Tag pasta salad

July 2013 Cookbook Club: A Summer of Salads

There is never a boring day in the PTC office. We once spent an entire week debating which cookbook to feature in our next cookbook club. Emails zinged back and forth before Christina had a brilliant idea. Everyone was asked to bring in their favorite summer dish. (The perfect theme for this girl!) Earlier that week, I visited B Patisserie in the Pacific Heights neighborhood. I was thrilled to discover a variation of  Flammkuchen, a delicious German “pizza”, on their menu. B’s substituted toasted ciabatta for pizza dough, and I was enamored with the extra chewy texture.

I knew what I was going to make for cookbook club!

Coming into the office on the day-of, the refrigerator was packed with various containers of this and that. I barely found room for my own shopping bag of ingredients. At about 11:30am, we trickled into the kitchen and started the prep-work for our dishes. We were soon peeking over each other’s shoulders and discussing the best way to plate. As completed dishes began appearing on the table, I pulled out my camera and started playing food paparazzi.

Kale Salad First up: Heather made an INCREDIBLE Kale Chopped Salad with a pleasant Spicy Peanut Dressing. I was a big fan of this tangy take on kale. Kale has a pretty distinct flavor, so the peanut dressing really added an unexpected depth. Needless to say, this was well received by all in the office.

Cabbage SaladAlso on a summer salad bend, Erica, our warehouse manager, made a delicious Cabbage Salad with Avocado and Jalapeno. I simply could NOT get enough of this. In fact, I copied the recipe and stopped by the grocery store on my way home so I could keep some in my fridge!

Tomato SaladMary surprised us with a gorgeous old fashioned Heirloom Tomato Salad from Frank Stitt’s Southern Table. I loved these tomatoes. With much more complex flavors than tomatoes you find in the grocery store, I was immediately transplanted to my favorite farmer’s market.

Mango SalsaEmily reminded me how refreshing a great Mango Salsa can be. Tangy and spicy, like a salsa should be, but with a sweetness that added even more depth to the flavor. I loved her mango-to-jalapeno ratio.

Tomato Basil SoupCrissy’s delicious Tomato Basil Soup was the perfect thing to brighten the cloudy day’s mood. Warm, comforting flavors beautifully combined with a slight citrus kick: YUM. I know what I’ll be making this winter!

PolentaRebecca made a deliciously rich Mushroom and Herb Polenta from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty. Though this cheesy dish was not making it’s first appearance at our table, nobody cared. I mean, it’s addictively good. Seriously, just go make it. Only then will you understand the heaven our taste buds were in.

Pasta Salad with MushroomsKelle must have read my mind (or my stomach?) when she brought a delicious Mushroom and Herb Pasta Salad with  Corn and Feta. It was the perfect summer dish! Actually, I could see myself making a warm version in the winter. Anything to be able to enjoy this simple dish year-round.

Turkish Lettuce WrapsAt long last, Bibby had the chance to bring in Turkish Lettuce Wraps from Food and Wine. Incredible. I particularly loved the light sauce, kept on the side for drizzling pouring making it rain. Assembly was quick, as we each piled on a little of everything. And just like that, they were gone…

Chocolate Chip Cookies with ToffeeRosie made a guest appearance (cameo by her bright-eyed son, AJ) and really took our breath away with her Chocolate Chip Cookies with Home Made Toffee. Almost dangerous, they were just too good. The sticky toffee left everyone craving more.

Stone Fruit CobblerChristina has been cracking me up for the past month by literally singing praises of stone fruit… but I shouldn’t be laughing. I fully agree that stone fruit is seriously awesome, and we should sing songs about it. Anyway, with the help of Paulina, our Polish Warehouse Intern, Christina created a deliciously simple Stone Fruit Cobbler. She even left out most of the sugar to let the fruit flavors stand out. Absolutely perfect.

Sweet Corn Ice CreamFinally, Beth surprised us with Sweet Corn Ice Cream. I’ve sampled some unusual ice cream flavors in my day, but nothing quite like this! The striking corn flavor made for a slightly sweet yet oddly savory dessert. My taste buds were a bit confused, but some folks in the office were clearly impressed.

All in all, it was a great culinary adventure. We actually ended up with a pretty balanced meal (not too many summer salads), and everything was spot on! Who knows, maybe cookbook club will become more of a favorite recipe club…

Parties That Cook Takes Over a San Francisco Giants Game!

The sun was shining and our warehouse was bustling, but for once, the food was arriving and not leaving! Last week, the Parties That Cook team came together for a potluck tailgate party before heading over to AT&T park to support their San Francisco GIANTS! Tensions were high, as the Giants were playing the LA Dodgers (BOO!) in one of the first games of this season!

If you’re wondering what to make for your next tailgate or game day gathering, each dish below helped make this the Best Tailgate Ever! …Just sayin’.

PTC staff and a few lucky guests arrived at around 4 o’clock for the tailgate madness!
…But we were prepared.


Bibby’s Indiana Lobster Skewers
and Crissy’s Famous Brown Sugar Baked Butter Beans with Bacon!


Beth’s (Spicy) Kick Ass Mac n Cheese!


Jed’s Coleslaw to go with all those wings!


Rosie’s Onion Dip!

Bibby’s Happy Dip aka “off-road” dip!

Tommy’s Rockin’ Potato Salad!
Rebecca’s Greek Pasta Salad!

Mick’s Super Spicy Dip

Crissy’s Hoisin Chicken Wings!

Mick’s Bacon Explosion!!


More Explosions!


More wings!

Carolyn’s Bacon Cornbread (Mole-Honey Butter not pictured)

Melissa’s Deviled Eggs

Victoria’s Brownies!

Amazing Giants Cupcakes!

AT&T Park was BEAUTIFUL!

Look at these happy game goers!

Someone READING about the Giants instead of watching the game…

We had great seats above 1st Base, with a view of the Bay Bridge and McCovey Cove!


Part of the PTC Team!

We want to see YOU at the next Giant’s Game!
(…or cooking party!)

See these photos from last week’s Giants-Dodgers game, when PTC took over AT&T park, in larger scale on PTC’s Facebook page! Don’t be afraid to join the conversation, and leave comments!

Help:
There are a few valuable dishes missing. Have photos to contribute? Send them in, or tag Parties That Cook in them on Facebook. It’s never too late to add!