Portable Palate
(how to put on a Potluck and tips for attending one)

  • 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".

  • 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!

  • 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.  
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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."