I love potlucks. The appeal is obvious: No one person does all the work, there is always way too much food and lots of things to choose from, and mayonnaise features heavily. I am devoted to mayonnaise. Mmm, emulsified fat.
And now, the point goes off the rails:
Let me tell you about the best potlucks in the WORLD. We lived in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, for a few years when I was young and both my brother and I were very active in sports. The best potlucks ever are on Oahu after baseball games. Seriously, if you're ever there on vacation, skip the beach on a Saturday around lunchtime and crash a Little League potluck. Who's gonna know you're not a parent? The quality of the food has a lot to do with the very large Japanese population on Oahu. This results in the BEST noodle salads and sushi and . . . nnnghhhSLUUURP. Sorry, the nostalgic drool got away from me there.
Aaaand, back on the rails:
So I was reflecting on potlucks when we went to a potluck birthday party for our friends' son last weekend. I was also considering that what you bring to a potluck says a lot about you. Your tastes and cooking skill are on display to the whole world. I mean, think about it (as I obviously have in exhaustive and irritating detail). For instance, I used to bring deviled eggs to potlucks at work. They're always a big hit, of course, but they don't scream "sophisticate," now do they?
For the potluck on Saturday, I brought a fancy non-mayonnaise pasta salad featuring spinach and feta. Clearly, I'm trying to improve my standing in the world. Social climbing via salad.
And now I would like to form a snap judgment of your character based on your food choices. So tell me: What do you bring to potlucks?
My husband's family reunion (held every Labor Day in the middle of rural WV) is basically a giant potluck. Problem is, most of the attendees are older than dirt, which means the food is sometimes...not so good. And I get the impression most of it is leftovers. But anyway, I usually bring a raspberry cake w/ whipped cream for icing (DROOL)to that particular potluck, but since it's a royal pain in the ass to transport, my standby for every other potluck is pasta salad. I have about 9857698 recipes for pasta salads. Nom nom nom.
ReplyDeleteHmm, what's the last potluck I went to ...
ReplyDeleteOh, that's right! Just this past Memorial day. And I brought 200 pounds of beef.
I win. :-P
Okay, I just helped with the beef. What I actually bring is usually bruschetta on toasted pesto-garlic bread, made with basil from the garden. Mmm, basil ...
I usually bring some sort of salad. That way I know there is something there that doesn't have meat and that I can feel good about eating...then I don't have to feel as bad about eating all the desserts! I have a good recipe for a spinach-strawberry salad. Also, I brought one to work once that had romaine, red onions, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds (I think that's it), with a nice dressing, and I don't think anyone but me ate it (did you have any, Kristin?). Anyway, I'm not a big fan of potlucks, actually, because I'm a germophobe; you never know where people's hands have been, and now they've been all over your food.
ReplyDeleteFruit Kabobs. I stick them standing up in a bed of crushed ice. They are alsways gone because who doesn't like food on a stick?
ReplyDeleteI try to mix it up, but my fall-back is tabbouli. Very simple, not the most boring salad ever, not the most simple carb on the table. Lemon, salt and cucumber make me happy. Also endless variation--add some feta and orange rind in a a more adventuresome crowd; substitute spinach for parsley if you have a bunch of white bread eaters...
ReplyDeleteI had a spell of being sick of pasta at church suppers. So I shopped for an inexpensive ham at P& C, popped it in the oven and relaxed while everybody else was chopping and boiling and saucing. Everybody loved the big, bone-in ham. But now that we have hams from the pig we bought, I have a horror of the slick pink meat from the grocery store. Back to the drawing board. (Kristin brought back only an empty bowl. Sad me).
ReplyDeleteI usually only attend smallish events, and so I bring odds and ends. Usually whatever new recipe I've been wanting to try. For example, at the last event I brought cumin-lime spiced nuts, rosemary-peanut butter popcorn (kinda like popcorn balls, but not a ball), and a barley veggie salad.
ReplyDeleteSince I like most everything, having an audience allows me to discover what "normal" people think of a recipe.
chicken satay. peanut dipping sauce.
ReplyDeletebeer.
You brought the gourmet pasta salad and my co-workers all brought booze. What does that say about them? :)
ReplyDelete