The New Year is upon us. Time for extravagance and resolution. Although we might plan a Spartan regimen for the next year, the "eve" is all about indulgence. I might be eating melba toast with lowfat cottage cheese next week, but right now I feel like caviar with finely chopped onion and just the whites of hard-cooked eggs on delicate water crackers, all washed down with bubbly. Of course, I mean that metaphorically. I've never acquired a taste for the salty fish roe that somehow has come to epitomize high-class noshing. Even just a few fish eggs sprinkled on top of a sour cream-crested baked potato are wasted on me. I suppose the same is true for lobster and lump crabmeat. Given the choice between these expensive morsels and a tray of Cheddar cubes and pepperoni slices• Pass the saltines and hot mustard. It always was my practice to entice my daughters into staying home for New Year's Eve by allowing them to invite any friends they would like for a sleepover (just the girlfriends, thank you) and offering to prepare any snacks their hearts desired. Among other things, they always wanted cheese from an aerosol can on crackers and our version of nachos. That meant layering tortilla chips, Cheddar, salsa and taco meat in a big baking pan and putting it in the oven until the cheese melted. Where did I go wrong as a father? While the oven was fired up, I'd make a batch of sausage rolls using pizza dough stuffed with ground pork that had been flavored with a little fennel, shredded Provolone and mozzarella and grated Romano. Half the batch was spiked with crushed red pepper, and I sprinkled the tops with paprika so people could tell the difference. This was another of my mother's beloved recipes that predated the concept of "Hot Pockets" by about 30 years. For the past few years, we've participated in a progressive dinner with appetizers in one place, the main course at another and dessert at a third. There are 12 people and six houses, so every other year you're off the hook for cooking. The problem is that Dec. 31 isn't always the best night to be driving around. You have to watch out for the weather and the revelers — the same reasons that made me want my daughters to stay home. This year, I might propose a massive sleepover with endless waves of appetizers and a nice brunch on New Year's Day. My wish for all of you in the New Year is that you have the opportunity to share some food with another person every day. Whether it's dinner with your family, lunch with a co-worker or a muffin with a friend at a coffee shop, it's sharing that provides the kind of nourishment we really need.

Stuffed French Toast

6 eggs 1 cup cream 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 16 slices egg bread 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 8 ounces fruit preserves, such as blueberry or strawberry 4 cups cornflakes, crushed 2 tablespoons butter, plus more if needed Confectioners' sugar (optional) Maple syrup or fruit sauce, for serving In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the cream, cinnamon, vanilla, granulated sugar and salt. Spread 8 bread slices with cream cheese and the other 8 with preserves. Put them together and dip the sandwiches into the egg batter to coat lightly. Then dip them in the crushed cornflakes. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet or griddle over medium heat, and fry the sandwiches until they are golden brown on both sides, adding more butter to the pan as needed. Remove the finished toast to a platter in a warm oven or to a chafing dish. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired, and serve with maple syrup or fruit sauce.

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