Potlucks Are Now Trendy

This week I found myself at a potluck dinner.

Don't get me wrong. I love the assortment of dishes at potlucks. Invariably, it includes things I've never tasted or even heard of before.

One woman brought sweet potatoes. I do not eat sweet potatoes. However, her recipe included apples, cinnamon and raisins soaked in amaretto. Big, plump raisins. I like raisins and I love amaretto—enough for me to take a polite taste. I ate two helpings.

Not long ago, potlucks happened mostly in church basements. Not anymore. Not long ago, potlucks evoked images of small towns, housewives in frumpy aprons and tables covered with checkered cloths. Not anymore.

In the Middle Ages, tavern and pub owners tossed leftovers into one big pot, so whoever showed up ate "luck of the pot." In Ireland, potlucks evolved from hardship. Women gathered and cooked dinner from whatever ingredients they had on hand. Often they only had one pot.

Today potlucks are trendy. In our fragile economy, they're easy on the budget—an affordable way to entertain.

Now A-list gastronomes stage uniquely themed potlucks in upscale dining rooms across the country. Even Martha Stewart touts their merit and includes them on her list of Good Things.

What makes potlucks so appealing is that no one person is responsible for the cost or the preparation of the entire meal. The shared responsibility makes it almost effortless. The basic rule of thumb is that whatever dish you bring, it needs to be large enough to share with the rest of the group.

Potlucks have a way of building community and bringing people together.

Last July, a judge in Tampa handed down an innovative sentence to a pair of feuding neighbors. They were required to share six months of potluck dinners together. The jury is still out, but it was a novel idea to find a vehicle for them to settle their differences.

Some dishes at potlucks are predictable. Veggies, meatballs, baked beans, chili, Jell-O molds and fruit salads top the list of popular favorites. You can count on a pasta dish, some form of potatoes or a casserole—slow cookers have broadened the casserole range.

Now and then, multiples of the same items show up. Four salads. Three green bean casseroles with French-fried onion rings. Five plates of brownies. Brownies are the fallback item. When undecided or in a hurry, people bring brownies.

Potato salad and deviled eggs get my attention every time, along with anything chocolate.

Themed potlucks add an interesting dimension. Organizers might assign foods that relate to a movie, a color of the rainbow, a holiday, a letter of the alphabet, or a word. Assigning dishes guarantees variety and minimizes duplication.

I have a friend who likes "no-guilt" potlucks where dishes do not have to be homemade or an old family recipe. Store-bought passes muster. Food items can be take-out from a deli, fruit from the tree in your backyard, or something pre-cooked from Trader Joe's. Even a box of Girl Scout cookies works. (Thin mints, please.)

Cleanup afterward is another plus. People often take their trays and bowls and platters home dirty. Usually everyone pitches in, and things are ship-shape in no time at all.

The idea of a potluck is to relax and enjoy time with friends, discovering how creative or original they can be. It's also a great way to find out what good cooks people are and to share recipes.

For a true potluck, it doesn't matter what the food is. What matters is the experience. So the next time you find yourself at one, sit down and give your taste buds a treat.

Where else can you eat out without a check arriving with dessert?