Catie made Gilda (Basque Skewers) and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Pequillo Peppers from The New Spanish Table. The Gilda are a super simple combination of olives, chiles, anchovies, and red peppers threaded onto a skewer, but it was a great combination. The stuffed peppers were really good eaten on a piece of the yummy olive bread Catie brought to accompany them.

Erin made Tortillitas de Camerones (Crisp Shrimp Pancakes) from The New Spanish Table. One of my favorite dishes of the night – these were packed with flavor. Erin said they were even better when freshly cooked and still hot and crispy… I don’t doubt it.

Brian made Roasted Cauliflower with Pine Nut, Raisin, and Caper Vinaigrette from The Food Lab. The sweet and tangy of the raisins and vinaigrette was a nice counterpoint to the nuttiness of the cauliflower and pine nuts.

Cindy made Tumbet (Mallorcan Eggplant and Potato Casserole) from The New Spanish Table. I found this dish to be underwhelming. It didn’t have any standout flavors, and I felt that it could have done with some acidity and salt.

I made Flowering Choy with Lime and Fish Sauce Vinaigrette from Baco. I liked the tanginess and depth of flavor of the vinaigrette. I’d make this dish again, though I wouldn’t use near as much water as the recipe called for. The recipe was also for a pretty tiny quantity, as I had doubled the recipe and it still didn’t make very much.

Sheana made Plantain and Coconut Stew from The Soul of a New Cuisine. This dish sounded really good to me, but it didn’t turn out to be one of my overwhelming favorites. Sheana felt the same way, though she said that she added the leftovers to a salad/grain bowl and it was great in that capacity.

Riley made Simcha’s Rice with Almonds and Raisins from The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen. I love rice, so I’m pretty much always happy to have any rice dish. Thus I was glad to have it expeically to eat with the chicken dishes, but it wasn’t a particularly standout rice for me.

Jeff made Cannelloni with Spinach, Raisins, and Pine Nuts from The New Spanish Table. This was cheesy pasta goodness which I might have been happy to eat on its own, but amongst so many other dishes I don’t think I was able to fully appreciate it.

Jeanette made Smoked Salmon Potato Salad from The Food Lab. I am not a big fan of potatoes, but I adore smoked salmon, so I was pretty excited to try this one. I wasn’t blown away – it pretty much tasted like potatoes mixed with smoked salmon, and I wished it had more herb flavor.

Rachel made Caramelized Onion, Bacon, and Kale Quiche from Baking at Republique. I really enjoyed this quiche, which wasn’t a surprise given its ingredients are all things I love. I definitely would have gone back for more if I hadn’t been so full.

John made Roasted Chicken with Clementines and Arak from Jerusalem. This was a cookbook we’ve used in the past, though not in 2019. But we gave John a pass because this chicken was incredibly delicious. I especially loved the fennel in this dish!

Drew made Spicy Ethiopian Chicken Stew from The Immigrant Cookbook. So good served with a little bit of yogurt mixed in. Tender, spicy and complex, and made especially good because Drew fried up the chicken skins for an extra crunchy tasty topping. Winner.

Shayna made Republique Chocolate Chip Cookies from Baking at Republique. If you’re looking for a great basic chocolate chip cookie, this is a great option.

Erin also made Saffron Pastry Cream Tart with Fruit from The New Spanish Table. I enjoyed the very floral flavor of this pastry, and as always Erin’s presentation was stellar with the adorable little apples dotting the top of this dessert.

Anthony made Carob Molasses Ice Cream from The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen. I absolutely loved this ice cream. I have been lucky to have tried many of Anthony’s ice cream creations, but this is definitely one of my favorites so far.

Kamy made Apple Pie. She couldn’t remember which cookbook it was from, but she used homegrown apples from her tree, so we forgave her.

Revi made Tahini Butter Cookies from The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen. I’m not sure if it was just because I was overwhelmed by the quantity of dishes, but I took one of these cookies home and it was even better the next day – really nice sesame flavor.

John also made Spice Cookies from Jerusalem. Raisin spice cookies don’t tend to be my favorite, but… these have chocolate! Need I say more? It was a great combination, and I was happy to take one home with me.

Hector made Raspberry-Mochi Butter Cake with Matcha Glaze from Baking at Republique. This cake was stunning to look at, and had the taste to match. The mochi made this cake rich and moist, with layers of sweet, earthy, and tangy flavors.

Hector also made Sticky Date Pudding with Candied Kumquats from Baking at Republique. I think kumquats are an underutilized ingredient, and they were a nice tangy contrast to the sweetness of the date pudding. Tasty, but hard to match up to the magic of the raspberry-mochi cake.