Last week we initiated a Ladies BYO Gourmet inspired by my blog and Chopped (thank you Shay, Ems, and Mak). The goal was for each person to bring a course, which was decided by votes. Each lady picked a person to make a course and then suggested three items. The rest of the team voted. If you're confused, don't feel bad (it took me a while to grasp the concept, even with a nifty Google Doc). Basically, Mak got smoked salmon, Ems got leeks, Shay got sausage, and I got kiwis.

Despite dish confusion, the evening was a success. We all gathered at Shay's gorgeous apartment and prepped and cooked together while sipping on robust Bordeaux. Mak assembled smoked salmon with creme fraiche, mustard, and chive delicately placed on whole wheat crackers. Ems made a delicious leek bread pudding, which I had made before. This is a perfect, stick-to-your-ribs dish that makes you feel like you're eating healthy because it has the word "leeks" in the recipe title (spoiler alert: it's not). Shay went all out and created swiss chard and sausage purses that were perfectly crafted and filled with goodness of sauteed spicy sausage and stuffing. The filling was delicately wrapped in blanched swiss chard and tied with a leek string (we were quite resourceful). I ended the meal with short cake (more carbs) topped with strawberries, kiwis, and fresh whipped cream.

It was such a fun night and I cannot wait to continue to do Ladies BYO Gourmet in the near future. Look out for behind-the-scene photos to be featured on Facebook!