his teachings organized and metastasized. The Romans, who ran most of the civilized world to that point, co-opted Christian teachings into their society. Within a couple centuries, theirs became the most popular version, supplanting other forms of the religion. Thus, the teachings of Christ spread to a wider audience. And, the Roman Catholic Church was born.
Table of Contents
They Even Knew How To Have A Good Time On New Year’s Eve, But they needed a start date.
So, the Roman Catholic Church picked up steam over the next few centuries. And, in 325 AD, they formed the council of Nicea. It was time to decide, once and for all, what would be included and excluded from the teachings and tenets of the religion. While they were at it, they realized that if you control time, you control the world. To that end, they incorporated science and fables derived from Christian lore, as well as, other religions of the past including “Sun God” worshipers. Through the centuries, the study of the sky, moon, sun, and stars yielded many truths, including the length of days, weeks, months, and years. The Nicean council adopted a calendar based on the flow of seasons, solar, and lunar patterns.
Time to make some adjustments
Julius Caesar had a calendar, implemented during his tenure, that is the basis of the Christian Calendar. In fact, it was called the Julian calendar until Pope Gregory revised it in the 16th century. It tracks the movement of the Earth in relation to the sun, delineating solstices and equinoxes. The calendar we use today is based on this calendar. Even the names of the months and days derive from Roman Gods and Kings (March from Mars, the God of war, January from Janus, God of Beginnings and endings).
To honor the savior, Jesus Christ, 6th century Christians put the starting point around the date of Jesus ascension or death (either way, the actual dates aren’t fully known. So our entire calendar is a fallacy; but, I digress). This is not uncommon, though. For centuries, at that time, most people measured time from the reign of kings ie: 5 years after King Solomon.
So, that made anything that happened before Christ: BC. All that came later would be known as Anno Domini or AD. It would take a couple centuries to work out the kinks. But, eventually, the scientific formula came to the conclusion that a solar year takes about 365.25 days. So, to account for the extra 1/4 day, they added a leap year every 4 years. This became known as the Julian Calendar.
But, that wasn’t good enough.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII was presented with a recalculation. It turns out that 365.2425 days make a year (365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, and 12 seconds. But, who’s counting?). So, that means even with leap years, we were still missing a few days. They readjusted the calendar slightly to make up for the error (kind of like reconciling your checkbook). So, your calendar from 1582 goes from October 4 to October 15 to make up for the missing days. They also adjusted the math to account for future inaccuracies in dates. So, every 400 years, we skip a leap year. So, 1600 AD was a leap year. 2000 was a leap year. But, 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not. Anyone born on a leap year, celebrating their birthday every 4 years will have to miss a birthday in 2100. Thus, was born what we call the Gregorian Calendar.
The Calendar is still evolving
Ironically, this calendar system was not fully adapted worldwide until the 20th century, when Greece became the last European nation to adopt the calendar in 1923. And, changes continued as late as 1969. And, Saudi Arabia just officially adopted the calendar in 2016. The late comers cited civil reasons for adopting the calendar, as did the rest of the world. And, that makes sense, especially with world wide travel opening up. We all need to be on the same page. Otherwise, how will you know when to meet someone? I’ll see you on June 12 at 3PM. Which June 12? Do you mean Savin or Tammuz?
Like it or not, the battle for time itself was won long ago. And, we just follow it as best we can to keep things organized. Remember, the whole system is Earth-centric. If you go to any other planet, or another galaxy, your reference point will be completely different. Our concept of time only applies to our relationship to the sun and the universe. For we are but insignificant microscopic pieces of dust in the scheme of the universe. Kind of put’s a perspective on things, doesn’t it?
Now that I’ve thoroughly depressed you with “Too much F’ in Perspective…”
They Even Knew How To Have A Good Time On New Year’s Eve. But, did they really? Well, if we put aside all the uncertainty of time itself, maybe we can give it the old college try to enjoy the New Year. Let’s forget that we are living through a deadly pandemic. Never mind that the political divide in this country and across the world appears as an untenable chasm. Forget the starving millions, the animal cruelty, and the authoritarian dictatorships that engulf the world and threaten the freedoms and liberties of every living being on the planet. Just take heed the words of Eric Idle and Monty Python and You’ll realize all we have is perspective:
“The sun and you and me and all the stars that we can see
Are moving at a million miles a day…
So remember, when you’re feeling very small and insecure
How amazingly unlikely is your birth
And pray that there’s intelligent life somewhere up in space
‘Cause it’s bugger all down here on Earth”
So, be like the Cambodian people who forgot there was evil and enjoy life from the cradle to the grave.
