The best New Year's Eve dinner ideas are the ones built for a crowd and a long night, and the most interesting New Year's food is eaten for luck. Here are five dishes from two traditions, Japan and the American South, with the calories before and after.
| Dish | Traditional, kcal | Lightened, kcal | Saving | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SukiyakiJapanese | 649 | 494 | 24% | 48g |
| MochiJapanese | 351 | 272 | 23% | 9g |
| Black-Eyed PeasSoul Food | 418 | 367 | 12% | 27g |
| Collard Greens with Smoked TurkeySoul Food | 210 | 178 | 15% | 26g |
| HoecakesSoul Food | 364 | 252 | 31% | 7g |
New Year's Eve: a hotpot at the table
Sukiyaki is a Japanese celebration hotpot: thin beef, tofu and vegetables simmered at the table in a sweet soy broth, dipped in raw egg. The traditional version uses fatty beef and a lot of sugar. Lean sirloin and a quarter of the sugar take it from 649 to 494 kcal, and it carries 48g of protein a serving. The meat is less melting. Slice it thin and nobody minds.
Mochi are eaten across Japan at New Year. Swapping a third of the rice for silken tofu makes them softer and less chewy; the book scores that honestly.
New Year's Day in the South: peas, greens and cornbread
Across the American South, New Year's Day means black-eyed peas for luck and collard greens for money, usually with cornbread.
Black-Eyed Peas trade 300g of pork belly for 80g of smoked gammon and a little smoked paprika. The smoke stays, the richness drops, and it's 367 kcal with 27g of protein. Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey use a smoked turkey leg instead of ham hock and keep 26g of protein. Hoecakes are cooked in a dry pan rather than bacon fat, which costs the lacy edges.
A New Year's menu
Sukiyaki on the 31st, because it cooks itself at the table while people talk. Peas, greens and hoecakes on the 1st, because they're made in one pot and taste better the next day anyway.
All five are in Authentic-ish Christmas, printed traditional first. The rest of the season is in Christmas dinner ideas from 17 cuisines.