Potlucks – overrated?

[IndyRob]

I don't think I've ever seen a potluck I'd consider successful from a culinary standpoint. However, occasionally one does find a gem or an interesting idea. I recall a potato salad that resulted in the creator being backed into a corner and nearly forced to recite the recipe to a note-taking throng (it involved bacon - with ALL the grease - along with mayo...if the FDA had agents there I'm betting they would have an entirely new regulatory regime). More recently I sampled a breakfast casserole that I didn't find particularly successful but opened my mind to the possibilities of such a thing.

But I think potlucks are more of a social than culinary event with the primary goal being to spend time with other people for whatever reason. Putting too much emphasis on the food would detract from team/family/general social nature. Trying to bring a standout dish might actually work against the equality/comraderie angle.

That said, I think the model for an eGullet potluck event would follow closely along the lines of Daniel Boulud's After Hours.

[SylviaLovegren]

However i don't mind when someone else says bring something. When the pretzel couple asked me to bring something, I brought a big bag of pretzels. They seemed upset.

.

I agree about people bringing things when you haven't asked them to. Drives me nuts. We recently had a dinner party and I'd planned a Mexican meal (or Mex-inspired, anyway), with chilies and avocado and corn and cumin and lime and beans. I'd planned a nice Mexican-style beer to go with, or lime drinks for those who didn't want beer. Our friends brought blue cheese and a rich red wine which they insisted we have before the meal. Both were delicious, but completely unbalanced with the meal. Then they drank the red wine with poblano/lime chicken. Aargh. I still get the heebie-jeebies thinking about it.

But if it had been a potluck and had involved marshmallows, jell-o, or cream of mushroom soup I would have loved it.

[Norm Matthews]

Right. There is a time and place for everything and expectations of culinary excellence at a pot luck is wishful thinking.

[slkinsey]

I've had group cooking parties where we planned a multicourse dinner and each couple was responsible for a course of the dinner. But this involved some communication among the people in the group (e.g., so that there weren't two salmon courses in a row or so that someone didn't follow a course of braised short ribs with poached turbot), and of course all were highly proficient cooks.

Most of the time, "potluck" equates to a cavalcade of reheated casseroles and "covered dishes" with all the texture cooked out of them, plus some wan salads and a few church/trailer icons like "three bean salad" and jello monstrosities. Occasionally one person will bring something that is both delicious and works well within the constraints of the potluck environment, in which case it will disappear immediately. No thanks.

[LindaK]

My expectations of a potluck depend entirely on the crowd. I have my annual community garden potluck this afternoon, which is consistently a culinary disaster, but I go because I like the people and it's always good for a beer, a few laughs and neighborhood debates. I always bring something good, but keep it simple. Actually it's an opportunity to try something new. Even if I'm disappointed, what I bring will always be better than most other offerings.

On the other hand, I have friends who are accomplished home or professional cooks, but our potlucks are the only way to manage a home-cooked dinner together amidst the obligations of kids, family and work. For these, I usually check in with the host re: best course offering and take the time to do something special if possible.

Whichever, life is short, have fun.

[Darienne]

I've never been to a 'culinary purposed' type Pot Luck, only the 'we're getting together for some non-food purpose and let's have fun and eat' type. Every group I've every belonged to has featured at least one yearly Pot Luck. Never thought of them of sources of gustatory delights. And I've come away with some pretty delicious recipes...and given out recipes also. In fact, the dish I bring for the entrance table to the Annual GourdFest and Pot Luck in Utah is always accompanied by many slips of the printed recipe. And all the slips are taken. Tostitos Kakimochi. Not high class, but I dare you to eat only one.

I find Pot Lucks great fun. Always have; always will. You never know what you'll find.

[Norm Matthews]

Pot lucks aren't over rated unless your expectations are over blown. I don't consider a structured meal where everyone is assigned to bring a specific course to be Pot Luck in the true sense of the word. Frankly it is those type of dinners that I find are often mostly stiff and boring. It is usually better for one mind and two hands to conceive and orchestrate themed dinners.

[mskerr]

One of the joys of potlucks is being able to have foods I'd never, ever, make or buy. If there are marshmallows involved, all the better!

