“Hey man. Do you know where I can score a woodcock?”
Yes, it was that kind of party that me and missus stumbled into when we showed up at Penny’s house on a recent Spring afternoon. The idea for a Foodbloggers’ potluck had been kicking around for a bit and luckily for us, Addie over at the Statesman made sure it actually materialized.
Now I am not a covetous man by nature, so I feel the need to get my roiling envy out of the way right up front. Penny your house is awesome, with amazing light and a great layout, and with tons of subtle but super cool architectural and design elements. I tried to sneak it out in my pants when no one was looking but it was just a tad too large.
Just look at this back porch. How could you not have a good time on it?
Also, she just happens to be a super talented photographer for Saveur and you should check out her photo blog. So what if she has a stellar house and my dream job? I’m ok with that. Sniff.
There. Now we can get back to the food.
One great thing about herding a pack of foodies together for a potluck is that you never know what’s going to turn up. The food ran the gamut from these elegant vegan samosas, from a caterer whose name I didn’t catch-
to a heaping, scrumptious pile of veal sweetbreads concocted by Ryan over at Nose to Tail at Home.
Also, the sheer volume of edible things was almost painful. Here’s a shot of some of the food.
Now multiply that by ten. And double it. And that was just the first wave. I’m getting a little misty eyed thinking about it.
April from The Hungry Engineer took the bold step of bringing her first ever attempt at a pate. It kicked ass. Kudos lady.
In fact, it was super delicious when you put it on a crusty, pillowy slice of this lavender bread, baked fresh by Mary over at The Cookery.
Sometimes it’s just not enough to bring food. Sometimes you need a system. Enter Mando from Taco Journalism with his homemade and spectacular Disco de Arado.
He cranked up the gas on this bad boy and started churning out some the most delicious chicken tacos I’ve ever had.
He marinated the breasts in achiote, Mexican coke and spices, then cooked it wok style with rajas, onions, and little nublets of sweet corn. I hope he’ll be going on tour soon.
Our friend David, the Soup Peddler, brought a perfect-for-Springtime soup called Schav. He insisted that the tangy sorrel puree was an acquired taste, so I acquired my way right to the bottom of several healthy glasses full.
Still in my baking phase, I decided to bring a Bourbon Banana Pudding with candied pecans. Don’t get all sassy and tell me that pudding isn’t baking- I don’t take kindly to sass.
No, normally I would agree with you, but this extremely tasty incarnation from the March Gourmet, replaces the traditional ‘Nilla Wafers with a light génoise – a type of French spongecake. Ha. Not just baking but French Baking! In your face haters!
Another fun dessert were these Curry Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies from Rachel at The Friendly Kitchen. Sweet, fragrant and chewy with just the right amount of spice on the finish, insured that these little guys didn’t stay around for long.
When it was all over and my eyes had unglazed, I happened across a mirror and discovered that I looked exactly like Addie’s son Julian. We’re just two peas in a pod kid.
Well, thanks to all of you Austin foodie types who brought so many amazing treats. It was great to meet/chat/cage fight with so many fun folks.
Let’s do it again soon.
-L. Pants
