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Portable
Palate
Folks have been getting together to share food from caveman times after the hunt to
Harvest Festivals to the First American Thanksgiving to Barn Raisings and Log Rolling
Contests in pioneer days to "All Day Meetings with Dinner on the Grounds" at
country churches to modern office parties to Soccer League Awards Banquets to Super Bowl
parties, so on, so on.
You are asked to put it all together:
The boss or pastor says, "Joe, I need you to organize our annual Thanksgiving
potluck." You have a couple of reactions. Probably the first is,
"Why did I show up today?" The second is, "I don't know the first
things about this."
- Ask a couple of people to help you get organized. Maybe you want to choose a
theme and decorate accordingly. Make a list of what people should bring: main
dish, salads, side dishes, desserts. Set the expectation. Tell people how much
to bring, for instance: "To serve 6".
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- If you are serving outdoors and have barbecue facilities, you might decide to provide
the main course--steak, chicken, ribs, hamburgers.
- Don't forget hot dogs for the kids. Set a per person cost and charge everyone
attending. You probably want to charge less for children under 6. Teenage boys
pay double. Just kidding!
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- Don't just ask people to sign up. Solicit individual support from everyone.
"Mary, you make the best apple pie." "Stan, I know you don't
cook. How about picking up some dinner rolls and butter?" Supermarket
deli's have a great array of items for non-cooks to purchase and contribute.
- Make a list of paper and plastic products required. Make a budget and list on the
invitation/announcement an amount for people to contribute to cover the expenses, if
necessary, or have people who don't want to cook bring these items.
Don't be stuck supplying these items out of your own pocket.
- Remind people to bring serving utensils for their dishes. Some will forget.
(Biggest mystery is why no one remembers to bring a cake knife.) Be
prepared and bring extra serving spoons, forks and knives. These can be purchased
inexpensively from thrift stores and saved for next time.
- Organize set up and clean up committees. Don't ask the same person to be on both.
Some folks will show up without contributing no matter what you do; ask these
people to help with set up and/or clean up on the spot. If you have college
students, set up and clean up chores are a great way for them to contribute.
- Provide masking tape and a permanent marker for people to label their dishes and
utensils, if they haven't already. Ask everyone to collect his or her own dishes and
utensils and take them home to wash. Some people will leave without retrieving them.
Here's where the clean up committee can assist. If a kitchen is available,
clean up the leftovers and set all washed items out for people to collect them the next
time you get together.
- Don't forget to thank all the people who worked hard to put everything together,
publicly and privately.
- Probably the best advise: Write down a few pages about what you did, how you did
it and how you would do it differently next time. It's a good reminder for the next
time you do it or a valuable resource for the person who follows you.
You are going to a potluck:
- Read and heed all of the above.
- If you attend, bring something to contribute.
No one enjoys moochers. If you don't bring a dish to share, at least
volunteer to help with set up or clean up.
- Take your food in containers and
bring serving utensils clearly marked with your name. Better yet, tote
everything in throw away containers and provide "disposable"
serving utensils.
- Don't forget to thank all the people who worked hard to put everything together.
- If you don't like how things are run, volunteer to chair the next potluck.
© 2007 Carleta S.
Vineys
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