I made Mustard Batons. These were a tasty accompaniment to the meal, though not likely to ever be the star of the show. They are dead simple to make, and seem like a fancy thing to home-make if you’re trying to impress.

Yasmin made Roasted Ginger-Eggplant Tartines. As you can see, she did an amazing job with the presentation – they look just like the picture on the website, and she plated them on a gorgeous rustic wooden platter! I really liked how strongly the ginger flavor came through, and the crunch that the radish added.

Sheana made Oven-Charred Peppers with Tomatoes. Topped with a touch of ricotta, these literally melted in your mouth. There was all sorts of yumminess in the pan juices, including thin lemon slices that got nicely charred.

Shayna made Gorgonzola-Apple Quiche from the Around My French Table cookbook. This was a great quiche, with subtle flavors that complemented each other really nicely. It had a touch of sweetness that made it something that could work for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or maybe even dessert.

Darren made Cauliflower-Bacon Gratin from the Around My French Table cookbook. I adored this dish! It’s hard to go wrong with the rich combination of bacon, cheese, cream, and egg. And not being a fan of potato, I loved the use of cauliflower instead. I went back for seconds… and thirds.

Kumar made Shrimp and Tomato-Pineapple Salsa Tacos. The shrimp had a nice kick from a touch of chili powder, and the tomato-pineapple salsa really made this dish for me – a little sweet, a little spice, some tanginess, and nice crunch. And it’s always fun to assemble your own tacos!

Alyssa made Double-Buckwheat Double-Chocolate Cookies from the Dorie’s Cookies cookbook. I wasn’t a big fan of the buckwheat flavor that hit strongly when I first put the cookie in my mouth, but I really liked the strong chocolate against the bits of salt that followed. I think I would have really liked these with flour instead of buckwheat.

Alyssa also made Pink Peppercorn Thumbprints from the Dorie’s Cookies cookbook. Our tiny group ate this entire pile of thumbprint cookies, so they were obviously a huge hit! The spice of the peppercorn was a nice contrast to the sweetness of the jam, and they’re such a poppable size that we couldn’t stop ourselves.