Inaugural Meeting of Six Kitchens

The Hostess

The Theme

The Menu

Stir-Fried Shrimp with Garlic and Chile Sauce

Long Life Noodles

Stir-Fried Bok Choy and Lettuce with Mushrooms

Chinese Potstickers

Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

Salt-Baked Chicken

Double Mango Pudding

For someone whose idea of "homemade" Chinese food includes opening a package of Trader Joe's frozen orange chicken, this menu intimidated the hell out of me. With ingredients I'd never heard of, flavors I didn't know how to fix if something went wrong, and oils that heated at different temperatures, I made sure I had Golden Dragon's number on my phone in case I needed to call in a pitch hitter.

And I wasn't the only one.

Dolly confessed she'd bought a package of pre-made pot stickers and Sarah said she'd had the same idea as I did with her Long Life noodles. We poured glasses of wine and Prosecco, set the dishes on the counter, and filled our plates with recipes inspired by Cooking Light and our New Year's Resolutions to eat healthier.

Tara's shrimp dish was, from all reports, delicious. I wasn't able to indulge. Allergies will do that.

The Long Life noodles, made with beef instead of pork, were a favorite. Not only did the adults like them, but the kids all polished off plates full of pasta.

I'm not a huge fan of mushrooms, so I wasn't too fond of the Stir-Fried Bok Choy and Lettuce with Mushroom. Those who are, raved about it and I thought the sauce was delicious.

Dolly didn't have a thing to worry about with her pot stickers. Lighter than what I'm used to, they were filled with savory meat and accompanied by a delicious sauce.

My Spicy Sweet and Sour Chicken wasn't only delicious, but it turned out to be so easy I'll be making it on a regular basis. No. Seriously. I will.

The Salt Baked Chicken wasn't, interestingly enough, salty. It was, however, moist and flavorful, each bite reminding me of the right way chicken should taste.

We were all intrigued by the Double Mango Pudding. The consistency was similar to a solid smoothie. It was light, fruity, refreshing and, honestly, the perfect end to a somewhat heavy meal.

As our plates emptied, the conversation flowing from children to camping to cooking, I realized the side benefit to our little supper club.

While we've all had pot luck dinners before, the supper club forced us out of our comfort zone and away from our "go to" dishes. We were a cooking team - each of us a little intimidated by the menu (with the exception, perhaps, of Tara). We prepared a meal for each other, laughed at the stories surrounding its preparation, and ate dishes made not only with love, but fear and laughter.

Laughter being one of the best ingredients a cook can use.