Wine & Cheese Party at my place (Nov 21)

Since it had been a long time since my friends and I had gotten together for a wine and cheese gathering, I decided it would be my turn to host one. Every once in awhile a few girls get together and enjoy a night away from the boys (They actually played poker at Stephanie and Rick's apartment which is a block behind ours). Anyway, everyone usually brings a bottle of wine and some cheese to share while the host (me, in this case) normally provides bread and other goodies that go well with wine and cheese. For instance, I served garlic green olives, grapes, hummus, beer bread (Thx Missy or should I say Tastefully Simple!), red and yellow peppers with sun dried tomato dip, dolmades (Mediterranean appetizer made with grapevine leaves, I bought mine from a Greek vendor at the market along with the olives and humus) and butterscotch chocolate brownies and a chocolate bar broken in squares for dessert (Mizuki & Takako also brought a beautiful chocolate cake to share for dessert along with some champagne...both were delicious!). I think everyone left full! We all had a fun time eating, drinking and chatting the night away!

Also thanks to my husband and Jonathan, his coworker, I have some very nice wine and cheese books that they found at a book sale in Brussels (luckily, they're in English!). The wine book is called, "The Complete Encyclopedia of Wine: How to choose & enjoy the wines of the world" by Robert Joseph and the cheese book is called, "French Cheese" by Joel Robuchon. I have flipped through them occasionally, but I still have a few favorites. I adore Comte cheese (French) and I'm still fond of the Riesling and Pinot Gris wines from Alsace, France; though, I do enjoy a good red every once in awhile from Bordeaux, Burgundy or the Côtes du Rhône regions of France.

Left to right: Mizuki, Stephanie, Klara, me, Anna, Leah & Takako enjoying some wine and cheese and other yummy snacks! (I met Mizuki & Takako in French class; Stephanie & Leah's husbands work at Deloitte, Klara is my neighbor from Montenegro and her sister-in-law, Anna, was visiting)

Leah, Takako, Mizuki and Stephanie
Toasting to a fun girls' night!