Souper Freak

I have a dream that gets to play itself out every so often….a rainy cold day….a sports game on tv….plenty of beer…..and a room full of people to feed!

My dream came true on Sunday when the Giants played the Phillies. I invited a bunch of baseball fans over and told them to bring the beer!

That left me to focus on a fabulous Asian inspired menu:

* Crispy simple cookies made from wonton wrappers, poppy seeds and a little sugar-salt-ground-ginger mixture.

* Wild boar pot stickers made from amazing fresh, healthy ground boar from SF Grill, sold by the amazing Seni at the Grove Street NOPA Sunday farmer’s market. I based these on a pork pot sticker recipe from my new beloved Soups, Stews and Chilis cookbook from Cook’s Illustrated. My fabulous cousin Chelsea whipped up a fabulous dipping sauce to accompany them.

* South-Asian chile pea pot stickers, which I served with a delicious store-bought mango chutney.

* And finally, the grand finale! Homemade beef pho — complete with bean sprouts, Thai basil, sriracha sauce, hot chiles and lime wedges. It was surprisingly easy and absolutely pho-nomenal!

My guests were pleased, I was pleased….other than the horrible baseball game (go Giants!) it was a dream come true!