Small Household Food Exchange 4/29-7pm-Ed's Potsticker House

Details
Date: Tuesday, April 29
Time: 7:00 PM

Location
(Ed's) Potsticker House
3139 S Halsted St, Chicago 60608
(312) 326-6898
http://www.potstickerhousechicago.com/

Dinner attendees
Food Nut
prairieclover
Cathy2
nr706
Pie Lady

Exchange participants
Food Nut - Chicken Thighs with Peas and Mushroom Sauce/Whole Wheat Couscous
prairieclover - Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
Cathy2 - venison ala
nr706 - chowder w/crab
Pie Lady - keema matar

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 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; 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 don't want 6-7 dessert offerings as everyone is mostly interested in main meals (check out the fabulous monthly LTH dessert exchange!)
There will be no restrictions on the food – we’re an omnivorous bunch. IF ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY ALLERGIES, PLEASE LET THE GROUP KNOW.

The containers/delivery system: Everyone in the group should use the GLADWARE 3 1/8 CUP PLASTIC CONTAINERS (7” x 7” square container 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.

Hope to see you there!

Hi,

I will be there for dinner and exchange. I will try not to be late, though it does depend on traffic through the city.

Regards,

I'm in.

Put me down for both, por favor!

I'm sorry kids - my Tuesdays are taken until June 3 so I won't make this one. Maybe we can do something in the summer months this year. Have a good time.

Since our kitchen will be demolished starting Monday (extensive remodeling), I made my offering tonight - corn chowder with crab. (But because I'm making it so far in advance, I only made five servings. I'm hoping not a lot of additional people sign up ...)

I think I am making Keema Matar. Mmmmm, peas!

Hi,

Whatever I make will have venison. I am leaning toward venison osso buco, though I might come up with something else.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

Whatever I make will have venison. I am leaning toward venison osso buco, though I might come up with something else.

Regards,

Yum! I bet I know the venison butcher, too.

Sweet! Have you tried ol' Bambi yet? I haven't had venison in years.

Cathy2 wrote:Whatever I make will have venison. I am leaning toward venison osso buco, though I might come up with something else.

Wonder how a big dollop of horseradish would go with that ...

Pie Lady wrote:Sweet! Have you tried ol' Bambi yet? I haven't had venison in years.

We have made with this Bambi:
- venison ribs braised in sauerkraut (mine) and potatoes
- Venison Paprikash
- Venison osso buco

For Easter, we are having Venison filet aka backstrap.

Regards,

Yummy! What's a backstrap?

Pie Lady wrote:Yummy! What's a backstrap?

It's the common name for the tenderloin along the spine in a deer.

Regards,

bump

Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

With only five, I don't plan on calling ahead to reserve. See you all there!

Hi,

For a little more ordering power, I asked my friend Helen to come along.

We are also crossing our fingers that Mario's Italian Lemonade has its soft opening tonight. While it is still chilly, I miss that place.

Regards,

Since the remodel workers left early, Sharon (aka moetchandon) will be coming along with me. Even more ordering power!

Ok. Made reservation for 7 @7 under Sharon.