Iron Chef Potluck #1, Volume 4: Jamie's Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cupcakes and Quinn's Key Lime & Mint Cream Pies

There is something inherently cruel about serving desserts at the climax of a potluck. Stuffed to the brim with tuna tar tar, burgundy beef stew, rigatoni carbonara, creamy gnocchi and sweet potato fries, we were left with the painfully wonderful task of finding room in our stomachs for such scintillating desserts as Jamie and Quinn's.

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Iron Chef Potluck #1, Volume 4: Jodi's Gnocchi with Spinach & Peas & Ted's Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Jodi and Ted are not only the cutest couple possibly ever, but they both came to the potluck bringing their A-game. Fortunately for our kitchen space, they brought their dishes already prepared, but unfortunately for ME, I don't know exactly how they made them. However, I do know this: they were absolutely divine.

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Carbonara Nirvana (Iron Chef Potluck #1, Volume 3)

There are times when I chide myself for my constant out-pour of affection and appreciation for all things Italian. Sometimes I wonder if the ingredients and cuisine there are in fact better than what we have here in the US, as I often claim. This weekend was not one of those times.

Sure, it can be annoying to hear my undying love for Italian Parmesan or my quest to fine-tune my favorite Roman dishes. But such obsession lends to perfection, and on Saturday I think I finally reached carbonara nirvana.

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Iron Chef Potluck #1, Volume 2: Burgundy Beef Stew & Salmon Diane with Creamy Polenta

Next up on our potluck menu was Sam's Burgundy Beef Stew. It took some of the most prep work, with Sam chopping up onions, potatoes, carrots, and zesting oranges. He browned pounds of hearty stew meat and let an entire bottle of burgundy wine cook for an hour before adding the vegetables. The orange zest and a pinch of sugar were added "to balance out the acid in the wine", and the entire stew simmered for several hours before consumption. Topped with a horseradish sour cream, the result was a rich and tangy stew that I slurped down with glee!

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Iron Chef Potluck #1, Volume 1: The Prep & Alex's Tuna Tar

I challenged my tastes, wallet, and stomach stamina when some friends and I hosted a Iron Chef-esque potluck on Saturday night. With 10 guests and individual dishes crammed into one kitchen, we had our work cut out for us. After hours of toiling away in the kitchen, we deemed the first Iron Chef Potluck a glorious success!

The Menu:

Alex: Tuna Tar Tar served with Quail Eggs

Sam: Burgundy Beef Stew with Horseradish Sour Cream

Heruy: Grilled Alaskan Salmon with Creamy Parmesan Polenta in a Diane Sauce

Rachel (me!): Rigatoni Carbonara

Jodi: Gnocchi with Spinach, Peas in a Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

Ted: Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Adam: Pasta Shells with Meat Sauce

Jamie: Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Quinn: Key Lime Pie & Chocolate Mint Pie

Carla: Chocolate Brownies

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