Plan for February 23

The February invite, just so you know what challenge you're up for (also sent to group email):

The theme is spice- this doesn't necessarily mean we're looking for dishes with heat; I challenge everyone to pick a spice they've never cooked with before and try a dish that features it. Or a spice you really think you don't like (for me this would be Anise) and give it another chance to see if you actually do like it or seal the deal that it's true skank in your world.

If you're not sure where to find a recipe with your spice, allrecipes.com has an advanced feature that will let you search recipes by ingredient, other culinary sites might too.

All right ladies, the challenge is on.

p.s. - I'll be setting the table with label holders so we can identify the spice theme in our dishes (or wines let's be real) so if you find you really don't like that spice? Or you had to buy a lot that you won't use up (remember your Cardamom, Sharon? I STILL have some), bring it along and we'll see if anybody else wants to take some off your hands. I have snack size baggies galore.

p.p.s - Speaking of that, start bringing your damned tupperware(r) (or whatever) again too so we can swap leftovers. I don't know when we got out of that habit but I take too much of my own food back home again most nights.

January 2011 - Founder's Night

I've waited far too long to upload the photos from the 18th...I've forgotten what many of the dishes were!  And I realize I didn't get a picture of the turtle cheesecake...man...I need to remember that bit of delicacy.  So I'm learning about what to photograph and how to best summarize.

If you want to share exactly what your dishes were and where people can find the recipes, please leave a comment.  My Palak Paneer came from Ismail Merchant's  "Passionate Cooking".  It turned out far more healthy green than anything I've ever had at an Indian restaurant so I'm still not sure if I messed up the recipe or  not (too much spinach?)   Poor Ismail- that book isn't doing so well at Amazon, it must not be too popular but I think it's well written - nice combination of recipes and commentary about cooking.

Here are the photos that I grabbed that night - if I got something wrong in the captions, let me know and I'll update them.  OR you could get a login and help out with the blog...manipulator?  Who me?  No, that's called enabling, silly.

Ladies, rev up your engines!

This cooking club's been keeping the group of us sane on a monthly basis for a number of years, but we've never really gone to the full effort to document our cooking or craziness. So...it's open 'mic' time for you ladies. If you want to post to the blog, let me know jenv@ and I will hook you up with posting privileges. And if you don't want to play? That's cool, those of us who do will just refer you back to the blog anytime you want a recipe just to be bitchy.

Dear, darling members who have moved out of our immediate sphere of influence - we do not include you to rub it in, just a wish to incent you to come back to visit (and I don't care if I did make up the word 'incent' according to spell check.) We miss you Anne!

If one of our very talented someones wants to design a theme for this blog, first one to submit a design that is suitably snarky yet tasteful will be featured and lauded appropriately. Of course there are mega bonus points if the design includes truck nuts.

So...let's all give this a go, shall we?

Hearts, kisses, and some kind of dessert,
~JenV