Holiday Dinner w/ New Friends and Old

My college friend, Wayne, is in town from SF and asked that he and I co-host a wonderful dinner party for our friends. Since I never had a housewarming or apartment warming to be exact - this party served both purpose. Talk about being efficient!

However, I didn't realize how much work it was to put together a vegetarian meal for 10 people. I hope my options weren't all so carby. I was also so afraid of not having enough food but now I'm positive that my guests eat like birds. Even after my darling Sue took home some food - I now still have a fridge full of tupperware filled with various goodies from the party. I'll be eating that for a month plus whatever else I gathered from my own family's holiday dinners.

Okay, enough chitter chattering... I'm snowed in and loving it! Enjoy the photos.

The spread - covered up and waiting for guests. A host should not keep her guests waiting to eat especially when they are invited to a dinner party at dinner time.

Checking the oven and making sure those potatoes are doing okay in the heat. 

My love, Sue, overlooking and making sure those savory multigrain scones are good to go. 

I cooked the scones in this pan - what a great idea when you don't have the ability to mold stuff. In any case, in the scones were multigrain flour, milk, egg, green onions, corn, and some cheese. I added a teeny bit of salt. Feel free to play around with the filling. 

My guests serving themselves. That is Jesal from Veggie Wala - check out her blog!

I served toasted sourdough bread and I'm glad to know that it was everyone's favorite kind of bread. Win!

This is a pasta salad w/ lots of veggies. In goes grape tomatoes, button mushrooms, zucchinis, roasted carrots and celery, egg and cheese. I made a red wine vinegar dressing w/ some fresh fennel and other spices. 

Mashed butternut squash and taro w/ bananas topped w/ cinnamon and some sugar. Oh la la. 

Simple roasted potatoes w/ sea salt and sweet basil that I grew. :)

Asian peanut noodle salad w/ vermicelli noodles, firm tofu, bok choy, ginger, and garlic. 

Blame Wayne, our photographer, for this blurry photo. Basmati rice w/ herbs and veggies. I can't take any credit for this... I bought it at Trader Joe's. 

See. My guests do eat like birds. Although a lady shouldn't share that kind of info or pass such judgment...

Beautiful guests. 

Sugar plums dessert that Jesal made. I forgot to stick it on her display block. :(

Gingerbread brownies. Yes, as good as it sounds. 

Black sticky rice w/ coconut milk and pandan topped w/ sesame seed when served. 

Do also blame Wayne for not taking a photo of some of the other dishes on the menu plus the appetizer spread and other desserts we had such as the vegan chocolate mousse Jesal made.