potluck revisited

I've always had a strong aversion to potlucks.   In my mind, the food is mediocre, the selections uncoordinated and the whole event terribly tacky.  I've avoided them as best as possible for years.

But a few weeks ago, we were invited to one at a friend's apartment for Easter dinner and it was anything but.  The spread was decadent, well-coordinated, and delicious while the evening was charming, classy, and elegant.

So since I love to entertain (but don't always have the wherewithal to cook a full five course spread all on my own in my shoebox of a kitchen), I decided to try my hand at a potluck Friday night.  To avoid a plethora of mismatched dishes, the meal was themed: Barefoot Contessa style which encouraged guests to bring their own Ina-inspired dish.  (Because let's be honest, who doesn't love the woman's simple yet delicious menus?)

 

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I tried my hand at Ina's Lemon Chicken Breasts and Garlic Roasted Cauliflower,

Recipe here

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Recipe here

while our fabulous guests brought a variety of mouth-watering dishes:

Various bruschetta

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Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus

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Pesto pea salad

Recipe here

Wheat Berry Salad

Recipe here

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Classic creme brulee

Recipe here

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And I know it's not technically a Barefoot recipe, but I also attempted some champagne strawberry cocktails after some inspiration on pinterest. 

puree frozen strawberries, champagne and a pinch of sugar

delish!

more here

All in all, the evening was a success: filled with good food, good wine, and - best of all - good company.  All with a lot less work than had I attempted it all on my own.  I suppose my potluck predilections have swayed.  Especially after the night left me with these gorgeous beauties courtesy of one of our fab guests:

What are your thoughts on the potluck?  In style or not?

xoxo

KK