They Even Knew How To Have A Good Time On New Year’s Eve by pleasing palates…
“We come from nothing. We become nothing. What have you lost? Nothing!” So, all we can do is enjoy the ride, the tastes, the aromas, the tactile sensations, and the satisfaction of a full belly. That’s right, live in the moment, for it’s the only one there is, regardless of who’s calendar you follow. To that end, we present a New Year’s menu based on exciting the palate in a variety of ways. In Spain, they have tapas. Italy has Cicchetti. The Turks have Meze. Although there are dishes that embody each style, the concept is the same: small plates. Instead of eating one large meal, Tapas and its cohorts excite the palate with a variety of foods served in smaller portions. This is the perfect way to usher out the old and ring in the new.
That brings us to tonight’s menu. You have all night (or until sleep takes hold). So, keep the night entertaining with these Tapas inspired dishes below. These are just a few items. Start with a nice cheese display. See our post about wine and cheese here. Have fun, try a variety of Hors d’oeuvres. See more ideas here.
And try not to be too maudlin. Perhaps it’s the singing of Auld Lang syne that brings down the mood on new Years. They call it a celebratory song. But, in reality, it is a relatively sad piteous song stuck in the past. It’s time to live in the present. This year, let’s see if we can even have a good time on New Year’s eve!
Cheers!
Torta Espanola With spicy tomato Romesco Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 Large Eggs
- 1 Cup heavy Cream
- Kosher Salt and pepper to Taste
- Olive Oil For Cooking
- 1 Cup Diced Spanish Onion
- 1 Cup 1/2 Inch Cubed Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 1 Tbsp Chopped parsley
- 1 Tsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
- For Sauce:
- 1/2 Cup Diced Spanish Onion
- 1 Tsp Chopped Fresh garlic
- 1 Cup Home roasted Fresh Red Bell Pepper (may Substitute Canned or jarred)
- 1 Cup Home roasted Fresh Tomatoes in Olive oil (Also, jarred versions acceptable for time sake)
- olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup Red Wine
- 2 Tbsp Sliced or slivered Almonds
- 1 Cup vegetable stock
- 1/2 Tsp Hot sauce
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Oregano
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Saute the onion and potato, stirring frequently until they are soft. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and mix with the cream, salt, pepper and herbs. Add a little more olive oil to the onions and potatoes. Then fold the egg mixture into the pan, mix everything well. Then, place the pan in the oven. Allow it to cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. Check the consistency. It should be firm to the touch. If not, give it a little more time.
- When the Torta is cooked, Remove from the oven. Allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes. Cut wedges and serve with heated Romesco sauce.
Notes
Herbed Mushroom Fritters with Dijon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Fine Diced Spanish or Vidalia Onion
- 3 cups Diced Fresh wild mushrooms (A variety works best
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
- Olive oil
- 1/4 cup Sherry Wine
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter
- 1 Cup AP Flour
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- Oil For Frying
- For the Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 1/2 Cup Sherry Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Chopped Shallot
- 1 cup Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Chopped Thyme
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- make the batter: This is a pate Choux recipe. Heat milk, butter, and salt in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil, then taper off the heat to medium. When the butter is fully melted, stir in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring to prevent the mix from sticking to the bottom of the pan. You want to cook until it begins to look like a dough. Continue to cook off moisture for another minute or so. Then transfer the batter to a mixer. Turn the mixer on at low speed and add the eggs in one at a time, increase the speed between addition of each egg to incorporate them well. When all the eggs are added and the dough is finished, set it aside. It can even be made the day before or earlier in the day and refrigerated.
- Make the Vinaigrette. Put all ingredients except oil in a blender. Turn on at a lower speed and turn it up to high speed. Drizzle in the oil until the dressing emulsifies. Taste the dressing and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set aside for service.
- Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. saute onion and garlic, then fold in mushrooms. Cook all until soft. Then add Sherry. Cook down until the liquid becomes a glaze. Then fold in the remaining ingredients. Adjust seasoning as needed. Cool the mushroom mixture, then fold the Pate a choux paste into it.
- Heat at least a inch of neutral oil in a pot or fryer at 350 degrees. Scoop the fritter batter into the oil. Let it rise to the top. Turn as needed to keep the color and cooking consistent. The batter will puff up. You want a golden brown color. Adjust your heat to get them to cook through, but not get too dark. Serve hot with a drizzle of vinaigrette.
Notes
Spicy Lemon Honey Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 24 Large Chicken Wing Pieces (So, 12 whole wings cut into 2 pieces, tips removed)
- 1 cup Honey
- 1 Cup Lemon Juice
- 1 Cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Thyme
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh garlic
- 1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh jalapeno
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix together all ingredients except jalapeno and wings in a blender or mixing bowl. Fold in the wings and jalapeno. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees
- Spray a sheet pan with pan spray and spread the wing out evenly on the pan. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until fully cooked. They should have scorched edges. But, they shouldn't be burned. If they are under-cooked, return to heat until done. Serve as is or with a dip like ranch, blue cheese dressing, or a citrus dip.