Blog Party#18: Black & White Round-Up

Welcome to another Blog Party!

I'm quite pleased with our turn-out this evening; fifteen guests, and many of them are attending their very first party. So happy you could come!

And everyone looks so smart tonight; black & white is so stylish, isn't it? (Wish I could feel the same way when I find all those black & white dog hairs in every nook and cranny of the house...)

So, this month's theme was a bit of a challenge, even for me. But you never let me down-tonight's dishes are amazing, all around. We have appetizers savory and sweet, with a myriad of ingredients. And plenty of interesting drinks, too!

I'm so glad I found these gorgeous serving dishes for our party; don't the black & white triangles look fantastic?




And I think this black & white table linen is just perfect, don't you?



Matching napkins, too!


And perfect for a black & white party, the soundtrack to the black & white film, Good Night & Good Luck!




And you really can't go wrong with Cole Porter on a night like this, can you?






Our first guest tonight has become a Blog Party regular; it's Sara!
Starting things off with a real winner in my book, Sara's brought Sun Dried Tomato Pesto and Mozzarella Squares; I mean, sun-dried tomatoes? Cheese? Bread??? Holy trinity for a foodie.
Her Rootbeer Float Shooters are going to go fast, I bet, so grab them while you can! Matt's already snatched one...
And because it practically screams to be consumed, Sara's also brought the fixings for a B&E: Bailey's & espresso. Perfect for such a cold night.
It's all wonderful, Sara; so happy you could make it!




Next, we have Brilynn, who's also joined the 'regulars' here at Blog Party...good to see you again!
Tonight, Brilynn's a bit of a tease, letting us sample just a tiny bit of her lovely Black and White Macaroons. Oh, well; I suppose she's doing us a favor, saving us all those calories!
To make up for it, she's keeping us all happy with her Cuba Libres; yum! And in this weather, any reminder of the tropics is a winner with me.
Thanks so much for coming, Brilynn!





Our next guest is a newcomer to Blog Party, so be sure to give her a warm welcome! Mel jumps right in, even introducing me to a new food in the process.
Tonight, she's prepared some wonderful-looking Blacksticks Cheese Bites, which is a cheese I'd not heard of prior to her RSVP. Sounds delicious!
And she's paired those bites with a lovely White Currant Martini; sure to be a hit.
Mel, I'm so pleased you could be here tonight!





Let's welcome our next guest, Vanessa! For the record, we 'heart' geeks in this house!
We've had a lot of (Blog) parties here, but I'm fairly certain it's Vanessa's first time, so be sure to say hi.
Fitting right in, she's serving up dessert with Julia & Dorie's Brownies. Yes, it's perfectly acceptable to eat dessert first!
And her Tall Double-Shot Redeye with Hand Cranked Cream Foam look fantastic.
Vanessa, you and the genius are welcome back, anytime!





Our next guest has traveled all the way from France to be here tonight; please give Marie-Laure a warm, Blog Party, welcome, as it's her first time, as well.
She certainly took the theme to heart, though, giving us another (much welcomed) tropical drink, with Pina Colada's, as well as her gorgeous Black Olive Tapenade. Simple and delicious.
Thank you, Marie-Laure! And thank you so much for joining the party!





Hooray! Haalo is back!
And tonight, she's serving up these adorable Pyramid-shaped Lamingtons! Love them, love the pan.
But I think it's her Blackberry Delight that's really got my attention...sounds kind of sexy, doesn't?
So glad to have you back, Haalo...enjoy the party!





Our next guest is another newcomer; everyone say 'hello' to Y!
Proving that you don't need a big crowd to enjoy finger food, Y's brought us some delicious Crab and Caviar Finger Sandwiches. Wow...classy!
I'm afraid the lorikeets wouldn't be able to handle the cold here in Tennessee, but the Muscato will keep everyone happy.
Thanks so much for coming tonight; I hope you're having a good time!





