Happy New Year!

I kicked off 2010 in proper form by hosting a Hair of the Dog Party. It was a great day shared with 30 (yes, 30 people in my one-bedroom apartment) of my favorite friends and involved an all afternoon Bloody Mary bar, snacks, and football followed by a Southern Dinner Buffet. Here is the menu:

Bloody Mary Bar
13 bottles of BM Mix (in six varieties)
Pickled Okra
Green Beans
Celery
Shrimp
Jalapenos
Pepperoncini
Limes
Olives
Vodka

Snacks
Red Pepper Relish w Cream Cheese - Fritos Scoops
Onion Dip - Homemade Potato Chips
White Pizza Dip
Cheese, Fruit and Charcuterie Platter
Veggies & Spinach Dip
Ricotta & Fig Tart
Puff Pastry Pick Ups

Dinner
Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
Spicy Collards
Black Eyed Peas
Corn Casserole
Pineapple Casserole
White Cheddar Grits
Rice Stuffing

Dessert
Peppermint Brownies
Christmas Cookies
French Vanilla Cupcakes
Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce
Vanilla Ice Cream

Hands down the pineapple casserole was the crowd favorite as few hadn't even heard of such a thing. I forget that not everyone grew up having it at every family reunion and/or potluck. I tripled the recipe which was not smart. I should have made three batches separately and combined them at the end.

I was very ambitious and tried David Chang's Bo Ssam Pork recipe from the Momofuku cookbook. It was good, but no where close to the deliciousness I had at Momofuku Ssam Bar last month. And I should've tried to make it at least once before tripling it to feed 30 people. I also made his recipe for ginger scallion sauce which will forever be a staple in my fridge.

I'm really proud of three things. First, I've finally perfected my White Cheddar Grits recipe. Second, I made the best vanilla frosting I've ever eaten...if I do say so myself. Third, I may honestly have the best friends in the world. I feel so blessed to have been able to celebrate the start of a new year with such kind, smart, and talented people. And I have a feeling it's only going to get better from here!