Happy New Year!

We are back from the snowy mountains, the most beautiful lake in the world, broken SUVs, laptops and ski gear, salsa dancing in front of the fireplace after a day of skiing, hot wine in a chalet in the middle of a slope, hot pool and a cold sauna, from racing down just groomed blue slopes and careful sliding between the trees on fluffy double-blacks, meeting old friends in a lift line, fun of driving on ice, New Year Eve fireworks on the pier, from the beauty of our New Year tree (traditionally recycled Christmas tree tossed away by the neighbors), our gift exchange and CB radio conversations. We are back to the valley.

One 10-lb goose stuffed with Granny Smith apples, a huge pot of buckwheat kasha with dried porcini mushrooms, a large bowl of beet salad, a seafood pasta, a half-head of Manchego cheese, 6 bottles of Champagne, a case of red wine, and two loaves of bread feed seven skiers (very light feeders, most of us, including two vegeterians) for three days. We actually had a hard time dealing with the leftovers.

I had removed the excess fat from the goose, seasoned it with salt and pepper inside and out, put four quartered apples in the cavity, tied its legs the best I could, placed it on its back in a roasting pan, and roasted it for 20 minutes at 500 degrees, and then for about 3 hours at 325 degrees.

The bird released a lot of fat. I carefully collected it and brought it back with me for the next confit.

The meat was all dark, very flavorful and juicy, and there was plenty of it. Even the neck made a good apres-ski snack for one of the heavy feeders in the party.