Fine food and a house full of men

This past Saturday, spurred by a wine-soaked conversation the week earlier, we decided to have a little dinner party and movie double-feature. First on the docket: Fried Green Tomatoes.

I'd assumed we would order some pizzas and have people bring beer and snacks, but this was not to be. A cryptic text arrived from Jonathan. "Do you have cornmeal, milk, vegetable oil, flour, breadcrumbs, and kosher salt?" "Everything but the breadcrumbs" was my reply. 10 minutes later, he and Conor, their friend Daniel from Vegas, and Breylan were walking in my door armed with groceries. Breylan carried three pans of twice-baked potatoes and several containers of toppings. Thoughtful guy that he is, he segregated four of the potatoes for me, the lone vegetarian in the group. The rest were to be topped with bacon.



As the kitchen buzzed with activity, Candace and Brady arrived. They brought salad, cheese, a baguette, and a pineapple. More food! Jonathan and Breylan set about making the featured item: fried green tomatoes. Well, fried red tomatoes. Green ones are difficult to obtain! No matter. Observe:







As the tomatoes cooled on the counter and the potatoes bubbled in the oven, Breylan asked if we had any eggs. He wanted to make homemade aioli. Normally I avoid aioli, as it is merely mayonnaise in a Sunday hat. However, since this version did not contain actual mayonnaise, I gave it a go. Verdict: nom.

The potatoes were finished soon after the aioli, and I made my contribution to the meal by removing them from the oven and sprinkling cheese on them. Alas, my fabulous bright red jeans are out of the frame.



Here is the primary chef, looking like all this was no big deal:



Here is a tub of bacon:



Plates piled with carbohydrates and fried goods, we settled in to watch the first movie. Once it ended, we started Demolition Man. It's important to have a little something for everyone, says I. However, wine and Southern food do not make for alertness, and most of the audience members were asleep by the time we heard about the "franchise wars" that resulted in Taco Bell becoming the sole restaurant of the future. Fine way to spend a Saturday evening if you ask me.

For good measure, and for my mother who thinks I go out to eat for every meal, here are some additional photos. Sunday, faced with leftover buttermilk from the previous weekend's birthday cake, I decided to make some biscuits. I tore through several cookbooks seeking a recipe that didn't require a trip to the store, and finally found one in my mom's 1960s copy of The Joy of Cooking. Behold my baking triumph! They're good with raspberry jam.



Finally, here's the awesome stir-fry Bobby made me yesterday, since I was too creaky and sore from Monday's cardioboxing class to take care of myself. Yes, I went to, and survived, a cardioboxing class. Yeowch.





See? It's not all burritos and takeout Thai food in my house. Just most of the time.