Totally. I have a secret love for those church-supper casseroles that involve canned cream of mushroom soup and cornflakes on the top. I'd never make one (in this house nobody but me would eat it) so potlucks are my only source.

But if it had been a potluck and had involved marshmallows, jell-o, or cream of mushroom soup I would have loved it.

I think it might be time to start a new thread on old-school and/or lovable lowbrow casseroles. I don't think I ever ate a casserole in my childhood. My parents had probably been ruined on them by their parents in the 60s. But, I must confess, I love reading about broccoli-cheese casserole, or hash brown casserole, or anything involving potatoes, bacon, sour cream and/or cheese and some sort of crunch topping. (Jello and marshmallows aren't my thing, but I do think it's cool that people harbor nostalgia for those sorts of dishes.)

[gfweb]

My dad had great nostalgia for the "fried mush" of his depression childhood. He convinced my mother to make it once and found it horrible. Perhaps my mother screwed it up,she was a terrible cook, but perhaps the memory was better than the dish ever was.

The remembered casseroles may be like that. But then again maybe not. Paella is more or less a casserole.....

[mskerr]

My dad had great nostalgia for the "fried mush" of his depression childhood. He convinced my mother to make it once and found it horrible. Perhaps my mother screwed it up,she was a terrible cook, but perhaps the memory was better than the dish ever was.

The remembered casseroles may be like that. But then again maybe not. Paella is more or less a casserole.....

Yeah, I've been getting this too lately, usually with the occasional nostalgic super-processed thing I buy, like Velveeta Shells and Cheese. I used to think it was amazing as a teen on the rare occasion my friends' parents made. Now, it tastes bland and congeals if you don't gulp it down right away - probably why we did gulp it down as kids.

But, we never ate the old-school "cream of whatever"-type casseroles, for better or worse. And I must say they intrigue me. I wouldn't turn down an invite to a potluck in North Dakota.

Mostly, I feel nostalgic for the food other people ate. I'm a sucker for cookbooks that wax on about older, simpler times in Georgia or New Orleans or Montana, catching fish with brothers and then frying it up in Grandma's cast-iron pan with some salt pork and gravy. So the old-school stuff really intrigues me.

[Beth Wilson]

Ok, I agree, sometimes you see the "usual" cream soup stuff or 4 dishes of meatballs but sometimes you get blown away with the calibre of food. I go to potlucks to eat with the crowd, the food is a bonus!

Best Potluck I attended had moose meat, bear, venison, chicken, salads and some great side dishes from German noodles to rosemary roasted potatoes. I thought it was wonderful that all these people with such varied tastes and interests got together to share some food. It was a wonderful night and yes there was a cream soup dish there too.

I guess that is why they call it Pot Luck.

[Jaymes]

My dad had great nostalgia for the "fried mush" of his depression childhood. He convinced my mother to make it once and found it horrible. Perhaps my mother screwed it up,she was a terrible cook, but perhaps the memory was better than the dish ever was.

My dad loves fried mush, and I make it for him fairly often. It's darn tasty. I'm thinking if your dad didn't like it, the reason was probably more the former than the latter. It's not difficult, but it definitely has to be cooked and (most important) seasoned properly.

[Kouign Aman]

Polenta = mush. Fried polenta = fried mush. Good stuff.

[gfweb]

I think that the principle holds though. My memory of kraft Mac and cheese is better than the product is if eaten today. Same with grilled cheese...better then than now.

[Darienne]

I think that the principle holds though. My memory of kraft Mac and cheese is better than the product is if eaten today. Same with grilled cheese...better then than now.

Ed and I recently had Kraft Dinner for the heck of it...the very first thing I ever cooked in my life many decades ago...and we wondered if the product had changed??? It was awful. Simply awful.

Edited September 24, 2012 by Darienne (log)

[Jaymes]

I think that the principle holds though. My memory of kraft Mac and cheese is better than the product is if eaten today. Same with grilled cheese...better then than now.

I'll agree with you about the Kraft Mac & Cheese (although honestly, I was never a fan, not even as a kid), but I'll strongly disagree about the grilled cheese sandwich.

