I have been to hundreds of potlucks, the vast majority really good. The oddball was the one where the total dishes consisted of creamed mushrooms and potato chips.
One elderly lady calmly filled her plate with potato chips and ladled creamed mushrooms over the top, proceeding to cut neatly with knife and fork and proclaiming it "quite tasty."

Bobby, as another Virgo my advice is to skip pot lucks. That's what I do.

Ann

I don't have any Potluck nightmares, but I can help you with your hangover.........go stick your head in the "refrigerator" LOL Just kidding!!! I think I spelled it right!!! Diana55

I'm another one who doesn't care how many salads or how few desserts or whatever is at a potluck. (shrug) I eat whatever is there.

The office potlucks are in the "sucks" category. My receptionist doesn't cook at all, she only wants to bring chips. Another young male lawyer will bring the drinks, which is OK by me. Only me, the boss and one secretary will cook anything, everyone else brings pickles or salsa or cookies from the grocery store. Ah well, it's only one lunch so I still don't care.

Community potlucks are usually exceptional. Doris will bring her homemade rolls, she's "famous" for them. Lorraine will bring the world's best homemade macaroni and cheese and I don't even like macaroni and cheese. Eileen will bring soft, puffy date filled cookies, Annette will bring fried chicken. It's all good, but everyone knows what everyone else's "speciality" is so it's not exactly "potluck". I'm the wild card, no one knows what I might decide to bring!

As for the company, I seem to find something to talk about with everyone I meet or know. It's a small town, you know?

Annie

Pot lucks aren't big in my circle. My synagogue and my kids' school won't have them because of kosher issues, and my friends aren't the pot luck types. DH's office has a lot of social gatherings, but wisely, they wouldn't trust any of their employees to cook!

My only pot luck experience was with my kids' preschool where there was a yearly picnic pot luck. Very organized, with lastnames A-K bringing salads, etc... There were usually one or two good things, the rest were many of the pathetic offerings mentioned above. I always packed my kids a separate lunch, just in case.

Bobby, how do you know these people? Is this your apartment complex? If it is, I'd make the effort, just so that your neighbors know what a kind and trustworthy person you are. It's always nice to be on good terms with neighbors.

I used to like potlucks when I worked in an office. Sometimes they were duds, but at least you didn't have to worry about lunch on that day...and could graze at will....I sort of miss that working alone at home. But, yeah, there were duds. One of my co-workers always made her 'famous' tuna salad. Yuccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkk! I am fussy about a lot of things, particularly tuna. This tasted like what I would imagine cat food to taste like. Had to be the cheapest 29 cents a can tuna! I have to have the albacore and even then not all albacore is the same.

And another Virgo has spoken!

Duane

Growing up I loved pot luck dinners, especially Wed. night at church. There would be half a dozen or more bowls of potato salad. I would sample a little bit of each one, then go back for a larger helping from the best one.

Family reunion pot lucks were always to die for: everything homemade and each cook made her specialty whether it was corn fritters, chocolate pound cake, meatloaf, or fried chicken. There would be a large table just groaning with desserts: cakes, pies, banana pudding, cupcakes, brownies, all kinds of cookies, homemade ice cream, and watermelons chilled in the creek.

At work, in the last department I was in, we would have pot luck breakfast close to the holiday. Although they always asked me to fix a breakfast casserole from scratch, others would bring a box of donuts, a jar of pickles, or a bag of chips.....for breakfast? Yes....I got POed about that more than once. I'm glad I'm out of that dept. now and in HR where people actually fix things from scratch.

I agree with AM to attempt a neighborly, friendly attitude with these people if they are part of your apartment complex. You don't have to spend lots of time with them, just little kindnesses and a short chat now and then with any you meet will be noticed and appreciated.

"Want to run that by this Virgo again please"

that was funny !! I'm surrounded by virgos so I understand very well.

If you want a really well organized pot luck.....just appoint a Virgo to be in charge. ;o)

Teresa...also a Virgo

My DH belongs to the Sons of the Legion. They have monthly pot lucks during the winter. Some friends that used to belong moved away, so we don't go anymore. One of the most fun things for me was figuring out what to make. What I did realize is that most people didn't cook. They grabbed cookies or macaroni salad at the grocery store on their way out the door. No thought, no consideration. Just the fastest way out.(I'm glad we don't go anymore.)

