<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1" ?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>washingtonpost.com - Gatherings</title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/style/columns/gatherings?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><description>Gatherings</description><language>en-us</language><ttl>15</ttl><image><title>washingtonpost.com</title><width>140</width><height>20</height><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com</link><url>http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/hp/image/wp_web.gif</url></image><item><title><![CDATA[Savory and Sweet Crepes]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7940-2005Apr21.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7940-2005Apr21.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[My friends joke that I'm culinarily challenged, even though my parents are amazing cooks. But as I prepped to move across the country, I wanted to host a small party and make a dish that everyone could enjoy.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Mix of Greens]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55206-2005Apr14.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55206-2005Apr14.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[I love to make salads. They are healthful, easy to prepare and, of course, delicious. Whether I serve salad as an appetizer, entree or side dish, it is always an important and integral part of the meal, adding flavor, texture and beauty.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Marshmallow Peeps]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64626-2005Mar24.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64626-2005Mar24.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[I am a trained chef. Soufflis don't faze me, nor do meringues or spun sugar. I've even made homemade croissants (though I wouldn't do it again). But this spring, I decided to take on a truly Herculean task: a homemade version of that Easter-time staple, chick-shaped marshmallow Peeps.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Iranian New Year]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45662-2005Mar17.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45662-2005Mar17.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[I've never been a big fan of New Year's Eve. It's usually too cold to go out, and there's too much pressure to have fun. But when my friend Suzanne Alavi invited me to celebrate the Persian New Year, or <em>Nowruz</em>, this year, I jumped at the chance.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Boffo Baked Potatoes]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25781-2005Mar10.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25781-2005Mar10.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Steamy baked potatoes, topped with sour cream, chives and bacon bits must be one of America's best-loved comfort foods. On a cold winter night, nothing fills you up better. I fell in love with the fully loaded tubers when I first arrived in the United States from India, about 13 years ago. Unlike the highly-spiced varieties that I'd known growing up -- always either sautied or in curries -- the simple baked spud was fluffy, creamy and soothing. I tasted the first one at the college cafeteria at Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Va., and was instantly hooked. A decade later, however, baked potatoes have become a "ho-hum" choice at our house -- like that trusty green salad that you start taking for granted. Knowing the tasty tuber had more to give, I started experimenting to see how I could cook up a more satisfying side.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Kiwi's Dreamy Dessert]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5684-2005Mar3.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5684-2005Mar3.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[On a recent trip to New Zealand, our family became obsessed with the Kiwi's national dessert -- a meringue-like shell topped with whipped cream and fruit, known as pavlova. Others may trek halfway around the globe to take the "Lord of the Rings" tour, sample Pinot Noirs or hike the Routeburn Track. Not us. Given the choice between jumping 43 meters off the Kawarau Bridge -- the world's first bungee-jumping site -- or sitting in a cafe sipping flat whites (a latte with less foam) while eating the addictive confection, we pick the "pav."]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Low-Carb Italian]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33563-2005Feb17.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33563-2005Feb17.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[When you grow up in an Italian family, it's hard to escape pasta. Its chewy morsels are the backdrop to countless recipes, served with everything from chickpeas to chopped meat. In my household, we ate "macaroni" -- as we called it -- three nights a week. Fridays were always spaghetti with some type of seafood sauce. (No self-respecting Italian ate meat on Friday.) Sundays were usually rigatoni or penne topped with my mother's homemade meat sauce, which she'd simmer all day long on the stove. And Wednesdays were pasta fagioli (pasta vah-zool), a dish dating back to my great-grandmother that mixes elbow noodles, cannellini beans and pepperoni.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cookies to Love]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15848-2005Feb10.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15848-2005Feb10.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Big cookies have always been a part of our family. They have been there to help celebrate our happy times and endure our stressful ones. Molasses cookies tucked into a lunch box brought a bit of comfort from home on that first day of school. On hectic mornings, there were carrot and fruit breakfast mounds to grab on the way out the door. When our daughter rented her first apartment, we baked chocolate chips. And when our son, Peter, married Kate, every guest left with a bag of what we call Big-Hearted Butter Shortbread.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rolodex Brunch]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8041-2005Jan13.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8041-2005Jan13.