When properly made, they were, and are, and will always remain, ambrosial.

[Darienne]

I think that the principle holds though. My memory of kraft Mac and cheese is better than the product is if eaten today. Same with grilled cheese...better then than now.

I'll agree with you about the Kraft Mac & Cheese (although honestly, I was never a fan, not even as a kid), but I'll strongly disagree about the grilled cheese sandwich.

When properly made, they were, and are, and will always remain, ambrosial.

Ditto for grilled cheese sandwiches. We have them once a week and I still love them as I did when a child. And I still like to have mine cut into 'boats'.

[lindag]

When I was working in an office with about 30 people in my particular department nothing struck terror in my heart more than the word "potluck"!

Egad, what dreadful concoctions people could come up with. And, do I really want to eat something that that person made?

Examples: One woman had admitted that she had slugs in her kitchen???? Acckkkkkkkkk!

One obnoxious yutz invariably showed up (if he brought anything) with an opened bag of partially consumed potato chips.

One would bring dip - now I don't know about you, but I don't usually eat dip for lunch.

Oh yeah, and the guy who brought the potato chips was the same one liked to eat as much as possible because, after all, it was free!

A couple of people always showed up but forgot to bring a contribution.

I stopped going to those things. A lot less aggravation.

[SylviaLovegren]

When I was working in an office with about 30 people in my particular department nothing struck terror in my heart more than the word "potluck"!

Egad, what dreadful concoctions people could come up with. And, do I really want to eat something that that person made?

Examples: One woman had admitted that she had slugs in her kitchen???? Acckkkkkkkkk!

One obnoxious yutz invariably showed up (if he brought anything) with an opened bag of partially consumed potato chips.

One would bring dip - now I don't know about you, but I don't usually eat dip for lunch.

Oh yeah, and the guy who brought the potato chips was the same one liked to eat as much as possible because, after all, it was free!

A couple of people always showed up but forgot to bring a contribution.

I stopped going to those things. A lot less aggravation.

One of my dad's favorite stories was about a woman who brought her "famous canned green beans" to a potluck. The secret of their great flavor, she explained to my horrified father, was that she didn't boil them nearly as long as the recipe called for because all that worry about botulism was just silly. Dad said he got a couple of "gals" to keep the woman busy while he boiled the beans in an open container for 15 minutes...and then spread the word for no one to eat them anyway.

[judiu]

Went to the grand opening party for the new social quarters of our fraternal organization yesterday, complete with pot luck dinner. It was great! The f.o. supplied the meat, pork butts and chicken done low and slow over the bbq. Meats were seasoned well, but not hot and sauce was served on the side. Beautiful bark and smoke ring on the pork! People brought all sorts of sides, which ranged from decent to amazing. Baked mac and cheese was good, creamy cukes with onions were excellent, if just a touch sweet for my taste, baked pasta and brocolli with a ton of cheese (and NO cream soup) was great, and on and on. Yummy, all across the board. Ya just gotta know your cooks! 7 One of our dearest members can burn water, so she'll bring bought, but very good, cheesecake. Another one, however, who is obsessed with weight loss, would make the most g-d awful messes from a sugar free cookbook (and no, it does NOT taste 'just like sugar')while we in the know steered folks away. Bless her heart, she's moved up north now...

[janeer]

Went to the grand opening party for the new social quarters of our fraternal organization yesterday, complete with pot luck dinner. It was great! The f.o. supplied the meat, pork butts and chicken done low and slow over the bbq. Meats were seasoned well, but not hot and sauce was served on the side. Beautiful bark and smoke ring on the pork! People brought all sorts of sides, which ranged from decent to amazing. Baked mac and cheese was good, creamy cukes with onions were excellent, if just a touch sweet for my taste, baked pasta and brocolli with a ton of cheese (and NO cream soup) was great, and on and on. Yummy, all across the board. Ya just gotta know your cooks!

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about; you just gotta hang with the right people.

[Baselerd]

Gabrielle Hamilton sounds like she's not much fun in a pot luck party.

Obviously a pot luck is first and foremost a social event. I think anyone who resents their friends' poor cooking at pot luck events had missed the point...