Small Household Exchange: Koi, Sun. Jan. 15 @5:30 pm CHANGE

The Small Household Food Exchange will convene Sunday, January 15th @ 5:30 PM, at Koi, Evanston's pan-Chinese restaurant https://www.koievanston.com/ on 624 Davis Street, Evanston, IL. For the LTH reviews see: https://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1963. Reservations have been made under "Fine." The number of diners can be changed if others choose to attend.

The Small Household Food Exchange, among other things, is an opportunity for like-minded folks to gather, share the ordering power of a group, and describe and show off their cooking skills.

So, if you want to, get to work cooking dishes to share with other LTHers. (And don’t worry about the rumors about LTH palate sophistication — often the simplest dishes are the best.)

Or don’t … maybe you just want an excuse to try an interesting restaurant … everyone’s welcome to join for the three c's — camaraderie, conviviality and companionship.

We’ll cap attendance at 12. Those who exchange dishes will have first priority, but they should post what they'll be bringing by Wednesday January 11th, to allow cooks to plan, shop and create.

The Basics
We’re always interested in fresh blood. Even if you can't exchange, please join us for dinner and conversation! But we hope some will 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 and bring a dish 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 for this gathering at 12 (food exchange participants at 8, so that participants are never making more than 8 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). Look for this on the label:



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, ideally at least 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!

Attending:

Dinner and Exchange
nr706 - Guyanese Pepperpot Stew
Cathy2 - mushroom lasagna

Dinner and sparkling company (actual sparkling not required)
GAF
moetchandon
And maybe you?

Save the date!
Sunday, January 15, 2023, 5:30 pm

In — no idea what I'll make.

Hi,

I am in.

I am considering making moo shu pork with mandarin pancakes.

Regards,
Cathy2

I've settled on making & bringing Guyanese Pepperpot Stew.

I’m in for dinner.

Might be worth double checking with the restaurant. They close way too early for my liking but there wasn't an answer for attempted carry-out at 6.55pm tonight. They close at 7.30pm per Google. Hoping it's just an isolated occurrence.

True. I tried calling at 7:15 tonight. No answer. I will try tomorrow.

Consider joining us.

bweiny wrote:Might be worth double checking with the restaurant. They close way too early for my liking but there wasn't an answer for attempted carry-out at 6.55pm tonight. They close at 7.30pm per Google. Hoping it's just an isolated occurrence.

I rarely made reservations in the past, though I do now. It is one way to assure they are open when you arrive.

After several failed attempts, I have finally gotten through to Larsa's. They were closed yesterday and are closed today as well because of a staffing shortage, and I was told that the staffing shortage might continue. (They are hoping that their chef will return by then, but it is not certain). But I made reservations for four for Sunday Jan. 15 at 5:30, but they might call to say that the restaurant is closed.

We perhaps need a Plan B: either to change the place or to be ready to do so. Thoughts?

GAF wrote:We perhaps need a Plan B: either to change the place or to be ready to do so. Thoughts?

Not cheap, but Le Tour is a worthy, new place to visit.

Le Tour
625 Davis St.
Evanston, IL 60201
(224) 999-7085

I must confess that given the prices, I am not sure that Le Tour is right for us. But if Cathy2 is willing, I won't oppose it. But perhaps a more modest restaurant would be preferable. Maybe Koi? Or we could wait to see what happens with Larsa.

Cathy?

Kabul House comes to mind.

Dave148 wrote:Kabul House comes to mind.

Closed on Sundays. But Koi would be great.

If Cathy approves, I will make the change.

Change away, I will look forward to wherever we go ...

Changed to Koi in Evanston, 624 Davis Street. Sunday Jan. 15th, 5:30. Reservation under Fine.

GAF wrote:After several failed attempts, I have finally gotten through to Larsa's. They were closed yesterday and are closed today as well because of a staffing shortage, and I was told that the staffing shortage might continue. (They are hoping that their chef will return by then, but it is not certain). But I made reservations for four for Sunday Jan. 15 at 5:30, but they might call to say that the restaurant is closed.

Thanks for the clarifying update. A shame that their problems become circular with a lack of staffing leading to a lack of business, but you did the right thing. Getting through when they're closed was a feat in itself.

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

I am in.

I am considering making moo shu pork with mandarin pancakes.

Regards,
Cathy2

Three weeks later I changed my mind: Ina Garten/Smitten Kitchen mushroom lasagna

It's what's for lunch today and convenient to knock off a slice!

Regards,
Cathy2

HI,

I guess all the chatter messed up my timing. I attempted to go to Koi, but the parking defeated me. I called Tom asking to meet on the street to exchange, then I would go elsewhere. I then learned I was a week early.

I found the parking tight this evening. I also read through the Koi thread before leaving home. I did not find much love for this place.

Do you really like Koi? If you do, then I will shut up and deal with it. Perhaps it has improved since the reports on the Koi thread.

I ended up at Dengeo's for a gyro. It really hit the spot.

Regards,
CAthy2

Cathy,

Let me respond (sorry about the week mix-up).

For you - and for anyone going to Evanston - all Northwestern University parking lots are available after 4 pm. The ones on the street (e.g., on Clark, just west of Chicago Ave.) have no gates. Anyone can park there for free. Parking is easy: two to three blocks from the restaurant.

With regard to Koi. I went there shortly after it opened and I was disappointed. So much so that it has perhaps been 20 years since I dined at Koi. However, I have been told that it is now much better than it was. But I haven't eaten there.

I think that it is worth a try. But if there is consensus against it, I will make another reservation.

GAF wrote:I think that it is worth a try. But if there is consensus against it, I will make another reservation.

I more or less asked nr706 when I dropped my stuff off (we have to keep the cat happy). He affirmed he liked Koi as well as MoetChandon. So we shall go!

Regards,
CAthy2

Moetchandon's sister-in-law loves Koi for its sushi — me, not so much (Kansaku, about a block away, is better IMHO). But the Chinese dishes — identified by each of eight Chinese regions (see page 2) — are the reasons to go. (BTW, Sandy Chen, Koi's owner, also owns Le Sud.)

Parking isn't tough at the Sherman Plaza Garage — about a block and a half away.

Bonus dish: a wedge of

La Poule Verte
Stuffed green cabbage with mushrooms and chestnuts

Aptly named Green Hen, this is an economical feast-day dish from the Auvergne, chestnut country, that makes the most of what's in season. An easy-going assembly - think of it as a gorgeously well-flavoured bread-dumpling cooked in the heart of a fine fresh cabbage - feel free to adjust the quantities to suit the size of the cabbage and number of participants.

Summary of the meal is posted here.

nr706 wrote:I've settled on making & bringing Guyanese Pepperpot Stew.

Do you have a link to a recipe?

I was home alone for lunch today. I found this very dark dish to be very delicious. I think it is something my family may enjoy.

Thank you! Especially since I might not have attempted it myself.

Regards,
Cathy2

It was loosely based on this recipe.

I agree with Cathy. It was delicious.

Thanks. It's just too bad that the cassareep is so hard to get.