the Month of the Potluck

Lately, my friends have embraced the idea of potluck dinners with such zeal, I can't remember a weekend in the past month that I haven't been to one. And let me tell you - I love potlucks now more than ever! They're perfect for the "emerging adulthood" phase of our lives: we want to have dinner with a big group of our friends, but don't want to deal with the hassle and expense of eating out as a big group (and god forbid getting a reservation for 10 in this city without a month's notice!). Potlucks allow people who like to cook to bring along something yummy, and for people who don't like to cook to bring along wine. Everyone spends about $10-15 dollars, eats well, drinks well, and leaves happy. It's a win-win.

The recipes have been mostly hit, with one miss. Let's start with the miss.

To celebrate Melissa Bishop's 23rd birthday, she threw a potluck. This is ironic, considering she doesn't know how to cook at all (someday I'll recount her spaghetti pie disaster), but she does know how to provide alcohol for everyone else. Anyway, I was craving chocolate, and figured a chocolate birthday-ish cake would probably work out well. I turned to Smitten Kitchen's Everyday Chocolate Cake, and put Becca and Bria to work while they were visiting me in the city to help me make it.

It was supposed to come out looking like this:


But really, it was a crumbly mess. Like this:


And this is how I felt about it:


People told me it was delicious, and I agree - the taste was totally there, but the texture! What a mess. I think there was a problem with the kind of cocoa powder I used.

Moving along, though, there were definitely some wins. I brought along the New York Time's recipe for Butterscotch Peaches to Kate Kosco's Clambake party, which were a hugely delicious success when served with ice cream. Kate never ceases to amaze me - she rented tables and chairs to seat 12 people in her apartment, fed us all an amazing seafood dinner, and brought together a great group of girls that I really enjoyed hanging out with! Thanks Kate!!

Our dinner:


And Becca and Maggie helping set up the spread:



Last weekend, Bria hosted a dinner party at her parents' house in Portola Valley, which has the most beautiful view of the foothills you could ever imagine. Her parents were out of town, and she slaved all day over a hot grill making chicken kebabs, tabbouleh, and other yummies. Becca brought homemade pita and hummus, Alison brought cheese and crackers, and I made a brown butter raspberry tart from Bon Appetit that got rave reviews. If nothing else, this crust is to die for!




And finally, last night, Tim and I went back to Smitten Kitchen for something to bring to our friend Beto and Tish's for a dinner at their awesome apartment in the Mission. With a go-big-or-go-home mentality, we decided to swing for the fences and make a cherry pie with almond streusel topping. Dare I say, it was one of the best desserts I've ever made.


We couldn't eat a bite.

Reading: Freedom, Jonathan Franzen
Listening: www.hypem.com/kcp