April Sm Household Food Exchange 4/13 @ Hae Woon Dae

Location: Hae Woon Dae
6240 N California Ave
(between Granville Ave & Rosemont Ave)
Chicago, IL 60659
(773) 764-8018

Attendees so far:
nr706 (savory crepe cake)
Moetchandon (Cranberry "Church Lady" Chicken)
Boudreaulicious (twice cooked pork)
Food Nut (lentils, spinach and goat cheese)
Cathy2 (Oma's apple cake)
The GP (eggplant parmesan)
Helen (Pancit Luglug or Filippino Noodles with Shrimp)
Katie (jambalaya with shrimp and andouille sausage)
thaiobsessed (butternut squash gratin)
bella54330 (exchange only - goulash)
Mr. X (dinner only)
mbh (dinner only)
lemoneater (dinner only)
petite_gourmande

Date: Tuesday April 13, 2010 at 7 pm

Time to plan our next exchange! Below are the details--let me know if you can join us. I have selected GNR Hae Woon Dae, arguably the best Korean BBQ in the Midwest, as the venue.

Number in the group: We will cap attendance at each gathering at 14 and food exchange participants at 12 so that participants are never making more than 12 servings of anything. Couples can be counted as one serving, or two - if you come as a couple, please specify whether you're bringing one or two dishes to exchange.

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, with a blue lid). 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.

Several 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 LTHers to exchange good food they’ve made with minimal hassle and restrictions.

See you on the lucky 13th!

Count me in. Dish TBD.

Count me in and Aimee too!

Please add me for exchange and dinner.

Hi,

Me, too!

Regards,

In for the exchange, +1 for dinner.

Tuesday instead of Monday? Did those nutty Cubs fans get to you, Tom?

Count me in for dinner only, I know I was supposed to organize something here and I never got around to it. Thanks for picking HWD.

The GP wrote:Tuesday instead of Monday? Did those nutty Cubs fans get to you, Tom?

"Nutty" and "Cubs fans" do not belong in the same sentence. A couple of people couldn't make it on Monday, so Tuesday seemed to work better. I hope that's okay with the rest of the group.

nr706 wrote:

The GP wrote:Tuesday instead of Monday? Did those nutty Cubs fans get to you, Tom?

"Nutty" and "Cubs fans" do not belong in the same sentence. A couple of people couldn't make it on Monday, so Tuesday seemed to work better. I hope that's okay with the rest of the group.

I'm thrilled it's on a Tues. this time. I can never do Mondays!

nr706 wrote:

The GP wrote:Tuesday instead of Monday? Did those nutty Cubs fans get to you, Tom?

"Nutty" and "Cubs fans" do not belong in the same sentence. A couple of people couldn't make it on Monday, so Tuesday seemed to work better. I hope that's okay with the rest of the group.

I tease. I might qualify as a nutty Cubs fan myself. Tuesday is fine with me.

Hi,

Add Helen for dinner and exchange.

Regards,

Wow - less than twelve hours since the original posting, and we're at ten already. Only room for four more, then we'll start a wait list. Get in while the gettin's good!

Ah well, I can't ever do the 2nd Tuesday of the month

Can a newcomer join in? If there's room I'd like to join you for dinner and the exchange.

Katie's in.

Katie wrote:Can a newcomer join in? If there's room I'd like to join you for dinner and the exchange.

Hi Katie! Newcomers are definitely welcome--it's a fun group (and the exchange food is great!) Typically we sign up and, as the date approaches, we let the group know what we're bringing (to avoid having 8 people show up with chili )

Looking forward to meeting you,

Jen

I'm in for the exchange and dinner. I think I'll be bringing butternut squash gratin (tho it's a woman's perogative to change her mind, no?)

thaiobsessed is in ... room for only two more before we start a waitlist.

If there is still room, please sign me up to bring a dish and attend dinner.

Thanks
Wendy

you're signed up ... only room for one left!

Hi - I'm in for dinner.

Starting wait list ...

I'd like to be on the wait list, if possible!

It's very possible ...

Hey - I've been enjoying last month's food, but I got a container with a cracked and holey lid. Let's take containers out of rotation when they are damaged.

Aimee has a conflict that night and can't make it so wanted to let you know.

boudreaulicious wrote:Aimee has a conflict that night and can't make it so wanted to let you know.

Noted. We'll miss her.

Bella, if you're still interested, you're in.

I'm in! Not sure I can stay for dinner, as I'm pretty sure the hubby is making plans for our anniversary that night, but I'm in for the exchange!

Hi everyone!
I'm really looking forward to the next exchange!
I just want to make sure that I'm correct in that I will need to bring 11 portions?
I'm thinking lasagna, but I'm not 100% commited to that yet. Freezable and hassle free Spring/Summer foods are a little more difficult to come by than the hearty winter fare!

Looking forward to it!

Thanks!
B

I'm thinking of making lentils with spinach and goat cheese or spinach, sun-dried tomato, basil pesto.

A question to the participants.....if I go with the pesto should I add dried pasta in a baggie with the pesto, or skip the dried pasta? I wouldn't want to mix the pesto in with cooked pasta, just to keep it fresher longer, and so people could freeze the pesto if they wish.