HBDK

This past weekend was the most intensive 2 days of cooking that has passed in awhile. On Saturday we celebrated David Kennedy's birthday in grand fashion: with a baked potato/ salad bar party. In case you think that might sound either antiquated or boring, please observe:

This included your usual salad bar vegetables, bacon, chopped ham, cheese, cheese sauce, broiled broccoli in cheese sauce, creamed spinach, curried mushrooms, Vern Chili, sour cream, butter, and homemade ranch, 1000 island and green goddess salad dressings. This was actually more Storm and Mike's production, as hosts and art directors of the event. I made my famous chili, the mushrooms, and 2 cream pies: banana and coconut. Though the coconut went first, and was more structurally sound, banana is always my preference. My BCP, developed back in the Half & Half days when I was toying with opening up a pie shop, has brown sugar in the custard and a gingersnap cookie crust which gives it a subtle toffee-ness without becoming a cloying banoffee affair. At the moment I am without a stand mixer, and my handheld does not achieve the kind of power needed to get a truly stiff cream. Nevertheless, I managed to get a pretty portrait of BCP:

I would have taken more photos from the birthday but David hijacked my camera and had himself a photo shoot without noticing the low battery light flashing.