LTH Small Household Food Exchange - Season 2-New date Oct.12

Hi all:

After a summer hiatus, I thought I’d get season two of the LTH small household food exchange going. For the first exchange of 2009-2010, I’d like to propose:

Monday October 12, 2009
7:00 pm
(I will not be there but will arrange for someone to bring my dish and to bring back my goodies)

Papa’s Cache Sabroso
2517 W. Division
Chicago, IL
773.862.8313

RSVP's:
Hellodali (exchange only) Pumpkin Black Bean Soup
GAF - Sheila Luken's Chicken with Sausage, Prunes and Apples
nr706
thaiobsessed
lemoneater - Bittman's Spicy Red Beans Indian Style
Cathy2 - Grown Up Porcupines
leek +1 - Beef Stew
Cookie Monster

To refresh our memories, here’s how it works:

Gathering time: Second Monday of the month, 7:00 pm

Location: GNR restaurants to be determined each month

Number in the group: We will cap attendance at each gathering at 12 so that participants are never making more than 12 servings of anything. Couples will be counted as one serving.

The food: The food exchange started so that those of us in 1-2 person households who love to cook aren't stuck eating that big pot of chili we made for a whole week. Instead, we make 8-12 servings of one dish, and bring back 8-12 different dishes. Participants bring one pre-portioned serving of their food for everyone who has RSVP’d to come that month. A serving is whatever you think it is for your food item. For soup, it may be two cups say; for pastrami, 4 oz. (or more if you make more generous sandwiches). The priority will be for entrees, meats, soups, salad, stews, pastas, grains, etc. One dessert is OK each month, we just didn’t want 6-7 dessert offerings as everyone was mostly interested in main meals (and there is a fabulous LTH dessert exchange the first Monday of each month). There will be no restrictions on the food – we’re an omnivorous bunch. WE DO HAVE ONE MUSHROOM ALLERGY IN THE GROUP SO IF YOU MAKE SOMETHING WITH MUSHROOMS, PLEASE INFORM THE GROUP WHEN YOU POST WHAT YOU ARE BRINGING. IF ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY ALLERGIES, PLEASE LET US KNOW. Again, that doesn’t mean that the ingredient is off limits, it just means to let everyone know if you are using it that month. We decided we don’t want to start running any list of off-limit foods or ingredients.

The containers/delivery system: Everyone in the group should use the Gladware 3 1/8 cup plastic containers (it’s the approximately 7” x 7” square). You’ll portion your food into those containers to bring and hand out at the gathering. You can freeze them or not depending on your schedule and when you make your food. There is no need to fill the container, just put in whatever is a serving to you. If you use something else to deliver your food that month (Ziploc bags, plastic wrap, etc.) you should also return the empty containers from the last round so that everyone always has a stash of these containers for the exchange and doesn’t have to run out and buy more.

The process:

Each of us will take turns being the organizer each month. Each time we meet, someone will offer to organize the next month’s gathering.

Approximately two weeks before the next gathering, the organizer will post a new thread to the events page announcing the date and the location for that month and asking for RSVP’s.

Participants will need to RSVP their attendance by one week before the monthly gathering. They will then need to post what they are bringing by three days before the gathering. This is to help make sure we get some balance in the food so that we’re not all bringing something that has to be eaten in the next 2-3 days; that there’s a balance of stuff that can be frozen for later, or eaten sooner.

The organizer will monitor the thread to see what people are bringing. The organizer will also make reservations for the group at the restaurant where we will be gathering. People can choose to stay for dinner or just come and exchange food and leave. Just let the organizer know so they can get an accurate count for the reservation. Other LTHers are welcome to join us for dinner, even if they are not bringing food to exchange.

We’re all pretty relaxed and flexible with the exchange as there will likely be some bumps here and there and questions we will continue to come up. Remember that the core purpose of the exchange is for a group of LTH’ers to exchange good food they’ve made with minimal hassle and restrictions.

Thanks for starting this up again. I actually would prefer the 3rd Monday on a regular basis, and would vote to make this a permanent change

Are you looking for reservations now? If so put me down for one exchange and two for dinner.

Hi,

There is an as yet unannounced conflicting event on proposed October 19th, which I told Hellodali about yesterday. Further the 3rd Monday in December and February will bring this event into conflict with Christmas preparations and day after Valentine's Day.

