Gold Canyon, Arizona
Last night we had a group dinner party — a bagna cauda feast with our neighbors.
Pronounced “bawn-ya cow-da”, it’s a delicious dish from northern Italy that literally translates into ” hot bath”.
Think oil and garlic fondue with vegetables, meats, and breads.
The ingredient list for the sauce doesn’t look very appetizing, but I have yet to have a guest not eat way more than they ever thought they would consume.
The sauce is just four ingredients: equal amounts of butter and olive oil, a bucket of garlic, and a small handful of anchovies.
Meats include sliced chicken and beef, shrimp, scallops, and halibut.
Vegetables include carrots, artichokes, asparagus, zucchini, snap peas, and green beans.
Bread should be hard crusted and soft inside so that you can soak up lots of the sauce.
Diners cook their own meals in the gently boiling sauce, eating as they cook. (From left: Wayne, J. J., Jan, Mike, Debbie, and Rich)
So very delicious!
It’s the perfect party food because all inhibitions are pushed aside by the overpowering garlic smell and all the cooking and eating encourages lots of talking.
Jan provided delicious cannoli tarts with decoratively green and red dyed walnut toppings.
The only bad thing about bagna cauda is smelling like a garlic factory for the next few days. But the tastes and the good times are so worth it. 🙂
I can smell all the garlic from here! Looks absolutely delicious. This reminded me of what you and Richie made for our neighborhood one year. We all ate in the shop and that was absolutely delicious too. It was some kind of Italian meal we dipped in sauces. You guys also made that delicious fish meal. Looked like a very fun time!
ILTB.
This was the same dish, Lorraine. 🙂 And we might cook cioppino, the fish stew, for our Christmas dinner. Yummy!
You know, I have never had BC but I know Mike would be oozing garlic out his pores for days after this!
Oh, Carol, we’ll fix it next time we’re together. I was worried Homer would really smell from our breath, but Febreeze works quite well. 🙂
I have heard the name BC, but I never knew what it was. My stomach is growling just thinking about it! Yummy!
It’s surprisingly easy to fix, Joanne. I always worry about those anchovies but I think they just add enough salt to make the garlic pop. 🙂
I remember you telling us about the fish stew, and I thought there is no way, NO way, I could eat fish stew. Even the name “fish stews” makes my stomach quizzy. I can only eat heavily breaded fry fish. Man, I am so glad I went with an open mind. Do you remember how many empty shells I had my my plate? That would be a great Christmas dinner. I can taste it now.
ILTB.
Come on down, Lorraine! 🙂 Join our Christmas feast!
That would be fun Kathy! We will be thinking of you! Febreeze does work well!
ILTB.