East Meets West

Monday night was a perfect example of how variety can bring harmony. There was no common thread to most of the dishes, really, but that didn't detract from how insanely delicious dinner was.

We ended up hosting, which made making the General Tso's tofu that much easier. I was able to heat it up and serve just as folks were arriving. My tofu wasn't the only Asian inspired dish, however. There was also a hot and steamy Tom Yum soup.

The soup was perfect, since many of us were fighting off a seasonal cold. In addition to the tofu and soup, the other non-western dish was some savory/sweet Israeli couscous...complete with dried cranberries and a touch of cinnamon. 

It was nice to have other eastern dishes represented, especially when the rest were not only western, but perfectly 'New England.'

Deviled eggs, a delicious green salad and chicken pot pie rounded out the dishes for dinner. All were quite tasty, especially the chicken pot pie that came decorated with a lovely pastry leaf - very seasonal.

As for dessert...well, you can't get any more New England than pumpkin pie!

I barely managed to get a picture of it before it was all scarfed down!

It might seem like an odd mix of food, but nobody batted an eye. Everything was quickly consumed and no leftovers were spotted anywhere. Sometimes shaking things up and pairing dishes that wouldn't normally be seen together can be a success...one of the more fun, creative aspects of potluck, for sure.