Jeff and I are blessed to have several groups of friends. For one of the groups of friends that we don't get to see very often, we take turns to host a holiday party every year. This group of friends are pretty much all Jeff's fraternity brothers and their wives who live in the Chicago suburbs (there are only 2 couples in addition to us that also live in the city).
This year, we were so excited to host the holiday party last Saturday! Since there were a total of 16 of us, we added another table in our dinning area, so everyone can enjoy a nice sit-down dinner. This Friday night was our first snow this winter, and it continued snowing throughout Saturday. I was worried it'd be such a hassle for everyone to come into the city Saturday evening, but we were so glad that everyone made it to our house!
I cooked a number of our favorite Chinese dishes, including beef chow mein with bok choy and shitaka mushroom, lettuce wraps, butterfly shrimp with garlic and pepper
s, sliced beef sirloin with home-made black pepper sauce, as well as string beans sauteed in diced garlic. We also prepared a couple of appetizers, including a cheese plate with crackers and salami, and also chicken and pork pot-stickers.
Before our dinner, Jeff asked me to elaborate on the menu. As I was describing the dishes, our friends commented that they sound like top chef dishes! As hosts, Jeff and I also toasted to a great holiday season and new year, as well as to the importance of our families and our friendship.
I was so flattered that everyone loved my cooking, and all of the dishes were wiped clean! It was such a prefect evening with great friends, and there really is nothing like catching up with friends over dinner and wine.
Fion and Eric's wedding present to us is a fancy espresso maker. Though we just started using it this year, we've been making yummy espresso drinks every weekend! Jeff loves strong coffee, so he usually makes 2-3 shots of espressos. Lattes, especially soy lattes, are my favorite drinks to make.
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