Potluck-y

A couple weekends ago a group of friends and I got together for a potluck - everyone was assigned a dish (entree or dessert... or wine) and some wonderful recipes were born. I was able to collect a few of them and thought I should share. Since everyone's cultural and geographic background was different, it showed in the cuisine which made for some "Good Eats", as Alton Brown would say.

The Spread

Zohra made Thai Curry - nice and spicy served alongside perfectly cooked short-grained rice.

A picture of the gang (minus a few latecomers)

Reem needed to buy this little guy at the store AND she made a Syrian rice dish which was THE BOMB!!! Rice and peas with nutmeg and seasoning salt on top. Then she sprinkled over some toasted nuts (almonds) and served it with a mix of Greek yogurt, mint, and cucumber. Once she teaches me to make it, it's going to be a staple.

Rachel represented Georgian style with 2 cobblers - one apple, one peach - it was such a treat to taste something with a little Southern love. All I know is a lot of butter was used in the crumb topping. But it's all good...we ate it with frozen yogurt instead of ice cream.

Rini and I made these dishes: Spinach Egg Feta Bake and Asian Noodles

For the Spinach Egg Feta Bake, we used Stephanie's recipe off her blog, but left out the pesto and increased the egg count to 10, the spinach to about 4 packages, and the feta to 1 cup. We also sprinkled over some cheddar before baking in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Just until the eggs set so they stay nice and tender.

Then I made my Asian Noodles - which turned out to be a hit, so I knew I had to post the recipe

In a bowl, chop about 6 cloves of garlic and slice a whole red bell pepper really thin (see above)

Take 5 or 6 carrots and peel the outer layer. Then, using the same tool (the peeler, that is)continue to peel them, making ribbons of carrot.

Chop 1 bunch of scallions into 1/2 inch pieces on the diagonal

Boil 1 pound of spaghetti noodles

In a separate bowl, mix 1/4 cup oyster sauce, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp red chili flakes, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 4 Tbs sesame oil, 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar, and 1/4 cup water. This is your yummy sauce. Taste to see what it needs and season accordingly.

Drain your noodles once they are al dente, and pour over the sauce. Ideally, let this sit for about a half hour so the flavors meld. Serve with a final drizzle of sesame or olive oil and toasted sesame seeds if you have them.

Finally, Konstantine made a Greek salad - nice and fresh and crunchy. I think he added lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, feta, and a special ingredient...dried oregano picked on a hike he went on in some foreign land I can't remember at the moment. He dressed it simply with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which I loved. He also brought along a nice big chunk of Asiago cheese.

It was a blast to cook and be cooked for by such awesome chefs. I hope we get to do something similar soon because I kind of want to introduce everyone to Persian food.

I left the party full and happy. And with leftovers.