Sheana made Za’atar from Gjelina. She brought bread to go with it, which she didn’t make, but since she got it from Gjusta (Gjelina’s sister restaurant) we forgive her 🙂 This tangy olive oil dip goes so well with Gjusta’s nice crusty bread.

Kamy made Savory Cheese and Chive Bread from Around My French Table. I really liked the flavor of this bread, but wasn’t a huge fan of the texture. It was pretty dense and a bit dry, with no real crust to speak of – more like a cornbread. I would have loved to have these flavors in a bread that was soft and airy in the middle with a nice crust.

Jamie made Onion Bhaji with Coriander Creme Fraiche from What’s For Dinner? I’ve never had bhaji before, but it’s sort of an Indian fritter. You can’t go wrong with fried dough in my opinion, so I really enjoyed these crisp salty treats, which I bet were even better when hot and fresh. The creme fraiche added a good spice and acidity.

Erin made Crema de Elote (creamy corn soup) from Eat Mexico. It never occurs to me to make corn soup, but then I have a soup like this and it reminds me that I should. The natural sweetness of the corn makes for a savory sweetness, with heavy cream leading to a rich velvety bowl of goodness.

Erin also made Mushroom Quesadillas with Chile Morita Salsa from Eat Mexico. The quesadillas were tasty, but what really made this dish for me was the chile morita salsa. It had such a great smokiness and really nicely played against the earthiness of the mushrooms.

Jennifer made Pan Roasted Baby Carrots, Orange, Cilantro, Sesame & Spiced Yogurt from Gjelina. The vibrant colors made this dish one of the most appealing to look at. I didn’t get much of the orange flavor, but the spiced yogurt complemented the sweetness of the carrots.

Jennifer also made Roasted Fennel with Orange & Crushed Red Pepper Flakes from Gjelina. I know anise-like flavor can be divisive, but I really it and was reminded that I should cook with fennel more often. The orange added a contrasting brightness that was really wonderful.

Laura made Prosciutto with Asparagus and Mustard Cream from Sunday Suppers at Lucques. I love crisp, fresh grilled asparagus, and adding prosciutto to that is never a bad thing in my opinion. A bit of the mustard cream added some acidity to bring it all together.

Anthony made Shrimp Rolls with Herb Aioli from What’s For Dinner? This was one of my favorites from that cookbook, and it lived up to my memory. The recipe calls for hot dog buns, but we had the bonus pleasure of getting to eat these made with Anthony’s very own homemade bread!

Drew made Chicken with Vinegar from Salt Fat Acid Heat. This was one of my favorites of the meal. It didn’t look particularly beautiful – just a pot of mush and lumps – but those lumps were tender pieces of chicken that had absorbed fantastic flavors from the vinegar, wine, cream, and onion that had cooked down into that mush.

Jeff made Spicy Fried Chicken from Salt Fat Acid Heat. The chicken was tender and had great spice. The skin was crisp despite travel time to the party, and I’d imagine would have been really fantastic fresh out of the fryer. The fried chicken was already so tasty on its own, but to top it off there was a spicy oil sauce which made it even better.

Shayna made Glossy Fudge Brownies from Bravetart. They were chocolate-y, but lacked the chew that I prefer. I had made this comment previously and when Stella Parks (the cookbook’s author) read it, she sent me a link to her recipe for super chewy brownies… I will have to try them!

Anthony also made Cinnamon Ice Cream. This was not from any of the cookbooks, but we are always happy to have one of his homemade ice creams. It went great with the brownies!

Brian made World Peace Cookies from DorieGreenspan.com. I have been hearing people talk about these cookies forever. When we did Dorie Greenspan the first time around, I was dying for someone to do these cookies (sometimes you don’t get what you want). Perhaps they had been overhyped in my mind… I thought they were tasty, but not a life-changing cookie that would bring peace to the world.

I made Salted Butter Break-ups from Around My French Table. These are basically a means for making a solid, socially acceptable form for eating butter… nothing wrong with that. They were salty sweet, buttery goodness. And the added element of having people break off their own pieces was fun.

John made Gateau Basque with Armagnac Prunes from Sunday Suppers at Lucques. Oh. My. God. This gateau basque is the best thing I have eaten at Cookbook Club so far. Enough said.