Small Household Food Exchange Feb 21 7pm Kabul House, Skokie

Details:
Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Time: 7:00 PM

Location:
Kabul House Afghan Restaurant
4949 Oakton St
Skokie, IL 60077
847 674-3830

Note: Kabul House is BYOB, so bring your favorite bottle, if you're so inclined. There may be drink sharing, too!

Dinner attendees:
nr706
boudreaulicious
Cathy2
GAF
Pie Lady
leek
Mr. leek
Joan
moetchandon
wendy
lazygal09
jyoti (in spirit only)
The GP

Exchange participants: (bring nine servings)
nr706 (Beef Short Ribs)
boudreaulicious (riff on stroganoff)
Cathy2 (ful)
GAF (Leaning Chili)
Pie Lady
leek - Pork Chile Verde
Joan - turkey chili
moetchandon (Southwestern Beef Short Ribs)
wendy (African Groundnut Soup)
Lazygal09 (beef brisket)
jyoti (in spirit only)

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.

I'm in!

Me, too.

I'm in as well.

Me three.
I'm making Goose Shepherd's Pie.

Please add me for one exchange and two dinners.
Also, tentatively, add my friend Joan who would like to exchange and dine.

Thank you!

I'm in for exchange and dinner.

Sharon

If there is still room, +1 for dinner and exchange.

You're in!

My friend Joan is confirmed, not tentative, and looking forward to it.

If there's room please count me in - dinner and exchange.
-Liz (lazygal09)

My dear LTH exchange friends, I miss you all. I also miss packing my Glad boxes and tasting the wonderful and creative dishes.

Where are you now, Jyoti?

GAF wrote:Where are you now, Jyoti?

Gary, I'm in Toronto.

We need a LTH outpost in Canada. Perhaps we can come and visit.

OK, we're full for the exchange, and can handle one more for dinner. After that, the waiting list starts. Thanks to all for the interest.

GAF wrote:We need a LTH outpost in Canada. Perhaps we can come and visit.

Would love that. Lots of very good markets and ethnic food stores. I should start posting on my discoveries.

I'd like that last dinner spot if I may! I lost track of responding for the exchange, but time would have been tight for cooking.

Okay gang, we're full. Waiting list requests accepted, first come, first served (although if we do get a cancellation or two, there's no guarantee waiting list people will be served first at the restaurant).

I'm making beef brisket...

I'm thinking about making African Groundnut Soup. Does anyone have peanut allergies?

No nut allergies here! In fact, die if I don't eat peanuts.

I'm making Southwestern Short Ribs.

Sharon

We'll be doing dueling short ribs. Mine will be better. (Well, at least it'll be different.)

Maybe all ten of us should do short ribs, and have a real February rib-off.

I'm game

boudreaulicious wrote:I'm game

Oh, deer.

Although the idea of a rib-off is tempting, we are leaning toward Chili.

And I'm thinking about a riff on a stroganoff

Make your chili and stroganoff from short ribs?

Re the mushroom issue

If you guys would just say it has mushrooms and leave it at that, rather than making a special serving without, it would be just fine. Today for lunch I had the experience (again), of thinking I was going to eat something good for lunch and finding mushrooms in it - despite the NO MUSHROOMS label.

I swear - David will eat things with mushrooms. Please. Just say mushrooms, don't do anything fancy.

Thank you