Small Household Food Exchange: Tuesday 11/12 @ New Rebozo

Details:
Date: Tuesday, November 12
Time: 7:00 PM

Location:
New Rebozo
1116 Madison St.
Oak Park, 60302
(708) 445-0370
http://newrebozo.com/
Just half a mile from the Green Line

Dinner attendees (6):
Pie Lady
Cathy2
Zoid
NR706
lazygal09
moetchandon

Exchange participants (3 servings):
Pie Lady - Chopped Celery with Ground Beef
Cathy2 - Tamales
NR706 - Duck Cassoulet
lazygal09 - Spice-Rubbed Braised Beef


I hope this isn't too soon for everyone, but I thought the bigger the gap before Thanksgiving, the better. Thanks to nr706 for letting me set up the next date!
I love this place. I think it deserves more attention. Their food is delicious and their signature dish, Chiles en Nogado is back on the menu until January! Luckily, Chef Paco is working on 11/12, so if we're lucky we'll get a visit and a hug.

The fine print:
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,

Parking on Superior in Chicago will be expensive. I personally favor Oak Park.

Regards,

If it turns out to be on Oak Park I'd show up for diner - not sure yet about participating in the exchange.

If it matters, it looks like the Oak Park location is pretty close to the L

Yep, about half a mile from the Green Line.

Sounds good. Either location.

Looks like Oak Park is okay with everybody so far, so let's just do that. See the original post for all the deets.

I'm in - dinner and exchange.

I'd like to come for dinner but no exchange. I'm still not ready to jump in after all the family stuff going on. My head just isn't in it but I need to get out and see friendly faces.

I'm making spice-rubbed braised beef.

Hi,

I plan to make tamales. I want to practice once more my newly earned skill.

Regards,

I'm thinking about a duck cassoulet.

I'm making Chopped Celery with Ground Beef. It tastes a lot better than it sounds.
After making this, I actually love celery in three things now: before it was just Cel-Ray and Chicken Noodle Soup. The celery is the star in this dish.

All right folks, it looks like four people / three servings for the exchange and six for dinner. Please correct me if I'm wrong!

I made reservations but I forgot to do it under my screen name. So when you go, it's under Jennifer W. There, the secret's out.

Hi,

I will likely bring tamales in plastic bag(s). I will bring empty containers to maintain the very important container parity.

Regards,

Hi,

If you all don't mind, I am bringing my Mom. So now there is seven for dinner.

Regards,

I'm so sorry but my Dad is sick
I'm at my Mom's and can't make it - I hope it's not too much bother as I thought we were just going to order off the menu but I still feel terrible for ducking out at the last minute.

zoid wrote:I'm so sorry but my Dad is sick
I'm at my Mom's and can't make it - I hope it's not too much bother as I thought we were just going to order off the menu but I still feel terrible for ducking out at the last minute.

Hi,

You were missed for moment, then we ordered.

Regards,