What is a “Potluck” dinner?

The best thing about a “potluck” dinner is that people come together to share wonderful food, stories, and friendship.

While it’s hard to trace “Potluck” to a specific source, it was used in the Middle Ages. It described when unexpected friends visited for dinner.  Usually there was a “pot” cooking over the fire and the guests would eat whatever the family was cooking that night – “the luck of the pot”.  Sometimes a potluck was one huge pot and each family brought something to add to the stew.  In the late 19^th and early 20^th century in America, the “potluck” started to mean a dinner where everyone brings their favorite family recipe to share.  An American Thanksgiving Dinner often has a roast turkey or ham as the main entrée – Mashed potatoes, bread stuffing, cranberry sauce, bread and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Our dinner at FAC will be a fun surprise because we will see all the dishes for our dinner when everyone places their dish on the table!

Today, “potluck” dinners are very popular. Everyone shares in preparing the food, so it saves time, and everyone shares the cost. Each cook or family can bring their best dish – maybe a recipe handed down from their grandparents, or maybe a surprise chocolate cake from their favorite patisserie. Maybe it will be some things to drink, or some baguettes. Normally, there is an Organizer for the “potluck” – their role is to balance all the dishes.  Imagine if everyone arrived to find that dinner was 10 desserts and nothing else!  Or, if there was an entrée, but everyone bringing salad all brought a salad verte – all the same variety! So, the role of the Organizer is a very important one.

Here’s some basic guidelines for bringing your favorite dish:

1. Have your dish ready to serve if the organizer requests that. Often there’s no space to prepare it at the dinner, so prepare or purchase it before you arrive at the dinner.
2. Bring your food in your own serving dish or plate, with serving cutlery – don’t forget to take them home after the dinner.
3. Talk to the organizer for special instructions and when to arrive.
4. Enjoy the delicious food!

So join us on 24/11 for a warm and friendly meal at The French American Center (7pm)!

Click here to book for the event.