"NewYearsEve" news and stories

The Mt. Olive Pickle Company this year is slowing down its annual New Year's Eve pickle drop, milking a few more seconds of celebration from a year that's been very kind to pickle makers.

"We've seen good growth," confirms spokeswoman Lynn Williams.

Fittingly for a firm that flourished in the depths of the Great Depression, having been launched a Lebanese immigrant in 1926, the current recession has barely dented Mt. Olive's sales figures. While home pickling has caught on with the latest crop of penny-pinching backyard gardeners, Williams says store-bought pickles are equally popular with brown baggers.

"Our sense is more people are taking their lunch to work with them," Williams says.

Chocolate and raspberries conjure our favorite holiday desserts. You know, the real grown-up ones that emerge from the kitchen long after all the kids' cookies and confections have gone up to bed. This seriously adult cheesecake caught our eye for so many reasons. Check out that darker-than-dark crust, which seems to ground the lighter-than-air filling that dances on top of it. You can never go wrong when two chocolates join forces in one dessert -- and with the glaze, make it three.

We're also enamored with its delicate size. Instead of hefting out a whole dense cheesecake, tlboyd05 graces us with something that verges on being an all-too-decadent size for an individual serving. Studded with raspberries, this cake would make the perfect end to an elegant New Year's Eve supper or even a feast all its own. Either way, this dessert beckons, "by all means, have a glass of champagne with me."

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

The sparkling wine we drink on New Year's Eve is not the stuff we drink at other times of the year. Beyond marking the end of the year, Dec. 31 also caps the end of holiday season, a last gasp of celebration -- and provides a ray of hope for what lies ahead. People want to party, not reflect. Chug, not sip.

Circumstances dictate that the sparkler you give or receive will likely be consumed by many mouths -- some quite inebriated already -- and not just by an intimate group of two or four. These factors influence what you buy.

Generally speaking, the ideal bottle will be inexpensive, widely available and fairly dry. The guide below walks you through New Year's Eve options, from fancy French Champagne to an international stable of less expensive, lesser-known alternatives.

Learn How to Open Champagne

I had a really mellow New Year's Eve this year. A couple of friends came over for cheese fondue (with roasted potatoes, sausage, brussels sprouts and broccolini, in addition to the tradition bread cubes, for dipping) before the early They Might Be Giants show at Philly's TLA. Afterwards, we came back and ate vanilla ice cream drizzled with Kahlua. Of course, there was some bubbly to toast 2009.

How did the rest of you celebrate? Did you eat our or make a special meal at home? Do you have New Year's Eve traditions?

We hope that everyone out there had a safe and fun New Year's Eve, filled with delicious food and sparkling beverages.

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