Party Recap: A Feast Fit for an Architect

Mmm…the food for this party was tasty and easy. The perfect combination for my tiny kitchen with only about a foot of counter space.

We started with very simple appetizers to go along with our margaritas: salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), almond and jalapeno stuffed olives and blue potato chips from Trader Joe’s. You can’t go wrong with potato chips.

The fancy salad of mandoline-sliced jicama and apple with manchego, avocado and baby mache lettuce stacked in four layers (pictured) was first up. I made the dressing the night before:

Cilantro Pepitas Dressing
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of rice or apple cider vinegar
Juice from a small lime
Juice from half an orange
1 tablespoon of pepitas
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro
Dash of chili powder
Salt to taste

Combine the ingredients and pulverize with a food processor or hand blender. You may need to thin the dressing with a little more vinegar or water. Season to taste.

Next, the deconstructed carnitas. Two pork loins sat overnight in the fridge covered with about a cup of chopped fresh oregano, cilantro and garlic. Then roasted in a pan with slices of tomatoes and red potatoes at 375 for about 30 minutes (until reaching 145 degrees in the middle – looking like this). I would boil the potatoes in advance next time since they needed a little extra time. The sliced pork, roasted chilis and other vegetables were served on a tostada shell. Delish.

Finally, dessert. I made brownies using this Ghirardelli mix. I accidentally added too much water (my baking skills are a work in progress), but they were still crazy delicious. For the side, I made cinnamon ice cream. It was a nice combination inspired by Mexican chocolate.