Italian Night

We went classic for Italian night. Carbs everywhere! I made a risotto that I make regularly, and Krissy made fresh biscotti that puts the store-bought to shame! Next week: Thai!

On the menu:

Fresh bread in Olive Oil
Break baked in a cast-iron pot and served up with olive oil. Oregano, paprika, and black pepper in the oil for additional kick.

Risotto with parmigiano
A creamy risotto with a white wine base and parmigiano flakes. Worth the wait (if you've made risotto, you understand)

Lasagna
A proper lasagna - lots of cheese, lots of noodles, and just enough tomato to bring it together. The slices were huge, and we loved it.

Biscotti
Fresh biscotti dipped in chocolate. Crispy on the outside and soft - almost cakey - on the inside. Perfect with coffee.

Gamma World - Ch.1 Meet Slim Jim

So tonight was the first night of the Gamma World adventure that would later be titled "Trouble in Canyon City". It was Rob's and Rachael's first time playing anything D&D related, which is amazing considering their general nerdiness (Han Solo T-shirts, Doctor Who marathons, etc). I DM'd and wrote the story, Krissy, Rob, and Rachael played the party.

The cast:

Rob as Seamus the Engineered Human
Rachael as Amazia Gallifrey the Telekinetic Speedster
Krissy as Gaia the Gravity Controller Sand Swarm
Richard as The DM 

The players met each other, and a nefarious figure named (slim) Jim. He promptly enslaved them to do various things around his rather lucrative business - some more unsavory than others. Seamus got friendly with Jim's lady, and together they hatched a plot to bring Jim down. Rachael also rolled a natural 20 her first time out.

Greek Night

I got really excited for Greek Night because it was an excuse to make something I've been waiting years to make: loukoumades. They came out perfectly! If you like humus, use the recipe below and never buy humus again. Store humus cost more for less quantity and quality. We had a BUNCH left over and it was better than the stuff I usually buy. Also, Lamb is delicious and we don't eat nearly enough of it. Next week: Italian!

On the menu:

Pita and Roasted garlic hummus
(The pita is store-bought) Creamy hummus with a roasted garlic bite. (http://www.food.com/recipe/creamy-roasted-garlic-hummus-202343) note: we used sesame oil rather than tahini.

Lamb Pastitsio
Layers of ground lamb and pasta, mixed with olive oil and tomato and topped with parmigiana

Loukoumades
Unbelievably airy fried yeast dough balls, tossed in a light honey sauce and dusted with cinnamon. (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/loukoumades/)

South American Night

South American night came and I cooked not one, but two meats - insanity! It also resulted in the creation of our failure rule: you have to try to make it from scratch, but if your dish fails, you can buy something. So, while we missed out on the crazy chocolate truffle action Rachael had planned, Tres Leches is never something to complain about. Next week: Greek!

Arepas de Queso
Corn cakes made with cheese and served up with salsa and sour cream.

Ribeye & Chicken in chimichurri w/ rice and beans
Ribeye steak and chicken breast marinated overnight in a chimichurri sauce, grilled on cast-iron, and served over black beans and rice (http://www.food.com/recipe/chimichurri-21151)

Tres Leches
Cake soaked in sweet milk, chilled, and topped with whipped cream.