New Year’s Eve is more than just a celebration—it’s a moment to reflect, reset, and ring in a year filled with promise. Food, as always, plays a starring role in these festivities, with dishes that carry hopes for good fortune, prosperity, and joy. Across cultures, symbolic ingredients and flavors take center stage, and this year, I’m excited to continue my Lucky Bites series with Grape Mostarda and Burrata Crostini.

This dish draws inspiration from the Spanish tradition known as Las Doce Uvas de la Suerte (“The Twelve Grapes of Luck”). This custom involves eating twelve grapes at midnight, one for each stroke of the clock as the new year begins. Each grape represents a wish or a goal for each month of the upcoming year. Successfully eating all twelve grapes in sync with the chimes is said to bring good luck and prosperity. The grapes’ round shape signifies coins and abundance, a perfect emblem of the prosperity we all wish for in the year ahead.

Grape mostarda—sweet, tangy, and spiced just right—is the heart of this recipe, harmonizing beautifully with creamy burrata and the savory-sweetness of prosciutto. All of this goodness is perched atop golden, toasted crostini, making for a dish that’s as inviting as it is impressive.

Whether your New Year’s Eve plans include a chic cocktail party or an intimate dinner with family, this appetizer is guaranteed to set the tone for a festive and lucky evening. So let’s get started on creating a bite that’s sure to dazzle and delight your guests, and don’t forget to save 12 grapes to eat at midnight!