Small Household Food Exchange March 13, 7pm Sunshine Cafe

I had several requests to push the Nha Hang SHFE dinner to April so hope that's ok. If people would rather go elsewhere, please let me know and I'll amend the post.

Details:
Date: Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Time: 7:00 PM

Location (proposed):
Sunshine Cafe
5449 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 334-6214


Dinner attendees:
boudreaulicious
nr706
moetchandon
Mr. X?
leek
Wendy

Exchange participants:
boudreaulicious (Kimchi stew with pork belly and tofu--includes shitake mushrooms)
nr706 (garlic stew with chicken)
moetchandon (Filipino chicken adobo)
leek (hot-smoked salmon with pasta and sauce with lemon, peas, goat cheese and tomatoes)
Wendy (Roast Beef with TBD sauce)

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, dinner & exchange.

I'm in for exchange and dinner.

Sharon

In for the exchange, +1 for dinner.

I would like to join you for dinner, if there's room. Thanks.

Please put me down for
one exchange
two dinner

thank you!

Hi,

I will not be there this month. The Moms and I will be at Fremont Township Library to catch Cynthia's program 'Waltzing Australia.'

I have always wanted to hear it, so this is my golden opportunity.

Regards,

Definitely one for dinner. Possibly one for exchange. I can confirm by end of weekend. If that is too late - I'll skip exchange.

Not too late for me--especially since we have a bit of a smaller group exchanging this month. Unless someone says otherwise, I'm fine with you letting us know after the weekend.

It turns out I'm double-booked on Tuesday night. I haven't had a chance to confirm with Mr. X if he still wants to go to dinner and be my proxy for the exchange. I'll post by Sunday morning.

Also, if we are confirmed at Sunshine, maybe the (?) could be removed from the OP.

Please make that only 1 for dinner and 1 for exchange on my part. I'm thinking about doing something grilled or smoked since it's just so darn gorgeous out, and should also be tomorrow as well!

Confirming that we will not have anything to exchange on Tuesday. Sorry for the late notice. Keep Mr. X on the list for dinner. He hasn't told me otherwise.

Thanks!

Anyone know what they're making this month? I'm going to be kind of pressed for time so thinking I'll do the Kimchi Stew that I made for the Soup & Bread night at the Hideout. Also, planning on bringing some extra treats to thank everyone (attending) who gave me their extras last month--everything was delicious!!

I am in for exchange - roast beef with TBD sauce.

Making a garlic stew with chicken.

I'm smoking some salmon tonight (hot smoked) and will put it over some pasta - sauced with lemon, goat cheese, possibly tomatoes and spring peas.

Does anyone have a spare lid? I am short a lid, and will have to buy a whole pack if no one has an extra

leek wrote:
Does anyone have a spare lid? I am short a lid, and will have to buy a whole pack if no one has an extra

I have a spare and will bring to Sunshine.

weird--i "replied" but it didn't post. Anyway, I have plenty of lids AND will be bringing extra containers to distribute to those who gave me the "extras" last month.

So we're bringing 4 servings to distribute?

I am making Filipino Chicken Adobo

4 servings it is!

I'm not going to be able to make dinner tonight after all.... Sorry for the short notice.

Sorry to hear you can't join us tarte tatin.

So I have us at 6, counting Mr. X--GP, could you confirm that he's joining us?

Also, my stew does NOT have mushrooms now--didn't have time to get any and was my only missing ingredient at home so chose to omit.

See you all there!

Confirming Mr. X will be there.

My pasta sauce with home-hot-smoked salmon has tomatoes, red peppers, garlic, lemon juice and zest, goat cheese, creme fraiche, parsley, salt, pepper. It is over whole-grain penne.

There are some sweet peas in the pod on the side.

Did anybody decide on a place/date for April?

Well the date would be 2nd Tuesday. I thought someone had mentioned a plan...

(You might want to consider Poochies hot dog stand on Dempster. If space is too tight, I have not gone to the new location. There is Big Herms down the street with a large dining area.)