Caviar is one of the best indulgences for a party

“What are you doing New Year’s — New Year’s Eve?” Most of us want a place to go and people to see and talk to on New Year’s Eve. Parties are and always have been popular on New Year’s. It’s fun to see the “old man” on his way and welcome in the brand new baby year someplace safe and warm in the good company of friends and family.

I don’t know of any time other than New Year’s when people invest more in hopes, wishes and dreams. We promise ourselves, God and each other all manner of good behavior. We give up overeating, smoking, drinking, cursing and speaking ill of others.

The first two weeks of the new year finds churches, gyms and retirement homes full of folks repenting the sins of lack of faith, slothfulness and neglect of their elders. We particularly remember and miss those we no longer have with us and rejoice in the “second chances” the New Year symbolizes. It’s a time when we collectively try to be the best we can be.

More new leaves are turned over on New Year’s Eve than in an autumn windstorm.

New Year’s Eve is a gateway to next year. If we start off right, maybe we’ll have an especially good upcoming year. Special times call for special food, and one of the best indulgences I know is caviar. (At $16,000 per kilo for fish eggs, it had better be.)

At one time, the term caviar referred only to the roe of sturgeon living wild in the Caspian and Black Seas, bordered by Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. It is used more loosely now to mean the roe of many different fishes.

As is true of many very special foods — truffles, for example — a little caviar goes a long way.

For New Year’s, I’m going to make a cheese ball coated with black caviar. It looks and tastes indulgent, but depending on the caviar you use it needn’t be costly.

I hope you have a safe, happy and “special” new year with lots of caviar.

CAVIAR CHEESE BALL

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

2 ounces Mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely minced

2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely minced

3 tablespoons (1 small jar) black caviar

Bring cheeses to cool room temperature. In a large bowl, blend in parsley and chives. Form into a ball shape. Chill in the refrigerator 1-2 hours. Spread caviar all over outside of cheese ball. Place caviar ball at the center of a platter. Cover and chill several hours to allow flavors to blend.

Serve with water crackers or thin slices of baguette.

Serves eight to 10 as an hors d’oeuvre.

Linda Conway Eriksson can be reached by e-mail at ieatatmoms@gmail.com.