Here's Breadchick! Welcome! I believe it's your first time at Blog Party, yes? Well, come on in...we'll take a look at the food, and you'll be off to catch up with friends, old and new.
Tonight, Breadchick's supplied us with the most beautiful Black & White Checkerboard Cookies; I don't think they'll last long.
Her Black & White Cherry drink might be a bit much for one person, though...you may want to share with a friend! Don't worry, I have the local cab company on speed-dial.
Breadchick, thank you so much for coming to my little party! Now, go...enjoy the food, and make yourself at home.





Ok, I can now die a happy blogger.
Not only do we have our very first Irish guest, but he's an Irishman, who makes ice cream for a living...and hails from one of my favorite parts of Ireland!
Everyone, give Kieran a proper welcome: Cead Mile Failte!
Tonight, he's pretty much covered all the bases with his Chocolate Kahlua Cocktail with Vanilla Ice Cream, don't you think?
I'm positively tickled that you're here tonight, Kieran; enjoy the rest of the party!





Elle's back! Good to see you!
And I have to tell you, her Black & White Breadsticks look really good about now. It's cold in the Bay area, and it's cold in the South. Weird weather requires elegant, starchy, food. This works.
And Elle's Irish Coffee should have us all warmed up in no time.
Good to see you again, Elle!






Heather's popped back in, after too-long an absence; welcome back!
And as she's trying to eat a bit healthier this year, she's serving up this lovely looking concoction for us; yum!
Thanks for being here tonight, Heather!






Another newbie tonight, be sure to say 'bonjour' to Stanislas! Welcome.
And I have a feeling your Black & White Cocktail is going to make you very popular tonight!
Thank you so much for taking the time to join tonight's party, Stanislas!





Poor Ulrike! Such horrible weather they're having in Germany. Well, at least here, there's no snow.
At least, not yet!
Not one to let inclement weather stop her, Ulrike's prepared some very tasty-looking Black & White Slices, as well as these wonderful Black & White Shakes...ice cream has been very popular here tonight!
It all looks so good, thank you! And I must say, the salt-and-pepper suit looks lovely on you!






J's here tonight, for her very first Blog Party...welcome!
First, I must say that I am in awe of your black & white plate collection...you can set my table, any time!
J really wanted to impress everyone tonight, and I'd say she's done it, with her Black Truffle-Topped Cream of Cauliflower Soup. Wow.
The Scallops and Black Pudding look delicious, and the Blackberry and Blackcurrant-Studded White Chocolate Ice Cream is simply gorgeous.
Impressive, indeed! And don't worry, I often get carried away with my own party entries.
Thank you so very much, this was simply wonderful!




Ramya's back, after much traveling, with a carrot halva. Taken with a black & white camera! Good to have you back, Ramya!



As for me, I had such plans for this party. Long lists of savory appetizers, and a couple of sweet ones, as well.

Then, I got sick. So did Alex.

Ah, well...we roll with the ol' punches around here.

So, I scaled back (knowing how much food we already had lined up!), and I give you



White Truffle Forbidden Rice Topped with Goat Cheese and Black Sesame Seeds; black, or 'forbidden' rice, mixed with white truffle oil and a beaten egg, set into molds and topped with goat cheese. Baked till set, and sprinkled with black sesame seeds.

And keeping with the ice cream theme, a Dessert Cocktail.



Lovely layers of chocolate ganache, French vanilla ice cream mixed with sparkling water (because neither of us drink alcohol), and Torani chocolate syrup mixed with sparkling water. Chocolate decadence.
This could easily be switched out with vodka, or some other alcoholic beverage.

Ok...this has been an amazing party! Everyone got creative, and we've seen so many different takes on Black & White. I love it.

A huge thank you to all my 'guests', and as mentioned at last month's party, each of you will receive an email from me later, with an early announcement regarding February's theme!

Stay as long as you like, and enjoy the rest of your evening...




Tagged with: Food and Drink + Blog Party + Events + Appetizers + Cocktails + Black & White + Blogging