the joy of cooking

For some reason, I approach cooking like a final exam at a culinary school. I can't just prepare a quick homemade meal for myself. I have to invite an audience to witness my experiments and choose recipes with ingredients I've never seen before. I think perhaps this says something troubling about my personality, but I have too many concoctions to tackle to worry about it. I decided that I would have a series of small dinner parties this fall - my table only seats four - and the first was Saturday. If the dishes are a success, I will link to the Epicurious recipes here. Voilà:

Beet, Chickpea, & Almond Dip (the craziest color I've ever seen in a food - bright fuschia)
Gorgonzola & Grape Pizza (I made mini-pizzettes)
Orange Roughy with Miso Glaze (add brown sugar)
Wasabi Mashed Potatoes (mashed potatoes are my nemesis)
Bok Choy with Fried Shallots (I had to find the bok choy by reading the supermarket signs)
Lime Marscapone Panna Cotta with Raspberries (my favorite part of the menu)

Photo: Romulo Yanes, Gourmet