I love to cook

Did ya’ll know that I love to cook? I really do. In the past my roommates have enjoyed the fruits of my labor. Lately it’s just been me eating all of my cooking creations. Like the other day, I made Bombay Chicken Masala. (I got a new Indian cookbook not to long ago.) It came out really good. Before that, I tried out a recipe for smothered chicken from Maya Angelou’s cookbook. (That was a Christmas present.) Most of these dishes come out great, but no one enjoys them except me. On occasion, I’ll bake and take it into work. They all love it even though they bitch about their expanding waistlines. Since I left my apartment two years ago, I haven’t gotten as close to my new neighbors as I was to the old ones. My old neighbors and I used to have dinner parties all the time, taking turns cooking. I miss that. And no, they aren’t just down the street. One moved to Chicago and one moved to Virginia. My new neighbors are nice and all. We get along and occasionally get together for cocktails, but it’s not the same. They don’t share my passion in cooking like my old neighbors. So, to help get some of this out of my system, I’m planning a dinner party. I LOVE dinner parties. I tend to go a bit overboard, though. The reason I don’t have them more is that my house is still a work in progress. Actually, it’s more like an unfinished work, since I haven’t been making any progress lately. But, I’m just going to get over that. My friends know me by now. Pictures not put up, mismatched furniture, and a wall still needs to be painted isn’t going to stop me from having them over. So, my plan is to have a few people, anywhere from 3 to 5, over for a nice sit down dinner. The engineer in me has to have an even number of people there. I know, I’m weird. For the menu, we’ll start with appetizers of Fried Wontons, probably ground turkey since the frying is bad enough for you. Then for dinner, sticky rice, Japanese beef curry, teriyaki chicken skewers, and Mu Shu Pork. For desert, Japanese ice cream, that would be green tea or red bean and I guess I’ll have vanilla for those less adventurous. Usually, I would do a plum wine or Japanese beer with a meal like this, but I have so much liquor from Misty’s going away party that everyone can drink whatever they want. So, now that that’s planned, I just have to figure out who’s coming over. Ann, whom I’ve mentioned before here, and CO are coming already. Now I just need one or 3 more people. Sorry, Shel, you know I can’t ask you and K and not bring Ben and Wifey. Next time…