If it were on October 12th, I suggested one of us would keep her food until she returned.

Whenever it happens, I will attend and/or bring food for the exchange.

Regards,

Date has been revised to October 12, our usual second Monday of the month.

I'll attend for both dinner and exchange.

In for exchange and dinner with a tentative +1 for dinner in hopes the elusive Mr. X will be able to make it!

I'll be there - not sure what I'm bringing, yet.

Woo-hoo (I had a conflict for the previous date). I'm in for the dinner and exchange (if there's still room). +1 guest for dinner. Not sure yet what I'll be making.

I'd like to rsvp for exchange and dinner

I will attend with exchange and dinner. What I will bring TBD.

Hi all - a bump to report on RSVP's and encourage you all to think about and post what you'll be bringing in the next week or so. So far we have:

Hellodali
GAF
The GP (maybe +1 for dinner)
nr706
thaiobsessed +1 (+1 is dinner only)
lemoneater
moetchandon

Let me know if anyone else would like to join us and do post what you'll be bringing. Me, my Cook's Illustrated came today and there is a recipe for a chicken variation of bouillabaise which is what I might bring once I review the recipe a bit more.

HI,

I am definitely attending.

Regards,

I'm planning on Bittman's Spicy Red Beans, Indian Style

leek (+1 for dinner)
tentatively Beef stew (made w/wine) over noodles

In honor of the late Sheila Lukins I will be bringing a recipe from her "The New Basics" (with Julee Rosso): Chicken with Sausage, Prunes, and Apples

Hi,

I am bringing grown up porcupines. Was ist das? Cevapcici with rice added, then cooked in a tomato sauce. You can feel it making its way down your intestional track.

Will the cut off be Friday?

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:You can feel it making its way down your intestional track.

This is right up there with the time you prefaced your homemade sauerkraut at the LTHForum Holiday party raffle with "it probably won't make you sick"

Due to a death in Mr. X's family, I will not be able to cook this weekend. I'd like to still try to join you for dinner and will confirm Friday if I can make it.

Thanks.

-Mary

I will join for the dinner and exchange.
Not sure what I will be bringing.

Hi all -

The current update for the food exchange:

9 for the exchange
10 for dinner + 1 tentative (The GP)

I've updated the original post with RSVP's and what folks are bringing so far.

I will be working on Monday night in DeKalb and can't go to Papa's and have a favor to ask. Is anyone in the city or on the north side willing to take my dish if I drop it off to them on Sunday and keep my stash until I pick it up from them likely on Tuesday? I don't have a car, so if anyone who volunteers is easily accessible by public transportation, that would be even better. Thank you and have extra chicken and a jibarito for me.

You can drop it off at my place and pick it up on Tuesday. I have lots of public tranportation around me.

Nine for the exchange means that we bring in eight portions?

I won't be able to join you for dinner. Enjoy!

We'll miss you GP.

And GAF - yes, 8 servings for the exchange.

I apologize for the last minute notice but I won't be able to attend. I'm sorry that I will miss the dinner and the company.

Sharon

Hellodali wrote:We'll miss you GP.

And GAF - yes, 8 servings for the exchange.

Now it is seven servings.

Regards,

Do you need to be a pro chef to participate? I know that a lot of you are, and although I'm a damn good cook, I can't hold up to the pros.
Please let me know,
Thanks!
Bella

bella54330 wrote:Do you need to be a pro chef to participate? I know that a lot of you are, and although I'm a damn good cook, I can't hold up to the pros.
Please let me know,
Thanks!
Bella

Most of us are in the "damn good cooks" category, thus we are peers.

Regards,

Hi Bella - I'm not sure anyone that has been part of the exchange is a professional chef. As Cathy said, we tend to fall in the "pretty good cook" range. (Although some times, I feel like I'm in the "eh, it's filling and it won't kill them" cook range.) It might be a little late for Monday's gathering as we cut off RSVP's a few days before, so many folks may have already made their dishes and the number of servings needed. But I do hope you'll join us next month - November 9, I believe it will be.

Hi,

In a moment of enthusiasm yesterday, I bought a 22.5 pound Jarrahdale Cucurbita maxima from Von Bergen Farms, which is now baking in the oven. It nearly takes the volume of space of a turkey.



I will defer grown up Porcupines to November, to make risotto or something else with this squash. Since hellodali is making pumpkin soup, it will not be a soup.

Regards,