“A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness.” —Elsa Schiaparelli

“A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness.”

—Elsa Schiaparelli

 

Zoe and I are planning the first annual Dictator’s  Potluck. We started drawing up our plans yesterday after I purchased yet another cookbook.

You see, I have a thing for cookbooks. Gathering around a  long table with friends and family, sharing a thoughtfully assembled meal is as close I  get in this lifetime to feeling heaven on earth.

 

The problem is,  ah, there’s alway one of those dreadful, little nuisances around,  isn’t there.

 

The  problem is, that I live alone. Oh, and in the modern world. And not in Spain.

 

And while I love  cooking, I find cooking  for myself__ Well, I’ll just say it takes some of the fun out of it. What I love most about food  is sharing it.

 

So that brings me around to my solution.

I present, (drum-roll please. dictator’s always have a drum roll don’t they?)

 

The First Annual Dictator’s Picnic (bam, bam, bam!)

 

Here is a copy of  the very, very strict,  totalitarian invitation we’ve come up with thus far:

 

Dear Five Good Friends Who We Know Can Cook Well

 

We demand you join us on Friday evening, on a date that we will declare in the near future!

You will bring a dish!

We will text you a recipe to make!

We have not decided yet which dictator will send the text, as we are fighting amongst ourselves as to which recipes we think will pair well together!  

We will make certain the recipes are affordable and in season!

You will drink our summer raspberry mead!

And if you decline, then you must drink our cucumber water!

All must drink the cucumber water! Or else!

Or else we will begin reading poetry! Aloud!

And when we begin reading the poems, probably right after we tell you some funny stories, you will be asked one question regarding plate clearing!

And, then, we will turn up the Van Morrison, and we will dance!

Except for the two of you who don’t like dancing.

Probably because you declined out raspberry mead!

We will see you there!

And, notice we left out the RSVP line.

For if you do not come to our Dictator’s Potluck, we will save some food for you and deliver it the next day! Bahahahahahahahahah!

 

Okay, that was fun. For me at least.

 

Here are my top three cookbooks in case  you want to throw your own

Dictator’s Potluck:

 

Cooking For Artists by Minna Stone

Mina Stone is a chef living in Brooklyn, New York. Her clients are mostly artists and galleries who give her the freedom to make whatever she likes… simple, sometimes Greek, fresh and seasonal food.She just released her first cookbook- Cooking For Artists, published under Urs Fischer’s imprint, Kiito-San.

 

Salad For President by Julia Sherman

Julia Sherman runs  Salad for President, an evolving publishing project that draws a meaningful connection between food, art and everyday obsessions. Each of Sherman’s blog entries contains a salad recipe made in collaboration with an artist, musician, writer, or creative professional, living their lives artfully.

 

Vegan Cuisine (An aspirational cookbook if I ever saw one__Big, beautiful and thoughtfully curated.)

The book is an homage to green cooking, and a must for anyone who loves to cook, whether they are full-time or only part-time vegans. Dishes range from classic appetizers, filling main dishes sure to satisfy everyone, and sinfully delicious desserts to vegan cheese, bread, soups, smoothies, and many special dishes that will surprise even seasoned vegan cooks. World-renowned food photographer Joerg Lehmann provides the perfect stage for dishes like Asian seaweed salad, vegan croissants, and the incredible Mano Verde Chocolate Tart. Vegan cuisine has never been so beautiful and appealing.

 

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