Office Holiday Party Extravaganza!

So my office held our 2nd Annual Holiday Potluck and everyone (well almost everyone) brought delicious food to share! I’m posting some of the yummy food so you can get a few ideas for your next holiday get together.  If all else fails, make a Costco run apparently. I mean who needs a fancy corporate holiday party when you can have a good ole potluck?! All names have been changed to protect the innocent! 🙂

Pork belly steamed bun

Pork belly steamed bun – Papa Chang
We all know that most holiday plates are fattening so why not get it in the form of tender pork belly?! Just top the bun with shredded scallions and hoisin sauce for an elegant presentation! You can purchase frozen buns at your local Asian market and steam them prior to serving.  Xiexie!

Pigs in a blanket

Pigs in a blanket – Rapunzel
Simple but delicious, a perennial party favorite! Just wrap ‘Lil Smokies (these are turkey) with crescent pastry rolls (these use a low fat variety) and voile, you have an all-American treat! According to Rapunzel, each piece has only 45 calories!

Pomegranate kielbasa bites

Pomegranate kielbasa bites – Dumes
The perfect combination of beefy meat and sticky sweet. Simmer sliced beef kielbasa sausage in a mixture of pomegranate juice, ketchup and Tabasco sauce until the sauce is thick and reduced. Serve on a buttery Ritz cracker to make it classy! Thanks Dumes!

Spam musubi

Spam musubi – Sophie
Perfectly portioned and utterly delicious! Spam plus sushi rice and a nori strip equals a happy vicenteSF! Arigato!

Traditional Midwestern Queso Surprise

Traditional midwestern queso surprise – vicenteSF
OK, I made that name up but my roommate IS from Kansas and he makes this delicious dip once in a while. Just combine Velveeta cheese (SO American!) with browned ground beef and a can of Ro-Tel brand diced tomatoes with chiles (another midwestern staple) in a crock pot. Set it and forget it! It’s customary to eat this with potato chips, not tortilla chips, silly!

Quiche lorraine

Mini quiche lorraine – Mats
Another easy potluck option, the frozen mini quiche! Just throw into the toaster oven for a few minutes and these buttery, salty bites are sure to please everyone!

Shrimp cocktail

Shrimp cocktail – Pong
Costco wins again! Seafood always ups the chichi factor!

Roast chicken

Roast chicken – Pong
And antoher Costco treasure!

Chewy mixed chip holiday cookie

Chewy mixed chip holiday cookie – Rapunzel
These are surprisingly good despite Rapunzel’s baking track record! Just kidding. These nommy cookies have milk chocolate, white chocolate AND butterscotch chips! And lots of butter for all the good lil boys and girls!

Almond jello with fruit

Almond jello with fruit – Sophie
Sophie fights back with a more sophisticated dessert approach. The light almond jello pairs wonderfully with fresh fruit!

Walnut brownie

Walnut brownie – Jefe
And what’s more traditional than some chocolate brownies with NUTS! Walnuts are a safe, delicious and nutritious choice!

Melkesjokolade chocolate

Melkesjokolade chocolate – Huff
And Huff brings up the rear with a Norwegian contribution! Tusen takk!

Happy holidays, everyone!!!

The Little Star – Little Star Pizza

The Little Star Pizza

Spinach blended with ricotta and feta, mushroom, onion and garlic on a deep dish cornmeal crust.  $24 for large 12″
Little Star Pizza, San Francisco

This is my first Little Star Pizza blog entry, but I’ve been eating at this place and ordering pick-ups for a while!  I love their pizzas!  They are still my favorite deep dish pizza in The City.  I love their thick, buttery cornmeal crust.  YUM!  All their toppings always taste fresh and flavorful, and I enjoy their chunky tomato sauce.  I’m not a big eater so one slice is usually enough for a meal, they’re kinda large.

The Little Star Pizza

I cheated and added anchovies to half the pizza. That’s the Filipino in me, lol!

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011, 2012

Spinach crab ravioli – Anchor Oyster Bar

Spinach crab ravioli Anchor Oyster Bar

Beautifully striped ravioli pasta filled with spinach, artichoke, and ricotta cheese.  Topped with lump crab meat, smothered in a wonderful lemon butter sauce, and sprinkled with paprika.
Anchor Oyster Bar, San Francisco

I have to admit that I was a little surprised (and impressed) at this dish. I think of Anchor Oyster Bar as serving simple, delicious food – caring more about freshness and quality than presentation. So the spinach-striped pasta was a nice surpise. It was abolutely beautiful and had a wonderful sheen to it. The ravioli was cooked perfectly and the crab meat was SO delicious. This was another special item on their menu, but I would love to see this again!