Small Household Food Exchange - Jan 10, 2012

Is it too early?

Details:
Date: Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Time: 7:00 PM

Location:
Laschet's Inn Restaurant
2119 West Irving Park Road, Chicago, IL
(773) 478-7915
German-American Food & Spirits

Dinner attendees:
Food Nut
Cathy2
nr706
boudreaulicious
PIE LADY
Tarte Tatin
mbh
Leek
Mr. Leek
GAF
moetchandon

Exchange participants: (bring six servings)
Food Nut - Pork shoulder posole
Cathy2 - Ham and sweet potato hash
nr706 - Shrimp and polenta grits
boudreaulicious - Pork Shoulder with Salsa Verde
PIE LADY - Warm Pasta Salad with Roasted Corn and Poblanos (and bacon)
Leek - Boozy beef stew with noodles
GAF - Rabbit Loin Risotto


Number in the group: We will cap attendance at each gathering at 12 and food exchange participants at 10 so that participants are never making more than 10 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 6-10 servings of one dish, and bring back 6-10 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.

HI,

It is never too early! I will be there (though I might be late arriving, as usual).

Regards,

I'm in for exchange and dinner.

Sharon

in, bringing food

One for exchange, +1 for dinner.

In for both exchange and dinner!

Leek, Pie Lady, GAF -- let me know if and how you would like to be added to the list.

Yes and in big purple capital letters.

I don't know what I'm bringing, however. Something with meat. Can't wait!

Please add me to the list for dinner if there is room after all of the exchangers have been accommodated. Thanks.

tarte tatin wrote:Please add me to the list for dinner if there is room after all of the exchangers have been accommodated. Thanks.

Me too please.

Hi

yes, please

dinner and exchange, plus Mr Leek also in for dinner

Yes. I am in. Thank you for saving a place for dinner and exchange.

If I can arrange, should we consider a per person cost w/ some type of sampler plate/s? Any must haves? I wouldn't mind a little königsberger klopse, spaetzle, veal sausage, potato pancake?

I won't be able to exhange but would like to attend for dinner. Too much going on personally that I won't have time to cook.

Sharon

Food Nut wrote:Leek, Pie Lady, GAF -- let me know if and how you would like to be added to the list.

Pie Lady wrote:Yes and in big purple capital letters.

I will be making boozy beef stew over noodles. Test run this week was yummy and I know how to fix the flaws for the batch I'll do for you folks.

I am thinking of Buckwheat and Basil Frittata instead of a meat-based dish, but that seems a bit cheap. What side dishes would be nice with this? I was thinking some kind of potato, possibly with bacon. Any suggestions?

I'll be making a variation on Shrimp & Grits, substituting crisped polenta for the grits.

Hi,

If I bake a ham as I currently intend, I will make ham and sweet potato hash. I look forward to this dish every time we have excess ham.

Regards,

I'm leaning towards Pork Shoulder with Salsa Verde, probably with some type of veg.

I changed my mind. I'm going with Warm Pasta Salad with Roasted Corn and Poblanos (and bacon).

FYI--Lots of stuff happening, won't know what I am making until this weekend.

I never know what I'm making until the weekend before. Who knows, I might surprise us all with an earlier recipe pick!

Susan and I are planning to make a Rabbit Loin Risotto. The recipe has mushrooms, but I will see if we can add the mushrooms at the end, making one portion mushroom-free (I can't promise that we can do this).

Just make it like you normally would, Gary. David gets all the dishes with mushrooms, it's Fine (pun intended)

Looking like posole.

Hi everyone-

Next week is shaping up to be crazy, so we won't be able to make it. No surprise that I hadn't picked a recipe yet. I hope this doesn't inconvenience anyone. See you in a couple of months! (We have Bulls tickets on February 14, which is the 2nd Tuesday in February.)

By my count, there are now 7 exchangers so 6 portions will be needed.

Reservation made for 11 tonight 1/10/12 at 7pm under name Sharon.
See you then!

(If people don't mind, could everyone get the alcohol on a separate tab? I don't mind paying my fair share of the food ... I'd say this in person, though I tend to be a late arrival. )

Cathy2 wrote:(If people don't mind, could everyone get the alcohol on a separate tab? I don't mind paying my fair share of the food ... I'd say this in person, though I tend to be a late arrival. )

I second this, since I'm too tired to drink.