A guide to creating the perfect New Year’s Day meal

One of the many great things about living, cooking, and dining in Alabama is you can eat seasonally and there’s always something tasty growing nearby. The South – and lauded Alabama chefs like Frank Stitt, Chris Hastings, Adam Evans, David Bancroft, and Brody Olive – have taught the rest of the country plenty of lessons about good eating. And our influence is especially apparent on New Year’s Day. In cultures across the world, the food served on the first day of the new year is filled with symbolism for success in the 364 days that follow. Here in the United States, those New Year’s foods