Small Household Exchange @ Qulinaria, 10/14, 6 PM

Qulinarnia is not your Great Grandmother's Polish food, which seemingly is what just off the plane Poles think of our local restaurants. My understanding this restaurant has contemporary Polish food offerings familiar to new immigrants.

I remember watching Jeffery Baer's Chicago Food episode. Dobra, aka Cookie Monster, was on camera talking about Chicago's Polish food. She said there are foods regularly served here, which are now unfamiliar in Poland. Food fashions and tastes have evolved, whereas here the food is reminiscent of another era.

The host of New Scandinavian Cooking was asked by an American, "How can you eat all those potato sausages?" He had never had one in his life and needed to do some research to understand what this person was talking about. It turns out in the USA, we were serving food from over 100 years ago during a period of food scarcity. This was known to the immigrants of that period who made it as a home nostalgia.

Qulinaria and Laikom's explorations of Polish bar foods like Zapiekanka are what Polish people in Poland are familiar with today.

Who knew a visit to some ethnic restaurants in the United States are food time capsules for visitors from the homeland. There is a dedicated thread to Qulinaria.

The basics
We’re always interested in fresh blood. Even if you can't exchange, please join us for dinner and conversation! But we encourage all to bring a few samples of the cuisine you enjoy at your home; it’s a great way for all of us to get to know each other better, discuss food and cooking techniques, and ultimately, later, have a meal at home that we might not have thought of making for ourselves.

What is the Small Household Food Exchange, you may ask.

Most importantly, it’s a gathering of like-minded folks at an interesting restaurant for a meal, taking advantage of the ordering power of a good number of people to share and sample a good number of menu items.

The Small Household Food Exchange started so that those of us in 1-2 person households who love to cook aren't stuck eating that big pot of chili for a whole week. Instead, we make 4-10 servings of one dish, and bring home 4-10 different dishes. Exchanging participants bring one pre-portioned serving of their food for every exchanger who has RSVP’d to come that month. The priority will be for entrees, meats, soups, salad, stews, pastas, grains, etc. (Check the Events Board, there’s a separate Dessert Exchange.)

The fine print
Number in the group: We will cap attendance at each gathering at 12, and food exchange participants at 10, so that participants are never making more than 10 servings of anything. Couples can be counted as one serving, or two — if you come as a couple, please specify whether you're bringing one or two dishes to exchange.

There will be no restrictions on the food – we’re an omnivorous bunch. IF ANYONE HAS ANY ALLERGIES, PLEASE LET THE GROUP KNOW.

The containers/delivery system: Everyone in the group should use the GLADWARE 3 1/8 CUP PLASTIC CONTAINERS (7” x 7” square container with a blue lid). You’ll portion your food into those containers to bring and hand out at the gathering. You can freeze them or not depending on your schedule and when you make your food. If you use something else to deliver your food that month (Ziploc bags, plastic wrap, etc.) you should also return the empty containers from the last round so that everyone always has a stash of these containers for the exchange, and no one has to run out and buy more. Ideally, everyone will find a way to label their containers, describing the contents, so we don’t end up staring into our freezers at a field of blue-lidded containers and wondering what’s in each one (not that there’s anything wrong with the occasional surprise …).

Please RSVP your attendance by responding in this thread one week before the monthly gathering. If you're exchanging, please post what you're bringing at least three days before the gathering.

The organizer will monitor the thread to see what people are bringing. The organizer will also make reservations for the group at the restaurant where we will be gathering.

Hope to see you there!

Sunday, October 14 @ 6 pm

Qulinarnia
1730 W Golf Rd
Mt Prospect, IL 60056
(847) 981-0480
http://qulinarnia.com/index.html

DINNER PARTICIPANTS
Cathy2
Nr706
moetchandon
GaryF


EXCHANGE PARTICIPANTS
Cathy2 - turkey dinner, stuffing, cranberry sauce.
Nr706 - mini-quiches with Moetchandon's sweetbread-beef-spinach sausage.
moetchandon - beef and barley stew

Hi,

I am likely to roast a turkey between now and then. If I do, you will effectively get a bit of Thanksgiving in your box.

I bought a new set of boxes, because these older lid's were not grasping as well anymore.

Regards,
Cathy2

In, bringing ?

Sorry - will be in North Carolina.

lougord99 wrote:Sorry - will be in North Carolina.

I bumped into your wife today at the library. Suggested she may want to come solo.

Regards,
Cathy2

I’m in for both. Exchange tbd.

Put me down as tentative. I'll try to nail a date/time with the peeps this weekend.

Pie Lady wrote:Put me down as tentative. I'll try to nail a date/time with the peeps this weekend.

You can always stop by on the way home, do the exchange and move on.

It will be great to see you!

Regards,
Cathy2

Oops! Bad calendaring on my part...
I am definitely out. I (hopefully!) will be doing a writing challenge that weekend.

Sorry! November!

HI,

Just a reminder this is will be on Sunday evening.

Regards,
Cathy2

Bringing mini-quiches with Moetchandon's sweetbread-beef-spinach sausage.

I’m bringing a beef and barley stew.

Hi,

Thanksgiving in a box won't happen this month. I need the turkey for an unexpected family visit next week.

I may make Bobbie's Chicken from the Silver Palate cookbooks. It is a roast chicken braised in loads of onions. It is just about the only recipe I make from this book.

Regards,
Cathy2

Hi,

Cooking turkey for lunch, so guess what will be in your box?

If you have dark or white meat preferences, please let me know.

Regards,
Cathy2

If there is still time, I will join you tonight. I hadn't wanted to commit and then back out, but today looks clear.

GAF wrote:If there is still time, I will join you tonight. I hadn't wanted to commit and then back out, but today looks clear.

You will be very welcome!

Cathy2