The Potluck Pooper

I have many potluck horror stories. When we lived in PA we used to go to a potluck for the volunteer ambulance dept (DH was a volunteer). I quickly learned to bring a casserole that would be a complete meal for DH and I. I still remember one person raving about the others green bean casserole and then asking for the recipe.

Then there was the one I ranted about here last year. I brought Panzanella Salad (tomato and bread). One of the other guests seemed to really like it, however she only took the tomatoes, rudely picking them out and leaving the bread behind. She did this THREE times. Another friend said she thinks she is on low carb or something. Well for me that does not make it less rude. This is a potluck group that meets monthly and when there is not enough of a meal they order pizza.

The best potluck I have ever been to was last spring at Sebastian's elementary school. They have a multi cultural dinner. Well we are a refuge resettlement community and so there were some amazing Somali, Vietnamese, Bosnian etc dishes. Soon we will have Barundi as well. I brought a quiche made with local ingredients (ramps and goat cheese). I hope it was good as it was a new recipe for me and I never saw it.

I actually love pot lucks, sometimes I even think of them as a competition. I love when my dish gets the most oohs and ah's.

Can somebody please share Terri's honey wheat bread recipe?

-Robin

This Leo doesn't DO pot lucks....and on the few occasions when it can't be helped, I make sure that I bring something I like and that will serve as a meal for me if there isn't anything else edible there.
The huge problem is church potlucks...everything has to be on hold while the service is going on....or be a cold dish. That makes for a lot of jello salad, or casseroles using a can of soup and dried out in the oven for an hour....or overcooked greasy crock-pot meatballs.
Blech!...Devilled eggs, or home made rolls, pasta salad with chicken ..or bread and dessert are some of my favorites.
Too bad Bobby, I could have been very with carrot cake and your honey wheat bread.
Linda C

Bobby, Bobby, Bobby--Sorry you had such a disappointing time! Still, it's good you went and made nicey nice to people...it's good to get to know your neighbors, even if there's just surface greetings for now.

Here's my potluck stories--followed by hangover info:
Story #1:
Years ago, we had a department pot luck at school, the theme being to bring something from your cultural background or something special (we had Bon Appetit and Gourmet and other same type magazines available for people to use).

One of the preg staff members was talking and said that the smell of seafood makes her so sick! Then, someone brought out their pot luck contribution--surimi (fake crab) on crackers, and the preg woman perked up and said "Oh, is that crab??" and proceeded to hoover it down.

Same pot luck--the story continues. The same preg woman brought a hollowed out a bell pepper and poured in bottled ranch dressing, and had asst veggies for dipping. Guess she thought that was special.

I learned to bring what I wanted to eat, because it was likely that others would bring something that I thought was lamelike a hollowed out bell pepper with ranch dressing, KFC chicken, yellow brand macaroni salad, or chips and more chips, cold pizza that was ordered the night before, or my sister's and my fave (NOT) Stella DÂOro cookies (can you say so dry you have to dip them in wine or something!?).

Okay, if someone is on a tight budget, I understand, but good golly miss molly! I never thought I was a food snob, but I guess I'm a pot luck snob! LOLAM

Potluck Story #2:
At a Xmas potluck, someone made a beautiful looking Chocolate torte, everyone wanted a piece but there was only one torte (the choc torte person might have made two or three, it went that fast and the staff numbered over 100 people) because it looked so stunning!). It went fast, but some folks were soooo full that they did NOT eat it! They left their pieces of the torte, untouched, on their plate! I was aghast! I wanted a piece! LOL

Story #3
My book club and it's once-a-month hors d'o(bad spelling them French words!) pot lucksÂmostly retired folks (I'm still working), we go by last names to rotate bringing hors dÂo. Well, except for me and a girlfriend, everyone brought store- bought stuff. In a group of about 30 people, there has to be more than 2 people who cook, donÂt you think? Sorry, but a jar of Kalamata olives or a jar of cornichons just doesnÂt cut it for me at a monthly meeting! Assorted crackers with nothing to put on them doesn't cut it either. Some folks pick up stuff from Costco, which is not too bad when all you have are crackers, olives and pickles. Mostly, though, it's very disappointing.

Story # 4
I've been to waaaay too many pot lucks where people sign up for one thing and decide to bring whatÂs convenient. I hate when they bring a bucket of fried chicken from the colonel. Yuck.

Now, the important info!
HangoverÂfor each beer or whatever you drink, have an 8 oz glass of water. If you donÂt do the booze plus water method, then do thisÂwhen youÂre done with the booze for the evening, have a big glass of water. Before going to bed, have another (yeah, youÂll have to get up and use the bathroom, but itÂll help with the hangover). When you get up to use the bathroom, have another glass of water and a couple of aspirins.

Smiles,
Sooz

Thanks for all the responses. The group was just a bunch of gay people that live in my town (not apartment complex... they all OWN beautiful homes and RV's) that I met online. They usually go to restaurants. I can see why after having been to their pot luck. In their defense, it was their first pot luck as a group. However, they are all old enough to have been to a pot luck or two at some point! I may go back to a restaurant with the same group... See how I feel in 4 Thursdays! They invited me to their church, but I usually work on Sunday.

Thanks for the hangover info... I do that about once every 6 months to remind myself I'm human... I feel terrible the next day every time! I did drink water, but I was hoping for a more creative response. I thought someone might suggest something red with raw eggs and coffee or some other homespun old wive's tale!

The group was just a bunch of gay people that live in my town
this just cracks me up..

must find new batteries for key board and finish my response... running to store..

another virgo chiming in--i had no idea i was supposed to be organized! i work like a dog to be organized at the office (or i'd never survive the job!) but guess i use up my allotment there because there's not a bit of organization in my home life :)

i'm sorry it was such a bust for you, bobby--that's really too bad! my office has a potluck 3 or 4 times a year and that is also what we do for our christmas party. and maybe because of that annual event, our pot lucks have always had a decent selection of foods to eat, even if the holiday one is pretty heavy on desserts (there are a couple of really terrific bakers in my office!). as others have mentioned, we have a sign up sheet and while some people write a specific dish, most just write in main course dish, green salad, starch dish or something like that. and some don't cook but in feeding a group of 30+, you do need paper supplies and soda and that sort of thing...and yes, some make more of an effort than others but I'VE never walked away hungry! i actually look forward to them. i wish we had an oven (i have no idea how to make good use of a microwave) but we do have a 2-burner cooktop and lots of us use crockpots--it's sort of a challenge to bring something "good", you know? anyway, i hope there is another down the road for you and that you enjoy it more, all the way around. and heck--you probably walked away as the favored chef of the evening--not too bad for the new kid on the block!

Bobby, I'm sorry it was a bust for you. Since you were the only single one there I would encourage you to go again in four weeks... you never know who might show up when he hears you are coming, now that the initial contact has been made. I've attended my share of gay events and food isn't the priority as a rule. My partner was the head of the HIV clinic for a while and we were invited to many gatherings, Gay Pride picnic's etc... fun group but even those that cooked well at home didn't waste it on a potluck. get my drift????

So just go and be social, save the cooking for someone that appreciates it.

Nancy

Okay sorry, Bobby..didn't mean to make a comment and then run..my wireless keyboard was in desperate need of new juice.
All better now...

okay what cracks me up about that line..is that it could be any "type" of group and be a bomb..

Nancy has excellant advice.

We actually had a spectacular pot luck at work a few weeks ago. I was shocked because it was the brainstorm of a manager that's big on trying to raise morale with things like mandatory wacky hat day (I'm not kidding, if you don't show up with a hat of your own one will be assigned to you...my favorite was the bald guy sporting a fur pillbox like a bad toupee). Thankfully our little office is far, far away from the others so we're not subjected to the enforced joviality. But we're always "invited' to join in. Well this time it was International Day & everyone was invited to bring one of their favorite dishes from their own ethnicity (apparantly you couldn't choose an ethnicity, it had to be yours).

Mind you there was a sign up list and several people brought store bought things but the spread was fantastic and the food was really, really amazing. Everyone had to provide a description of what was in their dish in case of allergies or aversions. It was impossible to try everything, even with just a taste of each. And since we've got such a variety of ethnic backgrounds here it was a great opportunity to try things you might not ordinarily come across.

We made sure not to double up- being Italian I skipped the usual baked ziti or eggplant parm & made Pandoro (which I cut into slices, though I didn't want to ruin it's pretty star shape). Everything from Bajan cod cakes to Bahamanian coleslaw to sorrell tea to mussels marinara to spotted dick with custard sauce, Haitan roast pork, pierogies and "real' keilbasa, empanadas, trifle...it was amazing.

And the funny thing is, everyone's asking when we can do it again. The gauntlet has been dropped and people are dying to show off.

Since this was pretty much my first potluck I was stunned. And stuffed!

Nina

Am I the only one that brings a dish of every type to a potluck? An entree, a side dish, a dessert, and maybe a bread too? My mother always told me to make enough to feed yourself and your family (and maybe more) and if everyone else does the same you'll never run out of food and you'll always have a good variety. So we've always done that and had plenty at our family potlucks. :) besides that means there's more desserts to try.

But I do have to say that I hate it when someone brings a storebought item. Rarely happens and usually only when someone didn't have access to their kitchen or only found out at the last minute they could come. Still, homemade always tastes better. What's the point of going to a potluck if the food comes from a store and is something you could have bought yourself and eaten at home?

hettar7..that's basically what I do too..my family is spoiled and picky..so I make sure they have something to eat, just in case....

My family regularly does potlucks for every occasion, but we're all avid cooks and live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where you can get everything possible to make anything. We first do a round-robin email of "what're you making?" "okay, if you're making 'a' then I'll make 'b'" "hey, somebody needs to make 'c'" "well, I'll do 'c' if somebody else does 'd'."

We pick different themes and hate repeating ourselves. My DH's family is occasionally invited and is flabbergasted at how much work we put into it, how much food we make, and how good the food is. Woohoo! Thanksgiving's coming..............

We agreed to host a synagogue potluck at our home. The invitation came today with RSVP instructions to contact us, and that "assignments will be made when you call."

Surprise to me! And I have already gotten one response asking what to bring.

I don't know, I really haven't had problems with too much overlap/gap when no one assigns anything. I don't care if there are a lot of one category and not much of another. I am happy to eat all salads or all desserts. (But then, I'm not a Virgo!)

So what should I do? Here are the three ideas I am considering:
1) Tell people to bring whatever they enjoy making most, and we'll see what we get
2) Tell people with the initial A-H, say, salad or appetizer, I-R main dish, and S-Z dessert -- oops, I'd better reorgainize that to include soda, but you get the idea
3) Just tell people whatever I feel like telling them when they call to keep it balanced (and to assign the non-cooks soda, chips, etc.)

and one more option:
Make the guy who did the invitation figure it out.

I like pot lucks and like others, I'll bring something I know I'll eat in case the rest is yucky.

My biggest pet peeves currently: We have a few pot lucks a year at my office. There is one woman who is always gung-ho about these things, giving suggestions, recommendations etc. and NEVER brings anything. Other people haven't noticed this, but I have. She's also one of those people who will talk up a storm about visiting someone when their sick, in the hospital, needs help etc., but never actually goes to visit or helps out.

My other idiosyncracy is being picky about food depending on the person who is making it. There are a few people in my office who, shall I say, don't have the best hygiene, or brag on about their 9 dogs and 8 cats (who live in the house with them). I usually stay away from their dishes.

Sigh. Another anal Virgo here too!

How many Virgos do we have on the CF anyway?

Gell~I always liked the one where they say what is your specialty, and then make notes about what they say they'll bring..then you'll get a feel for what people want to bring, and then as you make your way down the list, you'll be able to have "undecideds" get a suggestion of what's still needed.

I don't mind the alphabet thing either..in that case I'll make what ever category I'm assigned and something in my "specialty" category as well. I never just bring one dish.

gardengrl~I think alot..I'm a Cancer as is my hubby..and we have a house of Taurus boys..LOL So I know nothing but crabby and bull headed..tee hee

Aquarius chiming in...Eat before you go and then be happy if there is a good dessert to snack on. There's always wine to be had (at least with my crowd). Same advice applied to our Passover seders at my aunts house.
Jo

terri, that is a perfect idea. Thank you.

Gellchom, I would also say to ask people what their specialty is. Then you get the best from everyone, and people aren't told what to do. I also like your last option!

Gardengrl... Thanks for saying what you did. I also wanted to say that, but I forgot in the original post. When I worked at Sears there was a lady there named Jeanie. She was a chain smoker, always had BO, had yellow teeth, and was always sick. EVERYONE who worked there watched to see what she brought in when we had pot lucks. It was usually the only thing left with only one serving taken out of it. She ate whatever it was herself... anyone who knew she made it wouldn't go near it. I REALLY wish I knew who made what at every pot luck, because it would give me an idea of the risk I was taking by consuming it.

Bobby, I'm sorry that you had such a bad time, but I have to say it's certainly a funny story as are many of the others.

Virgo me says she always zeros in on the best looking mac and cheese and then the lushest dessert. We go to some church related ones and I figure there will always be some Colonel chicken which I never buy to be a 'treat' for me, not my arteries.

I think it depends on where you live, and the ages of the people. I'd rather have a bought something than a jello-mayonnaise salad. Gag me first.

When we had them at work, the food was pretty darn good but the average worker was on the dark side of her 50s and had usually raised a family so ... And people did sign up with their dish and it was kind of a time to shine publicly.

I mostly hated it when a 20something said...Oh I don't cook. Well the mean-spirted me wanted to say...Well, then don't eat. But we usually suggested they bring some soft drinks and were glad if we got 1 liter.

Can you imagine if it were ONLY Virgos involved? We'd have so many rules, we'd never get round to cooking and eating!!! :-) Maureen

I don't recall ever being to a really bad pot luck...some better than others, for sure. Lots of dishes not to my taste, for sure, but they work for others and I am but one.

We had some amazing pot lucks at the office. Many of the young guys were Chinese and not cooks! They would go together and buy some of the most amazing dim sum and other Chinese dishes from their favourite Chinese restaurants. Oh my, I loved those dishes better than some of the best covered dishes.

We always posted a sign up list. No one was assigned anything but you could see from the list who was bringing what and adjust accordingly.

The hard core "I don't cook" folk brought the paper plates and napkins etc...that is a necessary contribution and should not be looked down on.

Honestly, I love pot lucks no matter what. It levels us, and brings us to a common place, not much at all to do with the food....and that is a good thing.

I love love love potlucks! I can't even count I've attended over the years. I'm a picky eater, so the appeal to me as a kid was having a whole table full of food to choose from. As an adult, the appeal is more the social aspect. I went to a moms and teachers potluck last week and I must say, the food was pretty good, although we were strangely lacking in desserts. Assignments were based on the first letter of your last night, which relegated me to drinks. I would have preferred to cook but I ended up making a pitcher of fruit tea which went over well.

Bobby, my advice to you would be to go in with the attitude you are there for the company more than the food! And enjoy being the cooking rock star of the group!

Tracey

When my daylily club meets in Dec we have a potluck dinner before our business of the club. The club itself will pay for a ham or a turkey and we all bring a dish of sides and desserts. It has worked out so well for us that we do it every year and have never had a problem yet. We take in to account if our fellow club members have problems with certain foods that they can or can't eat. We start by getting a list started to say who will bring what to the Dec meeting. and it goes from there.

I also don't see what's so terrible about bringing a purchased item to a potluck -- certainly if the person can't cook, it's a GREAT idea!

I, too, would have been really glad to see that purchased dim sum. Ditto a loaf of bread or a cake from a wonderful bakery, etc. It's a potluck, not a cooking contest.

And it certainly is true that someone has to bring drinks and perhaps paper goods.

Don't even get me started LOL.

I don't mind store bought either, really. Although plunking down three cans of corn is not exactly what was in mind - tee hee! If the item is good, it doesn't matter where it came from. Costco has many nice things, be they frozen appetizers or veggie platters. I don't have a problem with stuff like that. Nor the bucket of chicken or the pizza from takeout. Just make sure there is enough to go around is my feeling.

If a person brings store bought cole slaw because they genuinely like it and feel it is better than what they can make, cheers. If the same person grabs a tub of green mush because they HAD to bring something, then I feel that vibe comes through to the whole evening.

I have had a wonderful time at a potluck where the closest thing to real food were the tortilla rolls up that I brought. We had an excellent time. People WANTED to be there, and while some brought chips and dip you can tell they wanted to share in everything.

I have also been to a potluck that was very well organized, the food was mostly scratch and high end for a potluck but the evening (and thus the meal) fizzled. People took their plates and ate in solitude and the evening just sucked.

