Cooking all alone in your kitchen day in and day out can seem like drudgery, especially if you aren’t particularly interested in the culinary arts. But when you invite a few friends over and turn it into a party, suddenly cooking becomes a lot more cheery. A cooking party is a great excuse to host a get together, and this is exactly what we did a couple weeks ago. When one of the gals decided on an “Indian-themed Nite” we put on our thinking caps and came up with a menu in a few short days. Colby was kind enough to host this wonderful get-together at her Philadelphia home with Sallie, Amy and my husband :) Isn’t it just dandy when you are able to cook together with friends, fueled of course by glasses of vino, music and dancing? Cooking with friends requires a sense of humor and a relaxed demeanor, we definitely had that going for us. It’s the perfect occasion to enjoy the fun of entertaining from prepping to clean up, and everything in between.
We once organized a “Cooking Club”. Much like a book club, we took turns hosting, came up with a theme and divvied up the courses. It was fun researching different cuisines from around the world, we loved cooking as a group and then sitting down to a wonderful candlelight dinner. But alas with everyone’s busy schedules, the cooking club only lasted for about a year. However, this particular cooking session was reminiscent of those fun days when our cooking club was a go.
Coming back to the cooking party a few weeks ago. The menu consisted of monk fish curry, roasted eggplant mash, red baby bliss potatoes with green peppers and mango powder and a flavorful saffron basmati rice with lime and cashews (which we will be featuring in this post) followed by flan for dessert. Here are some images from the get together.
Too many cooks? Nah!
A perfect kitchen to spread out and claim our own stations
Red baby bliss potatoes with green peppers and mango powder
Sauteeing cashews, coconut, mustard seeds, ginger and cloves for the rice
Dry roasting the spices for the fish curry
Adding monk fish to the coconut based curry
Taking a break and dancing to Bruno Mars (Amy dancing with Bob the pooch)
Bert, the sous chef and wine tester (aka my husband)
There you have it….a symphony of colors, a matrimony of flavors!
The gals playing a game of cards before dinner. There’s Bob being cuddled again.
Colby is an Interior Designer, here she’s explaining this beautiful piece of artwork
The flan finished off this splendid dinner
The recipe for the saffron rice with lime and cashews
Let’s bop on over to the happening weekly Fiesta Friday #111. Today’s co-hosts are Naina @ Spice in the City and Julianna @ Foodie On Board. Thanks ever so much for hosting us all ladies.
Wow! This looks like a lot of fun! 👍👍👍👍👍
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Thanks Natascha, it sure was :)
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Loretta,
Cooking together is so much fun! Your photos have perfectly captured the merriment when Vino and dancing are added to the mix! My friends and I have been making food together and donating for a cause. Time flies when we are cooking and chatting together.
I like the idea of having themes from around the world. All the different flavors and tastes from around the world are fascinating, aren’t they?
Wishing you a great weekend. They say we are expecting a foot of snow on Sunday night right after we welcome spring on Saturday:) working on my post for today. Another fusion recipe. I was thinking of you and am putting in some information about Holi.
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What a lovely idea cooking for a cause and donating it. I’m sure it was very much appreciated. So glad you added in extra information on Holi on your post, it definitely taught us all a bit more about the celebration. Did you get a foot of snow as predicted? I hope not. We were supposed to have had 1-3″, but it was more like 1 or 3 flakes, nothing at all. I’m pleased about that. Enjoy your week Sandhya :)
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Loretta, we got about 6 inches but tomorrow is in the 50s so it should all melt. Crazy weather, right? I remeber one year we had a major snow storm on April 1st- what an April fools !
I am glad you liked the Holi description. It is such a fun holiday celebrating the colors of spring.
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This sounds like so much fun! I love all the pictures too! I usually prefer to cook solo, but that’s because I have food allergies, so I would be in a full blown panic mode with other people around. But, I have done group gingerbread decorating parties and loved them, so I’m sure this would be a blast. Happy FF, and have a marvelous weekend. :)
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Thanks Kaila, yes I’m sure it would be hard to mix some of the food if there are people with allergies. Perhaps you can have a gluten-free cooking party? That would be a blast too. These days there are so many food allergies out there, and people who have specific tastes that it is always a good idea to plan ahead. I hope you are enjoying your time Down Under :)
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Oh my Loretta…what fun..you got me envious here..
The post and the photos reflect of good times, great friends, delicious food and that happy dance photo is marvelous..I love Bruno Mars… Which song was that?
I wish I lived closer and could have joined you..
As you said, so many lady cooks to cook together needs a lot of humor and coordination or it can get rough 😜…
Hugs
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Yeah pity I didn’t know you when you lived around these parts Sonal. Here’s Uptown Funk that we danced to. I never tire of hearing this video, here’s the link for you on a Monday morning :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPf0YbXqDm0
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I and the girls love that song Loretta 😀
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looked like a lot of fun with a delicious result!
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Thanks Johanne, it truly was a lot of fun. See you tomorrow :)
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Cooking together is such fun, and your dishes look so very tasty. Beautiful! :)
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Thanks so much, it definitely was heaps of fun. :)
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What a hoot, Loretta! Now THAT was a party! Some of my fondest memories are of parties similar to yours! I absolutely love your rice recipe and will be trying it out for sure. Thanks a bunch for sharing this with us at Fiesta Friday this week! Cheers! :D
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Thanks Julianna, we’re talking about doing it again featuring another type of cuisine. Yes, you have to try that rice, it was really really good! I know you love Indian food, it paired so well with some of the other Indian dishes. Thanks for co-hosting this week :)
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Thanks for bringing your party and recipes to Fiesta Friday. Such a lovely idea to combine the preparation and the party.
