New Year's Supper Recipes

Meanwhile, make the mashed-potato filling: In a large pot of salted water over medium-high heat, boil the Yukon Gold potatoes and garlic cloves until soft, 10 to 15 minutes, then drain. Using a ricer, press the potatoes and garlic back into the pot they were cooked in. Add the cream, stir until smooth, and season well with salt and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature and transfer to a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. If not using right away, refrigerate.

Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Cut the cooled fingerlings in half horizontally. If necessary, trim the bottoms of the halved potatoes to keep them from wobbling. With a small spoon, scoop out a little rut from each potato half (this does not have to be done meticulously) and line them in rows on a rimmed baking sheet.

Snip 1/2 inch off one of the bottom corners of the bag of mashed potatoes. Using the resealable plastic bag as a pastry bag, pipe a line of mashed potatoes onto each fingerling. Top 10 of them with a truffled cheese sliver and some applewood bacon, 30 of them with cheese only, 30 with bacon only and leave the remaining 30 plain. Bake until warmed through and browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. Spoon a little caviar -- or the topping of your choice -- onto the plain potatoes (or any of them). Sprinkle the potatoes with chopped chives and serve.

Per serving: 96 calories, 2 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 7 mg cholesterol, 2 g saturated fat, 400 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber

Recipe tested by Michael Taylor; e-mail questions tofood@washpost.com

Shiitake Beef Wellingtons

24 servings

The marinade used for the beef tenderloin is an all-purpose red meat marinade, excellent for lamb, flank steak, beef kebabs, etc.

Tips for working with phyllo dough: While putting the buttered sheets together, keep the yet-to-be-used sheets tightly enclosed in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to avoid exposing them to the air. As long as the first sheet for each batch is intact (it will be the outside of the Wellingtons), the other sheets can be slightly torn or even have a few small holes. Try to line up the outside edges of each sheet evenly, but if they are not perfect, it is not a big deal. Using 4 phyllo sheets instead of 3 ensures sufficient coverage without fretting.

MAKE AHEAD: The portions can be completely assembled up to the point of baking, up to 2 days ahead.

For the marinade: