To me it means you can cook very well just about anything you want to fix and he will be happy with what ever you chose to bring.

Sue

I agree with Sue. He's trusting your judgment and knows that whatever you bring will be good.

Before you decide on your own, I would press for more information - how many people, is there anything your host abhors when it comes to food, does it have to be Kosher? And most important - what else is your host already cooking?

A category usually helps, but if it is a large gathering anything goes I suppose. I usually bring something we like, just in case the offerings are starchy and carb loaded. Fresh veg, charcuterie, red and green humus...fresh pickles...... if time, my go to?, fresh spring rolls. Travels well in the tiered stacking bamboo steamers.

If you have attended a similar gathering in the past you may have a hint what is usually lacking. Like our friends annual vegetarian chili party that no one cares for, lol. Has a ketchup tinned tomato not-cooked-enough flavor and big chunks of under cooked veg. For years we all met at a pub afterwords for burgers. Good party though. We all wondered why she did not make two chilis...since only a few cared for it...oh well.

I would bring a dish of scalloped potatoes and be done with it.

No, that's just it. I have not been to dinner there. Just big parties. I wouldn't worry for a big party buffet. It seems really weird to me to bring some random thing without knowing what's wanted or even what is being served. They do not keep kosher. I do know that there will be ten people total.

Maybe spiced nuts? Not exactly a "you're such a good cook" kind of thing, but not likely to interfere with the planned meal, or already be on the menu.

What do you think? Would that be a disappointment? Welcome? Neutral?

ETA: Linda, good suggestion, except there's likely to be potatoes on the menu already and this isn't a more starch please culture.

With that information, I would bring a dessert.

I saw the title, and wondered, Pillog is an experienced cook, what on earth could it be that she didn’t know what something in Cooking meant....and now I know! Except I don’t have any ideas either. Salad?

Thanks for the kind words, H B! I actually do come across cooking things I've never heard of, including here in the forum, but I also do know where to look them up.

Since my cousin is unreachable, I'm going to go with a combo of majority and what's easiest, and do the spiced nuts tonight. If I have time tomorrow, I'll make some sonhos--sort of a Portuguese cross between a sufganiya and churro.

ETA: Destiny. I have a couple of small boxes of pecan halves which were for something that was cancelled a couple of months ago. I opened one, and tasted a couple of pieces. They're moist and sweet, with no sign of rancidity. Proof! I'm going to do the honey chipotle recipe Party Music posted last year, easy on the chipotle in deference to the little kids.

Sounds delish -- if you'd care to share your recipe, my husband just asked if "we" were doing spiced pecans this year... ;-)

Make the sonhos if you can. It's more "cooking" and will be appreciated. The pecans are really easy and imo, won't be as appreciated from a cooks perspective.

I would still bring a dish of scalloped potatoes....if anyone said something like..."we already had potatoes on the menu"...then say, why didn't you tell me?...You said bring a dish....here's a dish..
I'm just being pissy...but makes me mad when someone says anything is fine....but then when you make "anything" it's not fine.

H B, they're Honey Chipotle Pecans from the linked thread. I've also made the spiced cashews, which were awesome.

Linda, I don't think they would say anything if I brought potatoes to potatoes, other than "thank-you", but I care. Though I'll draw the line at the appreciation of the cooking skill level that Bumblebeez pointed out. If you're (cousin) too busy to answer my question, I can be too busy to cook something fancier. :) But if I have time tomorrow to make the sonhos, I will, because they're delicious. And, while some people find pâte à choux a challenge, I grew up making it under the less intimidating name of "puffs" and it's no harder for me than pancake batter, so it's really the frying that makes it more of a thing than the nuts. The good news is that the package fairies brought the last minute gifts a day early, and they're already wrapped. :)

Never heard is Sonhos so googled. I don't think you can go wrong with such delicious mouthful. We have something similar here called chouquettes but they're baked. Yum.

http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_chouquettes_30622.aspx

I would take bread. That's what my grandmother always did, and they can either eat it or not eat it, and if they do not, you or they can use it for something else. Most people do not bake bread, and so it is appreciated when someone brings good fresh bread.

pllog,

I always take condiments:-) Sounds strange but I don't want to overshadow what the host set up so I always take a bunch of homemade hot sauces, peppers sauces and in this season Cranberry sauce or a relish. I am always surprised as to how well this goes over. I also like taking a salad.

Homepro, that's an interesting idea! I have to develop a recipe for my favorite honey habanero mustard that is no longer made. It would have worked with tonight's meal too.

So. I was sleep deprived Sunday and couldn't remember the names of people I've known for decades. Yesterday, still not enough sleep, more calls, meetings and things I was volunteered for. I did say no once. And let it go when the person who did the artwork made a hash of it. It doesn't matter. But the nuts were put off for safety reasons. I started making them as soon as I was up (still feeling run over, but did sleep well). But then the calls. So, I shifted to the sonhos, and was in the middle of measuring out the ingredients, with the oven on for the nuts, when an unplanned meeting popped up. At least that was here, even though it too ran over.

It's an hour before I'm supposed to leave and I'm thinking rest, shower, it's hot but the night will be cold, what do I wear?.... I didn't have time for even the nuts. Linda's "pissy" voice whispered in my ear, "take potatoes anyway..." Half hour latkes? Latkes don't take measurement. Even though they were likely to have latkes at the dinner, they
probably wouldn't have sweet potato latkes unless they were boughten.
Everybody loves sweet potato latkes. I had two smallish garnets, and a few fading but still fine scallions, and I have my new robot.

I love my new robot. Islay calls the food processor a "robot", presumably because of the French FP company Robot Coupe. Mine is Australian. Breville. But it deserves the title, though I don't know if it knows the three laws, or the zeroth law. It's really not that smart, but such a good worker! I learned about it in the Appliances Forum, and mentioned it here once before.

I LOVE my new robot. It PEELS. Fwoam fwoam fwoam, the sweet potatoes were cut into peelable chunks. Two batches with the peeling disk, 25 seconds each, and about ten seconds of clean-up of the concave bits with a knife. That's a minute, or so. Schnarf schnarf schnarf the chucks go through the large grater in two batches in the enormous feed tube. So much less on and offing with the new robot. A couple eggs, S&P, a couple scallions (okay, I used a knife to cut them) and a small handful of flour, and into the frying pan. Drained and into the container, about 35 minutes start to finish, showered and dressed, with accessories, in the allotted hour.

So I'm checking the address on my way out the door, and there's a reply, finally, that my cousin had sent this afternoon. Something like bring anything if it's amazing, otherwise don't [put yourself to the] bother. (No category. Too bad. They're made.) Oh, and, come half an hour later than planned. LOL! Good thing I checked my e-mail!

They did have white potato latkes for the dinner, but were thrilled to have the sweet potato, homemade ones. We were waiting for a few guests who were stuck in traffic, and since my latkes were still warm, they were clamoring for "latke appetizers" and the kids, who were hungry were going through them until their mom stopped them.

I feel like I should say "mischief managed". I am not usually a speedy cook. The kitchen is a mess, though, as always, I washed the knives. Everything else was rinsed and stacked in the sink, and I'll clean at leisure tomorrow. No meetings that I know of. Just a repairman, who will be quick, and lots of wrapping. Half hour latkes. LOVE the new robot! BTW, it also dices. Really. It's called Breville Peel & Dice, and it peels and it dices, and it has an adjustable slicer which I haven't tried yet, and a whipper, and two sizes of julienne, and a smaller but tall insert bowl for small tasks. I bought it for myself as an early Hanukkah present (a lot of the nice things in my kitchen were real gifts but I didn't want to wait and annoy Santa by sitting on his knee and whispering in his ear). I LOVE MY ROBOT!!!

Well, I'm flag waving and yelling BRAVO for getting everything done lol

I love sweet potato latkes! (So much more enjoyable than nuts.) Glad it worked out, and they became a welcomed appetizer. Wish he'd been able to get back to you sooner, though.

That robot sounds great! I must look into this.

I wonder if 'latkes recipes' was the #1 google search yesterday. I was looking for one I made last year. It did have sweet potato and something else besides onion. Some spice...cardamon?...anywho, I was going to suggest a different latke besides white potato. : )

Breville makes such good appliances. Did not know about that one. I thought how perfect if it came with different sizes of the dice cut....and it does! If you register soon via Breville, they will send the 2 other sizes free. ! (hopefully without a catch adding shipping and handling). One of the reviewers on Amazon posted that tip.

I think there are only a few days left for the offer. I haven't received my free extra dicing kits yet. That offer was what put me over the edge of "I want it now", but I'm willing to be patient to get them. I contacted the customer service department. Just registering, even though the page is called "free dicing kit" may not be sufficient according to some rumors. They've been out of stock, and that might be the root of the rumor, but at least they sent an e-mail saying so after I'd called and the CS man said he'd get after it.

The design of the Breville Peel & Dice is wonderful, and it's very sturdy. It's pricey and takes up a lot of space, but it's worth it. It fulfills the promise my Cuisinart never quite lived up to. It doesn't have the rasp disk, however, so I'm keeping the old Cuisinart tucked away for grating parmesan and similar. The Breville is designed like they wanted to make the very best FP they could--including cleaning tools, and labels on all the pieces and where they go in the (very large) storage box. There's also an internal spindle so there's no hole in the center! And a pour spout!--instead of being designed like the cheapest and easiest to transport/warehouse.

Sleevendog, I'd bet you're right about the search priority. :) I've made these same sweet potato latkes before. Too easy for words, even without the time saving FP, when you're only making 1.5 dozen (first time doing that for me!). :) Last year, I made the best sweet potato latkes, with roasted red onion, but that is not fast!

The trick with spices is making sure they don't get scorched while frying, and that they don't become cloying with the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Cardamom sounds like a good choice. Just mill some (or use the powdered kind) and throw some in. :)

I understand the temptation. A couple of weeks ago I came across a Kenwood mixer with a ton of attachments, on special offer AND it's red so it had to come home with me. I love it.

Plllog,

I am glad you took latkes and they were enjoyed. Now, your shameless advertising for Breville must stop:-) I have a small appliance wasteland in my attic and I refuse to click on any of your links!!!!!

LOL!! But it dices! You don't know how long I've been waiting for something that dices! Ever since Ron Popeil came out with that guillotine (okay, not that long--I think it was already a well established product when I first saw the ad as a little kid)--It slices! It dices!--I've wanted something (besides a not always reliable to be within distance of the press gang teenager) that would do that without needing the kind of brute strength that sharp knives were invented to replace.

It's okay if you don't click. I didn't actually put in any links. :) I'm not that cruel. :)

Plllog,

Someone posted a link:-) I am glad it dices. I really enjoying chopping and slicing veggies. I think it is getting all my frustrations out after work!! I have a grater for the latkes and the japanese mandoline too!

I enjoy chopping too.... unless it's 3 dozen for sit down and I have no help... For me, using a machine is a trade off between time and washing up water. :)

Well....that sounds better than a dish of scalloped potatoes!!...And be prepared...you will be asked again and again for "your wonderful sweet potato latkes".

This thread is a riot! I'm so glad your latkes were such a hit, Plllog! I made some last year with white and sweet combined. You put me in the mood for latkes now.

I googled your Robot, I've never heard of it. Nope I don't need another appliance. No room for any more. I talked myself out of the Instant Pot craze when they were on sale a couple of weeks ago.

I do have the All-in-One Breville, which hubby calls the Enterprise. It has the immersion blender attachment, and slicing, chopping blades etc.

Oh, Linda, I hope so! I'd be glad to bring anything given a category, or a specific request. It's only "anything good" that sends me into a tizz. And if it's going to be a specific request, the latkes are dead easy!

Jasdip, it sounds like you're all set. :) I didn't mention, maybe, that I got the robot because my Cuisinart is dying, and is being gently preserved for its rasp blade until the Breville comes out with one. That the Breville dices and has free extra dice sizes was the inducement to get it NOW instead of wheedling Santa. Okay. Not wheedling. He hates that. Instead of e-mailing a list with asterisks. :)