throwback potluck

Potluck has continued to be a source of awesomeness in my life (new readers: my fellow Americorps members and I, as well as a growing circle of friends and friends-of-friends, hold a potluck every Thursday). However, I’ve been highly neglectful of posting about it. Thus, this week will be Potluck week: updating on all the good eatin’ that’s been going down.

Steve’s most recent hosting gig involved a nostalgia theme: everyone was instructed to bring a dish that reminded them of their childhood.

For me, that meant getting out a seriously gnarly recipe.

Many, many times my sister and mother and I ate “Spicy Spaghetti” (or “skabetty, as I once pronounced it), a cold sesame/peanut noodle recipe. We loved it, it was quick and easy, and as my mother points out, “I had just gotten divorced. It’s spaghetti and peanut butter. Do the math.”

But the main reason we ate it is because it’s DELICIOUS!

In order to get back the amazing flavor from my childhood, it meant using real peanut butter. In the past few years I’ve become a devotee of slightly gritty, less-sweet, all-natural peanut butter. For this, though? Sugar and partially hydrogenated oil, please!

Poached some work peanut butter. The classic stuff!

 

Also used regular linguine, not whole wheat. There is a time and a place.

The ensuing dish was as great as I remember (if slightly marred by crappy soy sauce: this is important. It is okay to buy reduced sodium soy sauce. You can always add more salt, but it is nice to be able to control the sodium content. However, do not buy La Choy low sodium soy sauce. It is gross. Pay 10 cents more and get another brand. I will take off my bargain hunter hat on the low sodium soy sauce issue. That is all)

 

Knowing that with a theme like this, potluck was not necessarily going to be terribly healthy, I made another of my favorite childhood recipes (well, ish, unfortunately I did not have the recipe on hand, so it was not as good).

Dena’s ginger carrots!

Got some butter (gotta use buttah! Though I mixed it with oil) in a pan, and add ginger and garlic to infuse it with flava.

 

Then add some baby carrots that’ve been pre-cooked to softness (I did ‘em in the microwave) and finish with honey.

 

Good reviews! But have to review Dena’s recipe, since they were not as magic as I remember them.

And now for childhood classics!

Pigs in a blanket (apparently LOTS OF PEOPLE add American cheese. I had no idea!)

 

Ants on a log (Erin is too cute: using Craisins meant that they were FIRE ANTS on a log!)

 

Also from Erin: apples and honey, from memories of Rosh Hashanahs past. It really is an exceptionally delicious combo.

Of course, no carb left behind.

Pizza from Caroline:

SO FANTASTIC apple cinnamon muffins from Patricia. I call her Leave No Carb Behind. She is GOOD.

But the boys did a nice job as well, gettin’ their cook on, makin’ a man sandwich in the very close quarters of the kitchen (hahahahahaha ladies you’re welcome).

Kyle made toast with peanut butter and bananas (amazing how many dishes involved peanut butter: it is a really powerful childhood staple! I wonder how it’ll be with this coming generation with all the allergy hysteria and peanut-free places. Madness!)

Also on toast: Steve’s dad’s chopped fried eggs.

Begin by topping toast with lots of butter (if Steve makes it and it’s delicious, there is always butter involved.)

Fried up eggs.

Top…

Then chop! Egg yolk oozing all over the place… it is really quite delicious.

 

But David definitely made me want to be a Peruvian kid. He made papas huancaina, which we enjoyed at a Peruvian restaurant not long ago.

The key is in the sauce. Into a blender went queso fresco (nom), evaporated milk (nom), saltine crackers (?! who knew?!), and aji amarillo, the yellow chile that I guess is a staple of Peruvian cooking.

On potatoes. With hardboiled egg. QUE DELICIOSO.