I was invited to a dinner at my friend Linh’s flat. I thought it was just going to be your average potluck dinner. She did mention themes and prizes but I’ve never been to a cook off before. I might have upped my game if I had realised it was competitive.

The 2 categories were Italian for mains and Coffee for dessert and there was a prize for the winner of each category. There was a crown for each winner and a crown (but no prize) for the best failure. Everyone had to try every dish and vote for their favourite in each category.

I roasted portabello and button mushrooms with red wine, balsamic vinegar and garlic. It was well received but didn’t win. That’s ok. The 3 other entries were lasagna, risotto and pizza. All very Italian. The lasagna with it’s whole portabellos, eggplant, blue cheese and mince was the winner on the day. It was delicious. Maybe I’m starting to warm to blue cheese after all. As an ingredient mind you, not as a stand alone snack.

The coffee themed desserts were pretty intense. 6 desserts to eat our way through. The chocolate and coffee mousse was the winner on the day but the others were also very good.

I had fun, met some new people, drank sparkling Italian wine and ate way too much.

There is always too much food at potluck dinners. Instead of cooking enough food for 1 person, we all cook a family. When you have 10 people each cooking enough for a family, it means everyone needs to eat the equivalent of a family’s portion to get it all eaten. A plate of carbs can be pretty filling. So for potluck, I will to cook light, tasty dishes and avoid making filling ones.

They’re already planning the next cook off. Might be a Spanish theme in there and more categories (so we don’t have to eat 6 desserts). I’m looking forward to it.