I didn't think we could surpass the amount of food and drink cooked and consumed during our first Toro cook the book potluck last month but holy shit I was wrong. This past Sunday the original gang -- minus and plus a few -- gathered at my friend Tom's house in Southeast Portland for part two and we put in a full EIGHT hours of cook/eat/drink. We cooked 16 recipes from the book (at the first one we made 11) and It was so much fun that I think everyone hurt at least a little the next day. I know I did. So worth it.
For this round Rebecca and Fred Gerendasy of Cooking Up A Story and Food. Farmer. Earth. came and filmed. It'll be awhile before that airs -- most likely early summer. They left after a few courses and there were six courses so I'm fairly certain we were all at our finest while they were there. Guess we'll find out!
We're going to keep having these parties until we cook through the entire book -- Toro Bravo: Stories. Recipes. No Bull. Here's the menu from our second Toro Bravo cookbook party followed by photos from it. I can't recommend this sort of dinner party enough. Leave any questions about it in the comments below and please, please let me know if you've done something similar yourself. I'd love to hear about it. Eat, drink and be merry!
Toro Bravo: Stories. Recipes. No Bull. dinner party menu
Jerez Negroni Bacon-Wrapped Dates Tortilla Espanola Fennel Salad Romesco Butter Lettuce Salad Pork Rillettes Squash Dumplings Braised Lamb with Apricots and Coriander Squid Ink Pasta Drunken Pork Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Sherry Cream Oxtail Croquettes Potatoes Bravas Panna Cotta Limoncello
Tom wet our whistles with Toro's Jerez Negroni.
And then he pan-fried up Toro's Bacon-Wrapped Dates.
Dana and Oliver's tasty Tortilla Espanolla with kale.
Sarah and Alec's Toro Fennel Salad went with.
Oliver prepping his Toro Drunken Pork.
Five hours later. Just kidding. He did lose some arm hair while grilling them though.
Rebecca and Fred filming Chris and Sarah forming the Oxtail Croquettes.
Alec frying them up.
Chris's Toro Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Sherry Cream. So good.
My Toro Squid Ink Pasta.
Lolybite.
Active kitchen.
Taking it all in. Literally.
Loly and Faulkner's Braised Lamb with Apricots and Coriander and Squash Dumplings
Focus!
Soooo much eating.
Oliver got the lucky cinnamon stick in the lamb braise!
Sara and Zo's Butter Lettuce Salad.
And their Toro Potatoes Bravas. Their Pork Rillettes were awesome too but didn't get a good photo.
Endless rounds of Toro food and drink.
The gnome got so drunk and full he pulled down his pants and fell asleep face down in the backyard.
If you decide to host a dinner party like this please, please let me know and send me photos! I'll post them here. So fun. Eat, drink and be merry AND hairy!