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Thanks Hilda – it was a wonderful evening cooking together with girlfriends, we hope to do it again soon. :)
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Must be fun…nice recipe
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Thanks Bhumi, it was heaps of fun.
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Loretta, What a wonderful post! I love all the pictures and captions. It looks like such a good time. I don’t mind other cooks in the kitchen as long as I have the room. The more the merrier I say! Thanks for sharing your world and Happy FF! <3 :)
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Thanks ARl, I love the idea of everyone contributing in the kitchen. It was so much fun we hope to do it again. Dancing, playing cards, cleaning up together was just part of the evening, and nobody complained :). Thanks for stopping by :)
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Sounds like a good time was had by all. I know when Gene had boys night out or I had girls night out the spouse in question would not be encouraged to come! But I guess you needed a wine taster, huh?
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Ha ha Judi, it just turned out that way – but Bert was more than happy being the only guy around :) He did a great job being the sous chef and also with the cleaning up :)
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Everything is wonderful Loretta, the food, the company, the beautiful kitchen, the cute doggie. What a great idea and lovely time you all had. I want to do that, wish I knew people that liked to cook.
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Thanks Suzanne, it was such fun, we’re doing it again, but this time will be featuring another cuisine. I find it hard to believe that you don’t have many friends who enjoy cooking together? Perhaps all the ones that enjoy cooking are just virtual blogger friends? Or maybe they would rather you lay it all out as they know you are such a wonderful chef? :)
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Sounds like it was so much fun :-)
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Thanks Nandini, if you were closer we could have featured a “Goan” feast, we could invite Freda too :)
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Yes….that would be so awesome and so much fun :-)
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That sure looks like a lot of fun Loretta ! Cooking , chit chatting and dancing accompanied with that yummy food and vino , awesome !
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Thanks Freda, it was so much fun, I was just saying to Nandini, if you guys lived closer, we could have featured a “Goan” feast of sorts. :)
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Oh yeah Loretta!! That would be so much fun :D
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Loretta, it looks like you had such a good time with your friends and a lot of fun. The Flan looks really tempting! :)
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Thanks Linda, it was a blast! I did make the flan, it always goes so well after an Indian meal, as it is light and sweet. :)
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The cooking party looks like great fun, what wonderful looking dishes :) and another dog called Bob?? How cute! :)
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Thanks Elaine, it really was a blast! Yes, another cute lil pooch called Bob :)
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I loved seeing the pictures of your friends cooking, dancing, and having fun together. What delicious looking food as well. Great idea for a party!
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Thanks Liz, so much fun, we’re going to do it again. :)
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What a wonderful idea…a cooking party! Looks like you all had fun!
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Thank you, it sure was a lot of fun. :)
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Such a great idea, Loretta! What a perfect kitchen for a cooking party! I can tell that everyone had a great time together. Thanks so much for inviting us all to join you… ♡
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Thank you Dawn, the kitchen was wonderful for spreading out, yes we did all have a wonderful time. I’m glad you enjoyed the post :)
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How lovely, Loretta. I was once in a monthly “cooking club” per se, until it was dissolved because the host move away. It was such fun. I miss it very much. Foods in the pots on the stove look fabulous, and I can hear the sound of the music you ladies are dancing to. :)
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Thanks Fae, maybe you should start up your cooking club again featuring all your wonderful Persian dishes? Yes, love Bruno Mars and Uptown funk. Don’t you? Such a catchy tune :)
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Wow Loretta, cooking together is always fun, looks like you had a great time and the dishes looks awesome…. :) :)
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Thank you Chitra, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. All the dishes were really quite wonderful and paired so beautifully with the rice.
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What fun Loretta! I love it when we can get together and share food, drinks and a great time. Your food looked incredible!
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Thanks Julie… it was a lot of fun, we’re hoping to do it again soon. You should host a baking party at your house, imagine the fun :)
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Loved reading through your post Loretta. Sounds like all of you had a fabulous time! We love to do this kind of thing with our friends too. Usually can manage only 1 per year and we usually just get away to a rental house. You are so right – everything seems so much easier when you have friends around you. thanks for sharing this lovely post. All your dishes look fabulous! And lovely pics too!
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Thanks Indu, I’m glad to hear you have friends you do this with too. Isn’t it just amazing what one learns when cooking with others? How are you doing these days? Have you added to your RA blog at all? Just over the weekend a friend was talking to me about joint pain and foods that can help overcome the pain without meds? I’ll be waiting to hear.
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Cooking together is so social! It looks like you guys had a fab time and that food looks delicious :)
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Thank you Petra, love cooking with friends, it was a fab time indeed :)
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Thanks Petra, yes indeed it is. There’s nothing like coming together over food and wine eh? :)
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loved the write up…..(which i always do when I read your posts….) it is so engaging. The clicks show the amount of fun you guys seem to have had. Loved all the items on the menu. Could you post the recipe for the monk fish. The gravy looks delish…..
Have a fab day ahead….
http://www.mumbaitomelbourne.com/food-and-health-blog-posts/saffron-rice-kheer-keshar-and-tandla-chi-kheer
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Thanks Sharvari, that’s so sweet of you. It was a lot of fun. You can find the recipe for the monkfish here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/10389890/Simple-Goan-fish-curry-recipe.html
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This is my absolute favorite way to spend time with friends. It looks like your group had a wonderful time and ate extremely well! Delicious post, Loretta!
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Thanks Nancy, we sure did, there’s nothing quite like coming together with food and wine I’d say :)
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