It's the food and the spirit of the event that have to go together to make it fun.

I work with a woman who was deeply offended when she took an enormous roaster of fried squirrel to a family reunion and nobody touched it! She also brought the only chili to an office chili party and it was deer meat. Now, that's perfectly acceptable, even preferable to many, but for some people, they want to know, my husband being one of them. I'm not to ever bring up the subject of that chili party again.

I do think that's why the word "luck" - traditionally, it means everyone bring whatever and you hope you get lucky. But in reality, a little planning helps with a sign-up sheet.

The best potluck memories are from my childhood family reunions with over 150 in attendance. Table after table of everything you can think of. Old fashioned homemade cakes and pies, wonderful fried chicken (not in a bucket), multiple versions of potato salad, and deviled eggs galore. And someone definitely worked out the drinks. Ah, those were the days! 40 some years ago now!

Actually, I think what potluck -- perhaps it was "pot luck" -- originally meant was not a bring-a-dish meal, but having people over with the understanding that you weren't going to be preparing anything special; they should feel free to drop in and share a meal, but they would have to take "pot luck" -- i.e., whatever the family happened to have on hand and was eating that night.

But the meaning has certainly changed to the meaning we understand now.

It's like "carrot and stick" -- people say that as if it means a choice between incentives and threats. But I thought it used to mean a continuing incentive, as in a donkey driver holding a stick with a carrot dangling from a string just a bit ahead of the donkey's reach. Is that right? (Don't tell me this question is off topic; it has a carrot in it, doesn't it?)

The last potluck I went to (a couple of months ago) was organized by a French Chef, trained at Cordon Bleu in Paris, and who now teaches at California Culinary Academy (a branch of the Cordon Bleu). Most of the people in attendance were students of his or ex-students/friends. The chef is Algergian (from his parents, although he was born in France), and so he always brings an Algerian dish. There is an on-line sign-up sheet so that everyone can see what others are bring. I made a large Calzone, which turned out to be the only bread dish, and so it didn't matter that it came out with a thicker crust than I usually make. People used the ends of it to have with home-made goat cheese (which was excellent) that someone from Sonoma had brought. All of the food was so good that I had small samples of almost everything. One man brought Hibiscus tea, made from Hibiscus flowers that he had grown himself - it was unlike any Hibiscus tea I have ever had! The group posts its meetings at meetup.com - perhaps there are similar groups in your city.

I've had pretty good luck with potlucks in L.A. The ones we had at work were well organized, and there was such a cultural diversity among the employees that we got a very good sample of different cuisines. Being in a creative industry is helpful I think. DB works for Sony, and the parties there are catered by Wolfgang Puck's catering service, but the food at the potlucks I've been to are better, according to DB.

I used to belong to Great Outdoors L.A., a local camping group, and they always had a potluck for Saturday lunch on each outing. Some were quite good and some were repetitious, as they were true "Pot Lucks". One Cajun guy from Louisiana would bring Crawfish Etouffe, which was excellent, and another group would have high tea in a gazebo that they set up with candlelit hanging chandelier - a bit surreal out in the wilderness, but very nice.

My worst experience with a pot luck was in Austin when I first lived there (only for 8 months that time). Pot lucks were very popular in Austin, but the food was uniformly bad, as a rule. At the party in question, someone had brought lentil soup, which IMO is impossible to mess up, and so I mostly just ate that, while it was being ignored by most of the other people. About an hour later, I discovered that it had been "seasoned" with pot, and I began hallucinating (and craving more lentils). I felt like I was in the movie I love You Alice B. Toklas, which is a very funny movie, if you get the chance to see it. Part of it was filmed where I live now, in Venice.

Lars

Lars, that reminds me of a potluck I went to a couple of years ago. I was eating a brownie, and my eyebrows shot up: it was very spicy, like hot red peppers. Then I noticed something else -- I felt WONDERFUL. I was shocked, because there were kidz at this party. I asked the person I was talking to if he had tried these brownies, because ... well ... and he told me that his wife had made them, and they contained no pot, but rather "Endorphin Rush" hot sauce. A well-named product, in my opinion -- I had 2 more brownies, and the minute I got home, I got on line and ordered a bottle for myself and a few for gifts. I didn't know hot peppers can give you a rush! Not everyone had the endorphin rush, but most do, and I have to conclude I must not have been willing myself to do so, as I didn't even know to expect it when I ate the (first) brownie.

