EVENT: Mag Club January

VENUE: Michelle’s Apartment, West Village
PARTY SIZE: 8 in the room, 1 via skype
TYPE: Semi-Virtual Potluck
MENU: Lentil Chili (Cara); Cous Cous Salad (Phoebe); Jor’s Specialty Beans; Salad with Quinoa, Roasted Chickpeas, Pine Nuts, and Parm (Leora); Veggies (Calia); Zucchini Casserole (Sarah); Green Vegetable Quiche (Michelle); Keste Pizza (Julie); Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies (Kate)

It’s been a while since we’ve written about Mag Club. December’s edition was canceled because of holiday party season, and we decided that the celebration at Kate’s parents’ apartment would take the place of our…

WINTER MENU: Merguez Sausage with French Lentils; Stewed Greens and White Beans; Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Day 2 of the BGSK book-writing retreat, Phoebe and I had yet to indulge in dessert, and we started to jones for some sugar. Our grand, efficient, and economical supermarket sweep made no allowance for extras like chocolate and ice cream. And my mom’s house contained little more than a freezer-burned piece of dark chocolate. It was Phoebe who, after our first of two carbonara meals, asked: is there anything sweet?

DISH: Breakfast Quesadillas with Cilantro Chimichuri and Chipotle Crema; Scrambled Egg Quesadillas with Caramelized Onion and Mushrooms
TYPE: Weekend-ish one-on-one brunch
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Egg, Tortilla, Cheese
OTHER BGSK QUESADILLAS: Cilantro Succotash; Curried Sweet Potato; Roasted Butternut Squash and Leek; Spinach Pie

Leftover tortillas present a huge issue for me. Even though they can last weeks without going stale, I seem destined to eat, in record time, any that grace the shelves of my fridge. This is partly due to the cheese and egg…

EVENT: A Semi-Grown-up Dinner Party
VENUE: Jill’s Apartment, Gramercy
PARTY SIZE: 7
TYPE: Formal-ish Weeknight Sit-Down Dinner
MENU: Olives; Open-Faced Spinach Pie Bites; Dried Fruit Salad with Cara-Cara Orange Vinaigrette; Savory Beef Stew; Orzo with Parsley Butter; Crusty Bread; Lemon Tart with Cream

Jill’s been trying to move out of her current apartment, and though she doesn’t yet have an expiration date on the place, she decided that, unsure of how long she’d be there, she should mark her someday-soon departure with a dinner party of close friends. Though the apartment is…

EVENT: Cupid Is A Democrat, Think Blue‘s Valentine’s Day Party
TYPE: Gift Bag Delicacy
GOODIE: Butterscotch Cookies with Toasted Pecans, aka Yes, Pecan! Cookies

ThinkBlue, a fund- and awareness-raising organization for young democrats, throws good parties. There was the rowdy one last Election Day and the celebratory one last Inauguration Day. Then, with midterm elections two years off and the organization’s leader gone off to Washington, we had to wait until now for the next fete. And, where before we were guests, at today’s event, we’re guests AND gift bag contributors.

Shamelessly, we…

VEGAN DINNER MENU: Chickpea Burgers; Cumin-Roasted Cauliflower; Carrot Raisin Cookies

A few weeks ago, I escaped the city with a few friends for a weekend of skiing in Vermont. Thursday night, I made this Moroccan Chicken Stew, and to it, in addition to the golden raisins that were already part of the recipe, I added toasted slivered almonds. Since both ingredients were to be added towards the end of the cooking process, I decided to keep them separate for the trip, housed inside little plastic bags.…

DISH: Rice Bowl with Peanut Sauce
TYPE: Day-Before-Vacation Lunch
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Rice, Coconut Milk, Peanut Butter

Though this lunch isn’t anything that out of the ordinary, I like it because it was made out of truly the barest fridge I’ve ever laid eyes on. It made me glad for the miscellany of my possessions that I normally curse myself for, all those jars and bottles that clutter my life and that, more often than not, have approximately one teaspoon remaining of their original contents. It made me glad that I hadn’t thrown away the last 1/3 cup…

Larner Vineyard Syrah grapes ready to harvest (Phoebe’s ready to work).

EVENT: Celebrating Santa Barbara Syrah
VENUE: Phoebe’s Apartment, Flatiron
PARTY SIZE: A Pair
TYPE: Cozy (Romantic) Dinner
MENU: Broiled Flank Steak with Sautéed Wild Mushrooms and Chive-Parsley Butter; Balsamic Roasted Cipollini Onions
WINE: Jaffurs 2007 Larner Vineyard Syrah

Back in October, I paid a visit to the other coast, spending a leisurely week in…

DISH: Egg Pasta with Shrimp, Saffron, and Peas
TYPE: Cozy Dinner For 2
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Shrimp, Noodles

Alex and I don’t eat dinner together that much because of busy schedules and whatnot, but we have gotten into a nice rhythm when we do. Though I most often do the cooking, he takes part in the meal planning and ingredient acquisition. Sometimes, as I mentioned in my post on Chana Bateta, he’ll actually give me a food related gift: a new set of spices, in that case, or some good quality olive oil, in others, but…

EVENT: Valentine’s Day Tins of Treats
TYPE: Sweets for the Sweet
OTHER SWEETS OF LOVE: Brown Sugar Shortbread; Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies; The Best Brownies; Madeleines; Lotus Blondies; Mexican Wedding Cakes; Raspberry Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream; Pound Cake Baked in a Heart-Shaped Pan

We’re not totally in love with Valentine’s Day. Too many Feb 14ths spent single, and too many spent on lackluster dates (even with people we liked) dictated by crowded restaurants with rip-off prix fixes have made haters…