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[If there's one thing I learned upon my arrival in Washington, it's that the key to success comes down to whom you know. But in this land of happy hours and Hill receptions, mastering the congressional handshake and the art of name dropping can get a person only so far. What happens when you need a tailor for the power suit you've worn out? How about a last-minute plumber when the drain is stopped and the senator is due to arrive for cocktails in half an hour?  Rifling through the Yellow Pages is one way to solve these quandaries, although anyone who's taken their chances at Supercuts knows this doesn't always work out.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Casual Risotto Dinner]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54774-2005Jan6.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54774-2005Jan6.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Risotto. Warm and comforting (and reasonably priced to produce in large quantities), it's an infinitely versatile crowd-pleaser.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bloody Mary Football Party]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35602-2004Dec29.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35602-2004Dec29.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[When we first stated dating, my husband, Brendan, and I quickly realized our  differences. I'm a little slobby and he's Mr. Clean. I'm breakfast. He's lunch. He's a diehard Redskins fan living in Ravenstown. I watch the Super Bowl, but not for the halftime show or commercials or tight pants. I show up strictly for the food.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Culture and History in a Bowl]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20963-2004Dec22.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20963-2004Dec22.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Look at a bowl of soup and you'll see the evolution of foods created in remote locations over thousands of years, meant to bring warmth, health and richness into the lives of family, tribe, culture and community.  Each one reflects the people of a specific culture, their times of celebration, their passages of life, their most intimate experiences.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Gingerbread House Party]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6312-2004Dec16.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6312-2004Dec16.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[When it comes to gingerbread houses, it's pretty much anything goes, and when in doubt, just slather on more icing.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Siblings Party]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53759-2004Dec9.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53759-2004Dec9.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Living in the same city as your older sister grants certain privileges: having someone to call for directions, knowing at least one person will fuss over you on your birthday, and feeling secure that, if all else fails, there's a guaranteed couch for you to crash on. Since my friend Curtis and I both have a big sis in town, and because we know a bunch of other grown-up sisters and brothers in the area, we decided: Why not throw a siblings-only party and celebrate that we're finally old enough to hang out without pulling each other's hair?]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cooking With Poms]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11851-2004Nov25.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11851-2004Nov25.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The crown-topped pomegranate has suddenly become the darling of the Western dining table.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Filipino Fiesta]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61283-2004Nov18.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61283-2004Nov18.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[My friend Steve Rochlin got hooked on Filipino food six years ago, the first time he ate at his mother-in-law's house. After being intoxicated by the exotic aromas and flavors of the Pacific Island cuisine, he holed himself up in his own kitchen, determined to learn its secrets.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Potpie Party]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44068-2004Nov11.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44068-2004Nov11.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Potpies are warm, filling, savory and endlessly adaptable.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[One-Dish Korean Dinner]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52963-2004Oct21.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52963-2004Oct21.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Bibimbap contains ingredients as versatile as the guests you may invite over to share this traditional Korean dish.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Brownies for Democrats]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34214-2004Oct14.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34214-2004Oct14.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[For D.C. lefties eager to boot George W. Bush from the White House, giving up a Saturday to ride on a bus to West Virginia and talk to voters is a small price to pay for getting John Kerry into office. But let's face it: Volunteers cannot thrive on idealism alone -- which is where a plateful of Leah Bunce's moist, chewy Swing State Brownies comes in.]]></description><author></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Republican Barbecue]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34216-2004Oct14.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34216-2004Oct14.html?nav=rss_style/columns/gatherings</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:50:34 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Guests attending Rory Conway's presidential-debate-watching party probably thought they'd  died and gone to Republican heaven. American and Texan flags hung on the walls next to red, white, and blue streamers; George W. Bush, Laura Bush and Dick Cheney smiled down beneficently from posters; freebie pins and stickers abounded; and the menu featured delicious dishes aplenty -- among them, baked beans guaranteed to sate even the most conservative palate.]]></description><author></author></item></channel></rss>