It is NOT a condiment -- you'd be in the emergency room if you put a couple of drops on a taco. There is a warning tag on the bottle to that effect. That guy at the party told me they dip a toothpick or chopstick into the bottle and then dip that into a big batch of brownie batter. That was enough to make those brownies very, very spicy (in addition to entertaining). I have had the same experience -- the tiniest bit makes a great big pot of chili VERY spicy.

I recommend this product ... highly.

Oh boy... that sounds like great fun! How long does the rush last? Would you use spinach brownies? I can't imagine spicy chocolate brownies!

Spicy chocolate is yummy -- think mole. I also like some spicy instant hot cocoa I got at Whole Foods. But if you don't like spicy chocolate, use the sauce in chili or anything else you like.

The rush only lasts a few minutes. It's a mild rush, but enough that I definitely noticed it even when I didn't know to expect it.

When my MIL used to make her yearly potluck at her campground, she would make a list of what people were bringing. She would tell you if someone else was bringing what you were bringing, so you had the chance to change it if you wanted to. Her rule was no more than 2 of the same dish (because of the number of people), and everyone was to bring their own plate and eating utensils. It worked out great!

Personally, I hate potlucks!

Bobby, Go back to bed for a hangover its the only way.
I never cut cakes either, but I will slice the pie so it doensnt get hacked and I cut bar cookies too.
My potluck rule for me is I bring something I/my family likes. Its easier to relax and visit when you are not starving. I always bring one of my best tasting dishes so everyone benefits.We arent picky eaters, but sometimes you have to wonder why people bring the dishes they do.
But sometimes a no list dinner works too. I prefer to decide on what veggie or dessert to bring on my own. I am currently assigned in a tailgate group as a vegetable and I hope they switch the alphabet soon so I get to bring a dessert!
A quilt group I used to belong to had a no list pot luck once a month and somehow it was always wonderful and we never had all brownies or all macaroni casseroles at the same dinner. I think it was because store bought dishes with this group just didnt happen.
BTW I have brunched at the IHOP there.. ummm pancakes.

I belonged to a pot luck monthly dinner club for about 12 years. There were 5 couples and we alternated so you had a month when you were host and 4 months off. The host provided the meat course and all drinks, alcoholic and otherwise, and the guests brought vegetables, salad, hors d'ouvres and dessert. And that also alternated.
It was very interesting because one gal didn't cook....at all! But was willing to learn....sow e had a few interesting things in the first few years...until she learned to read a recipe! LOL! When wew ent to their house, they almost always served steaks that he grilled ( and very well too I might add!) and hordouvres were things like a big bowl of shrimp, or a side of smoked salmon, sometimes some nice cheeses and deli spreads....but the vegetables and salads were the adventure!
Over the years we all learned some things. One gal never made desserts and had no idea how to make a pie or cake, but she learned that brownies and icecream were good as were fruits and bought pound cake. I am bad at veggies to take, I don't make veggie casseroles, but learned to take fresh veggies to be quickly steamed on site or a dish of veggies to be roasted.
But I have never liked no list potlucks. Years ago I hosted a lot of cast parties for the community theater. Very often there were 75 to 80 and once I counted 120 people....sitting on the stairs and standing anywhere they could find a square foot to stand in!
It was the custom for the host to order food and soft drinks and to tell everyone how much their share was and then everyone would bring something to share. The usual "cost" was about $5 per person...that covered drinks meat and buns for sandwiches. So I decided I could do better.....and made a gazillion buns with one other person's help and bought a ham and had it shaved and bought a big beef roast, cooked it and had it shaved and bought and roasted a turkey and had my DH carve it. And used my own plates and silverware. Costs for that amounted to about $1.50 per person. I counted on others to bring potato salad, and brownies and such....and got bags and bags of chips and commercial dip...
So the next time I made coleslaw.... and provided a sign up sheet for chips and dips, raw veggies, desserts and specified cookies or bars, potato salad and posted a category for "miscellaneous"....and some idiot brought a frozen pizza that had to be cooked, watched so it didn't burn and cut and served....and it only served 8!
I hate to be surprised when I am hosting a huge party.
Linda C

What can I say? I'm a Gemini and I LIKE the Colonel's chicken, as long as I peel the skin off. (grin) I think I'd love Chase's dim sum too.

