Festive yet affordable

Smoke salmon pate with herb toast. (Food styling/Tony Rosenfeld; Photo by Wenda Maeda/Globe Staff)

New Year's Eve is the time to pull out all the stops. But caviar and truffles will have to wait for another year. You can get the look and feel of luxury with smoked salmon, creamy soup, a pork roast, and individual lemon custards. A menu for four fits neatly into a $50 budget and you'll have a fine, festive meal.

Start with smoked salmon pate, a dressy nibble made with hot-smoked salmon, which has a firm texture and milder flavor than cold-smoked slice. Puree it with cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, and a few drops of hot sauce. If you're feeling fancy, garnish the top with American caviar or use sliced chives (the pate costs about $10).

Cauliflower serves as the base for a smooth white soup with leeks and carrots sauteed in the fat from diced pancetta (unsmoked Italian bacon, though regular bacon would do). Those crunchy pork bits are the garnish. It's all yours for a little over $10. At $2.99 a pound, a boneless 3-pound center cut of pork is a fraction of what beef rib roast or a leg of lamb cost. Sear the pork for a fine caramelized flavor, spread it with mustard and a sprinkle of bread crumbs, and roast it on a bed of vegetables. To finish your menu, make a batch of French pots de creme. They're simply rich, individual lemon puddings. Lemon perfectly caps off the rest of the meal.

Keeping your budget on target will depend on where you shop and the state of your pantry. If you have to replenish ingredients like salt or vinegar, your bill will exceed the $50 goal. We based our calculations on a full larder and the prices at our local supermarket. But there are other expenses to the evening. Since you're doing the heavy lifting, ask your guests to tote the bubbly and party hats. We're all in this together.