Dinner parties

Luigi, Valentina, me, pizza, and the agua de Valencia

Something I really enjoy about the people I live with is that they insist on having dinner parties all together in our tiny little kitchen every so often.  One time in particular, the Italians cooked us a spicy pasta, pizza, and shared their Italian Lambrusco wine.  Another time my Spanish apartment mate Roqué made us a traditional ¨tortilla española¨ which is basically an omelet with potatoes, and then whipped up a batch of "agua de Valencia" which is a mimosa kicked up a notch with vodka.  A third time, after hearing the bad news that Luigi couldn't find much work here and was going to move back home to Italy, his girlfriend Valentina cooked him a surprise dinner.  She told us to be in the kitchen by 9 pm sharp and with the table set and the food warm, she turned off the lights and brought her boyfriend into the room while we shouted "SORPRESA!"  She made two types of pizza, an aaaamazing ham and mushroom calzone, and a chocolate coffee cake.

Valentina with her surprise feast

There were 7 of us before Luigi left - Inma, Sonia, Roqué, Jorge, and then Valentina and Luigi.  All are between the ages of about 21 to 30 and so we get along pretty well.  We've gone out to discotecas a few nights together, had a Texas Hold 'Em poker night, and another night I taught them American drinking games, which they love.  Some days we sit around and watch the dubbed over Modern Family TV series, teach each other how to cook certain dishes, or just kick back and chat.  They've asked me to cook for everyone next, and when they asked what I'd make, I told them something from my country.  BURRITOS!

Valentina, Luigi, me, Sonia, Roqué, Jorge, and Inma