New Year's Eve Dinner for Six

A menu for someone who wants to pull out all the stops and prepare an elegant dinner for six.

Thread shrimp, red sweet pepper, and green onion on skewers and brush with lemon butter.

• 1/2 pound fresh or frozen large shrimp in shells (about 15 shrimp)
• 2 teaspoons margarine or butter
• 2 teaspoons olive oil or cooking oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Nonstick spray coating

1. Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel shrimp, leaving tails intact. Devein shrimp; rinse and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Combine margarine or butter and oil in a small saucepan. Melt margarine or butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in wine, parsley, lemon peel, and pepper; set aside.

3. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent scorching. Alternately thread shrimp, green onion, and red sweet pepper pieces on fifteen 4- to 6-inch skewers. Brush with margarine or butter mixture. Spray a broiler pan with nonstick coating. Place skewers on prepared pan.

4. Broil 4 inches from heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, turning skewers once and brushing with margarine or butter mixture halfway through broiling. Or, grill the skewers directly over medium coals for 6 to 8 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, turning once and brushing with margarine or butter mixture halfway through grilling. Serve immediately. Makes 15 servings.

Serve this rich, garlic-flavored pate with crusty baguette slices, on melba rounds, or even with plain crackers or bagel chips.

• 1 pound chicken livers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped portobello or button mushrooms
• 1 small tart apple, chopped (3/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup hard apple cider or apple juice
• 1/4 cup milk

1. Rinse chicken livers under cold running water; remove fat and connective tissue. In a skillet heat oil. Cook livers with mushrooms, apple, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper until livers are browned and cooked through, stirring often. Add cider or juice; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, until liquid is nearly evaporated. Add milk. Cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.

2. Transfer to a food processor bowl. Cover; process until smooth. Press mixture through strainer. Spoon into serving dish or individual ramekins. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours or for up to 3 days. Makes about 1-3/4 cups (6 servings).

In each salad "package" is a flavor-packed cheese-and-grape surprise.

• 1-1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese or blue cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 6 sheets frozen phyllo dough (about 17x12-inch rectangles), thawed
• 3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1/4 cup salad oil
• Salt
• 4 cups torn fresh spinach or mixed salad greens
• 4 cups torn red-tip leaf lettuce or radicchio
• Coarsely ground pink peppercorns
• Small clusters of seedless red grapes (optional)
• Fresh chives (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl combine halved grapes, cheese, and walnuts. Set aside.

2. For pastry packages, unfold phyllo dough. Cover phyllo with plastic wrap to help keep it from drying out; remove sheets as needed. Brush 1 phyllo sheet with some of the melted margarine or butter. Top with another sheet of phyllo and brush with some of the melted margarine. Add 1 more sheet for a total of 3 sheets, brushing each sheet with margarine. Use remaining phyllo and melted margarine to make a second 3-layer stack of phyllo. Trim each stack into a 14-inch square; cut each large square into four 7-inch squares.

3. Place 1/4 cup of the grape-cheese mixture onto the center of one 7-inch square. Fold 2 opposite sides of phyllo over filling; fold remaining 2 sides of phyllo over, forming a square package. Press edges lightly to seal. Place, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet or 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Repeat with remaining phyllo squares and filling. Brush with any remaining melted margarine. Bake 10 minutes or until golden.

4. For dressing, in a food processor bowl or blender container combine vinegar, garlic, and thyme. With food processor or blender running, slowly add the 1/4 cup salad oil; process or blend until combined. Add salt to taste.

5. To serve, for each salad, place one pastry package in the center of a salad plate. Surround with spinach or salad greens and red-tip lettuce or radicchio. Drizzle the greens with 1 tablespoon of the dressing. Sprinkle with pepper. If desired, garnish with small clusters of grapes and fresh chives. Makes 8 side-dish salads.

When you're in a hurry for a fancy feast, this entree definitely impresses. The secret lies in the mixed peppercorn blend found in the spice or gourmet sections of supermarkets. It is shown here served with Yuca with Garlic and Rosemary.

• 12 lamb rib or loin chops, cut 1 inch thick (about 3 pounds total)
• 2 to 3 teaspoons dried whole mixed peppercorns
• 5 tablespoons coarse-grain brown mustard
• 4 teapoons snipped fresh rosemary or 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
• Fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)

1. Trim fat from meat. Cut a pocket in the side of each lamb rib or loin chop; set aside.

2. Crush peppercorns with a mortar and pestle. (Or, place in a plastic bag; seal and crush peppercorns with the flat side of a meat mallet.) In a small bowl combine crushed peppercorns, mustard, rosemary, and garlic. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture in the pocket of each chop. Reserve remaining mustard mixture.

3. Place lamb chops on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat for 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, stir bread crumbs into remaining mustard mixture. Turn chops. Broil 2 minutes more. Spread some of the crumb mixture evenly over each chop. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes more for medium (160 degrees F) doneness. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Yuca is a mild-flavored starchy root vegetable with a tough dark skin that is peeled like a potato. Like the potato, yuca can be baked, boiled, dressed up with a sauce, or simmered in a stew. The vegetable's woody center string must be removed before eating. It is served here with Lamb Chops au Poivre.

• 1-1/2 pounds yuca root or medium potatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 teaspoons margarine or butter
• 1-1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• Salt
• Pepper

1. Scrub yuca or potatoes thoroughly with a stiff brush. Peel and cut into 2-inch pieces. If using yuca, remove fibrous string from the center.

2. In a medium saucepan cook yuca or potatoes, covered, in a small amount of boiling lightly salted water for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender; drain. Return to saucepan.

3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet cook garlic in margarine or butter over medium heat about 30 seconds. Remove from heat stir in rosemary. Pour rosemary mixture over yuca or potatoes, tossing gently to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 6 side-dish servings.

Dense chocolate cake hides a rich torrent of caramel in this pint-size dessert.

• 3/4 cup butter
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces (1 cup)
• 1 recipe Praline Sauce (see below)
• 3 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup pecan halves, toasted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour six 1- to 1 1/4-cup souffle dishes or six 10-ounce custard cups. Place souffle dishes or custard cups in a shallow baking pan and set pan aside. In a heavy small saucepan melt butter and semisweet chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool.

Meanwhile, prepare Praline Sauce, cover and keep warm until needed.

In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Beat in cooled chocolate mixture on medium speed. Sift flour and cocoa over chocolate mixture; beat on low speed just until combined. Divide batter evenly into prepared dishes or cups.

Bake 10 minutes. Pull cakes out of oven. Using a small spatula or table knife, puncture top of each partially-baked cake and gently enlarge to make a dime-sized hole. Slowly spoon about 1 tablespoon Praline Sauce into center of each cake. Return cakes to oven. Bake 5 minutes more or until cakes feel firm at the edges.

Cool in dishes on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Using a small spatula or knife, loosen cake edges from sides of dish or cup and slip cake out upright onto individual dessert plates. Stir 1/3 cup toasted pecan halves into the remaining Praline Sauce. If necessary, stir 1 to 2 tablespoons hot water into remaining sauce to thin. Spoon warm Praline Sauce on top of cakes. Top with pecan halves and sweetened whipped cream. Serve immediately.Makes 6 servings.

Praline Sauce: In a heavy medium saucepan combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar and 2 tablespoons dark colored corn syrup. Stir in 1/2 cup whipping cream. Cook over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Makes 1 cup sauce