Designing Dinner

Jeff has wanted to have a get-together with a few of his graduate students for quite some time now, but schedules, house projects, and unexpected events kept getting in the way. We finally just set a date and went for it. We started small, with just four of his most active research group members, but it was nice size dinner party.

It was a casual gathering with a pleasant, outdoor setting. Incorporating vegetarian and gluten-free dietary needs into the meal planning was a bit of a challenge. But with homemade barbecue sauce, grilled chicken and veggie burgers, various types of buns, vegetarian baked beans, and several ingredients served as optional side items to the potato salad, it worked out. Dessert had me stressed for a moment, until I found an old recipe for flourless chocolate torte served with whipped cream and fresh berries. I'm just glad no one was vegan or lactose intolerant!