An all dessert pot luck? OK, now that's my idea of heaven...

The only real problem I have with "non-cooks" is the one in my office that only brings soda but asks everyone else to make the things she likes. We draw names and take turns making birthday treats too, so when she gets mine I always ask for something like a 4 layer cake filled with homemade lemon curd and frosted with REAL whipped cream. Ahem. I usually get a lemon cake from a box, but once I got Oreos! LOL

Annie

Annie...remember the line about trying to get blood from a stone??? ahem.

4layer cake.! Girl..she must have wondered what the heck you meant! LOL.

I am one that loves potlucks.There are a lot of foods that I love and Rhiannon loves but DH and Peyton don't, plus I tend to make so much that we get tired of things quickly. I have noticed more and more store bought stuff at the school potlucks. I don't mind the store bought but a frozen pizza, Kraft mac and cheese and a package of olive loaf and loaf of bread don't cut it. In our group there are a lot more that aren't into cooking but without a KFC there are way too many chips and dip courses.

Stacie

At my sons elementary schools multi cultural dinner last year someone brought plain white rice. I think it was to go with their other dish. I was ecstatic however as it was just what Julian wanted. The school also orders a bunch of pizzas.

The pot luck group we belong to is all families and often someone brings mac and cheese, either Annie's or Kraft and it is a welcome sight.

-Robin

Now you know why they call it a potLUCK..... Not having much, if anything, in common with the others in attendance would tend to put a damper on things......

However, ever notice that stories we enjoy telling are situations that went right-rudder? If the potluck was fine & dandy you wouldn't have a story to share and entertain others with.... Two years hence you wouldn't even remember it but since it did go right-rudder you now have a story to put smiles on our faces and cause us to remember similar situations.... Now for my potluck stories.

My wife's cousin and his wife live in Canada and are snowbirds; fleeing south in their RV every winter to various RV sites in Texas, Arizona & California. They said many times they are invited to participate in a potluck. They make a casserole, or whatever, large enough to feed ten or more people. However, what often happens is many of these other retirees make a very tiny meal to share and there simply isn't enough to go around. Our cousins of course are very popular and are always invited to these gatherings. However, they've now had enough and no longer participate...

Our Bible study group has a potluck after we finish studying a book of the Bible. The book of Jude is one or our favorite's.......only 1 chapter :-) Several couples in this Bible study have been attending for over ten years. We tend to be creature of habit and pretty much know what the others are bringing. One lady loves salad; eats no red meat, and thus we can usually count on her to bring a green salad. A single guy who attends always brings a pie. A Cuban lady always brings a Cuban dish, more often that not, paella. Another lady tends to bring chicken. I bring either pulled pork or I will bring our deep fryer and I will cook breaded shrimp. The fetching Mrs. Mikey will often bake a cake to celebrate any birthdays that occurred since our last potluck. Then it's hit and miss relative to what the other people will bring, however, it's always a great time.

Oh, and remember how I said we tend to remember the disasters? Well the one Bible study potluck I remember was when we brought out a birthday cake for someone who had had a birthday. Numerous candles were lit and the cake was brought out to the birthday-girl who was sitting on the couch. After we finished singing Happy Birthday the cake was tilted slightly to enable her to blow out the candles and the entire cake slid off of the plate and onto her lap.... Ahh yes; memories....

If I was in your office, Annie, I'd make you that cake!
I've just remembered a work potluck of DH's (spouses were invited) where he warned me the hostess wasn't much of a cook. I think she made the potato salad :-P
I loooooooooooove potato salad. So when I saw the bowl on the buffet, I got a reasonable size serving. The first bite told me it had been made by someone who saw a picture of potato salad once but had never actually eaten it or seen it made. It tasted like unsalted potatoes drenched in plain heavy cream :-P. I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings so I ate it all but.........eeeew............

I think I've had that same potato salad, Colleen, lol.

My bunch is gifted when it comes to potlucks. We have a lot of potluck meetings at the library (that's how I get them to show up). There's usually no planning...at most I'll let them know I'm bringing a pot of soup or something and they build around that. It's always a well-balanced spread and there's always just enough. And, can these people cook! I'm trying to get them to let me do another fundraiser cookbook.