5 guys and 2 girls

i like having friends over for dinner. not just the type of affair where the hosts cook and the guests are waited on, but also potlucks whereby each guest brings along a dish of his or her choice. the part i enjoy most, aside from the eating and chatting, is the anticipation about what each friend would prepare. each dish reveals a little about how adventurous and experienced the chef is, and the philosophy he or she has regarding food. it's not about judging each other - it's learning a little more about a friend, and having fun while doing it.

what more, it's a great time to experiment with new recipes and get suggestions on how to improve on them, although i suspect everyone was very polite tonight. personally, i thought my muffins were a little overdone (either the folding or baking) because it turned out slightly firmer than i wanted them to be. i was looking for a moist, fluffy texture with substantial density, somewhat resembling that of a pound cake. also, it lacked that buttery fragrance and sugar punch that make muffins taste as sinful as they really are and should be. not too bad for a first, but plenty of room for improvement!