New Member Mixer- April 24th, 2010

We had our first new member event of the season last night. It was a great time re-connecting with new and old friends! Kaitlin was, as usual, a stunning hostess!

Heather made another batch of her famous cupcakes, this time they were tirimisu inspired. The vanilla cake was soaked in coffee and topped with a touch of dark chocolate and a delicious mascapone frosting. There was a challenger in the house when our resident sweets expert Melissa showed up with chocolate peanut butter brownie bites (she also quite selflessly brought cheese from Murray's, despite her own aversion to it)! Needless to say, they were both phenomenal!

Our favorite couple Adam and Jennifer were back in action and provided a delightful assortment of cheeses. There was a fantastic walnut goat cheese, classic brie, a hard cheese that we likened to manchego, a wonderful "stinky sock" cheese and some salami. As usual, my memory of the food itself is not matched by my accuracy when it comes to the specifics! Young spoiled us with an amazing Barbera wine.

A new member, Nelson, turned-it-out with salt cod fritters served with a sweet pepper remoulade. Rajani and her friend Hasti arrived with french bread and cheese, and yes, you guessed it, more wine!

A new member of the club, Larissa, came with her friend Ivy, who we were aghast to find out came to New York this weekend forgoing an opportunity to sample the cuisine of the newest crop of Top Chef contestants in DC! Andrew, his friend Jesse arrived a bit later and provided a replenishment of wine, and not a moment too soon!

I decided to tempt fate and try making homemade pork tamales that very morning and testing them on our unsuspecting guests! To counter balance this risk, I also brought a 1999 Bordeaux. Best to get people as drunk as possible when testing new recipes! The tamales seemed to actually turn out quite well, I felt especially confident when our Hispanic members deemed them passable!

As often happens with our beloved mixers, day became night and we realized that we had been drinking and eating for seven hours! The time flew by on the wings of conversation ranging from Colombian versus Peruvian Arepas to boarder disputes; dating horror stories to best meals in the city; restaurant recommendations from members who never cook and recipe suggestions from those who usually dine-in.

There is something so instantly endearing about those who love food, whether original member or first time visitor, the group felt like a collection of old friends: comfortable and buzzing with excitement. Food is more than a way to sustain ourselves, it connects people and those who understand that are a unique breed with instant camaraderie.

We arranged some fantastic events for the weeks to come. We will be celebrating Cinco De Mayo and housewarming at Young's new apartment, there will be a "flavor tripping" dinner party in Queens with Adam and Jennifer, excursions to the Japanese market over the GW bridge and restaurant tastings galor. This party was a great foray into our summer of new culinary compatriots and adventures!

Bon Appetite