the potluck has long been a thing of convenience, curbing the expense of feeding a large crowd and eliminating (or rather, redistributing) the hassle of food preparation. i have been to some awful potlucks at community gatherings, and especially at work where managers skimp on holiday parties after a bad year. you know what i’m talking about: dry rotisserie chickens from the big box wholesaler, the pre-packaged m&m cookies, that thick and gluey potato salad from the grocery store deli. nothing screams thoughtless, obligatory potluck dish more than that potato salad.

when you have a bunch of friends that know and love the kitchen, however, and you invite them all to a pot luck, good things are bound to happen. everyone has a staple dish, or core set of ingredients, that they always turn to when they are looking to knock some socks off. brought together in the same venue, the end result is a great exchange of flavors and ideas among food lovers. this is the potluck being redefined, thanks primarily to the recent growing interest in all things gastronomical. in no time, the word potluck will no longer strike fear in its attendants’ hearts, instead planting butterflies in their stomachs that can only be sated by that delicious bite of something! (ok, that was a little dramatic. but at the very least, we will look forward to them.)

at our housewarming party on sunday, all of our guests got to partake in a wide variety of tasty dishes, prompting many compliments and requests for recipes all around. some highlights are as follows:

• spanakopita (we even got to watch them being made in our kitchen!)
• cold soba peanut noodles with peas and peppers
• walt’s italian pasta salad with corkscrews and fresh tortellini
• char-grilled balsamic chicken thighs
• for dessert, a flourless chocolate cake (also baked in our kitchen)
• and some sticky rice pudding and flan, both compliments of my awesome aunt liza