I Love Potlucks

I love potlucks. Even the word is cheerful. Seems to recall to mind leprechauns and rainbows and something special in a pot. Or is that just me?

Handy Wikipedia tells me that the word "potluck" does not derive from the Native American potlatch but appeared in print as early as 1592 in England and meant serving whatever you find to guests (I abbreviate the article.) That doesn't sound so lucky.

I'm not sure when I first went to a potluck. We didn't go to church when I was growing up so I have no fond memories of church suppers. We had family gatherings, usually around 4th of July and at Christmas, and everyone took something but no one called it a potluck. I think I first remember a true potluck when DP was invited to one when we were living in separate states. She told me then, and I remember it everytime we go now, that lesbians are into potlucks. Something about the equality of it all. So, she called me to ask what in the world she could take. I suggested a Toll House Pie. Easy. Cheap. Chocoloate. Over a series of days and phone calls, I got her the recipe and the list of ingredients--we were in love so why email when you could talk on the phone? We could pay off our mortgage with what we spent on phone calls then!--and talked to her while it baked. And then talked her down when the smoke alarm went off. What could've happened? I failed to mention she should put the pie on a cookie sheet, thinking she knew that. But of course, this was her first foray into baking and she had no clue. Nor did she have a cookie sheet. All's well that ends well. They liked her pie.

Now I go to potlucks quite regularly. Church, playgroup, neighborhood gatherings. I used to always take dessert--Mexican Chocolate Sheet Cake, some kind of bundt cake, always chocolate, rarely cookies. Now, with the kids' allergies and my being on Weight Watchers (more on that if I have time in another post), I take fruit salad a lot. But I'd love to have a signature dish that everyone always expects and raves about. Like my friend J's cornbread that she serves with peach jam. Out of this world! We moms dig in like we've never eaten when she brings that over. And T's baked good! Very exciting when she goes to playgroup. People at church vary it just enough that I never know what we'll be eating. There will be vegetarian dishes, gluten-free dishes, and the marvelous baked good of Miss L, but it's never exactly the same.

Which is what I love. I love trying new dishes, especially dishes that people are proud enough of (or competent enough to cook) to bring to share. Sometimes it's the very standard cream cheese/salsa/cheese bean dip; other times--like church today--it's something that tastes good but is almost impossible to identify exactly (was it pumpkin or squash mixed with yogurt or sour cream or whipped cream to make that dip that might have had some sugar or some curry? My palate is just not that developed). Of course, there's always a slight fear about the cleanliness of thy neighbor's kitchen or their standards of quality. But I haven't gotten sick yet. Then there's the "that wasn't what I thought it was going to be" knee-jerk reaction when the orange stuff is curry pumpkin dip for veggies and not pumpkin pie dip for fruit. Ugh. It is the surprise factor of potlucks that make it hard to take the kiddos--you just can't be sure what's in a dish if you didn't make it. So, this week found me hovering over the table with a tasting fork asking passers-by if they made the dressing and what's in it. Luckily, everyone knows why I'm asking.

Potlucks do drive me nuts, in one respect, though. I always want the recipes. And I don't always get them. Take for instance a funeral supper we went to this year--amazing almond bar cookies--but despite asking practically everyone (not at the actual funeral but later), I have never found who made them or how. Sometimes, people do promise me the recipe and never follow through. I only feel comfortable bugging someone for a recipe so many times. And sometimes, of course, there is no recipe, like Mr. K's chicken and rice curry bake that he described to me in theory but which I'm not sure I can reproduce. Happily, I do often come away with a recipe. And of course I always share them (see below for Toll House Pie and the sweet potatoes I made this week for playgroup).

Tis the season for potlucking. I have several more and can't wait. But please, if you read this, bring along the recipe!

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Toll House Pie


½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
½ cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
2 beaten eggs
2 sticks hot melted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into unbacked pie shell. Bake 45 minutes at 350°F. Top with Cool Whip when serving.

Mexican Chocolate Sheet Cake


1 stick margarine or butter
½ cup vegetable oil
2-1oz. squares unsweetened chocolate or 6 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
½ cup buttermilk or sour milk (to sour regular milk, place 1 2/2 teaspoons white vinegar in ½ cups measure, fill with milk)
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine margarine, oil, chocolate and water in a saucepan and heat until chocolate is melted. Combine flour, baking soda, sugar, milk, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla in a large bowl, then blend with first mixture. Pour batter into a greased 12 x 18 sheet cake pan and bake 20-25 minutes or until cake is down (top springs back when touched lightly). Leave cake in pan and frost with Mexican Chocolate Icing while cake is still warm.

Mexican Chocolate Icing

1 stick margarine or butter
2-1 oz. squares unsweetened chocolate (or 6 tablespoons cocoa plus 2 tablespoons
of margarine or butter)
6 tablespoons milk
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup chopped pecans

Combine margarine, chocolate, and milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbles form around the edge. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar, a little at a time (this is important). Stir in vanilla and pecans. Beat to a spreading consistency. Spread warm icing on warm cake.
Mom

Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

Yams
No holiday is complete without these. The browning of the marshmallows was always my job. I only found out when I went to make my own Thanksgiving meal in 1997 that Mom always doubled the recipe so I would have enough for leftovers! This is the pre-doubled version.

29 oz. can yams, drained
4 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
orange juice

Bake at 375°F. Add marshmallows to brown.

Mom