DEAR AMY: You asked for feedback (so to speak) on the issue posed by "Hungry for Leftovers," about the hostess of a potluck keeping leftovers after the meal. As a serial potlucker, both as a host and as a guest, I can say that generally your host will expect to keep the leftovers at the end of the evening. The idea is that since your host/hostess provided the space, he/she will also spend the next day or two cleaning up after company and won't have to cook during that time. Often certain guests request to take their leftovers home, for many reasons -- dietary, monetary, promised their spouse they'd bring any leftovers home -- and as a hostess I always accommodate someone who asks. More often, we split the leftovers -- everyone takes home some of everything. Again, as a hostess, I usually announce how I plan to handle this in the invitations to the dinner.
Potluck Princess
DEAR PRINCESS: Potlucking -- it's a whole world. I can see how keeping tasty leftovers would be a nice compensation for hosting. Thank you for describing how you do it.
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The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
Most potlucks I've attended everyone has taken their own leftovers home. Sometimes we share, sometimes we leave it. Usually the host insists everyone takes the food away.
Most potlucks I've attended everyone has taken their own leftovers home. Sometimes we share, sometimes we leave it. Usually the host insists everyone takes the food away.
This is how I have done it as well, both at our house and at the home of others. Take home your own stuff because I don't want all that stuff in my house! Typically we offer everyone a little bit of everything if they want it. No one wants to be "stuck" with a lot of mis matched leftovers that don't go together.
In Ohio we did know that one couple who took anything that wasn't nailed down. They brought a cake to a pot luck and took home 4 heaping plates of food in addition to putting food in their cake carrier. We always laughed at their antics. But we all knew if we wanted something, grab it before they went through the line.
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Out of all the lies I have told, "just kidding" is my favorite !
I am always very happy to send leftovers home with anyone who wants them.
MM, we host an annual family reunion. Every year there are 3 people, 2 women and a man, who load up like they'll never have food again.
They've been seen taking whole desserts to their car before anyone eats.
And they never bring anything, and they are not even related.
"Old friends of the family"
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
We do potluck at women's group every month. If it's a dish I know my family will eat I take it home. If it's not I make someone else take it home. They love my banana bread but DS can't eat it and I don't eat very much of it either. So I'll send it home with the other ladies. But generally, around here, you bring home what doesn't get eaten. My mom was always like the OP. She felt like she was owed for hosting the meal. But she also wouldn't let anyone else host. We never left with anything.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
I think really how it works is if we are at someones house we ask them if they want the leftovers. Sometimes someone will say "Sure, I'll take em home to feed my husband." But most of the time the host will politely say no thanks.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
My family and friends offer the leftovers to anyone who wants them. I tell people to bring containers if they want to take leftovers home. Once everyone is gone, we box up what's left and put it away.
Most of my potluck experience has been at work. People are always encouraged to take the leftovers home. There has always been enough for everyone to have seconds as well, especially if management caters. If I am invited to take a plate home, it depends on whether I am going straight home after work, or if I have errands to run. I do not want the food to spoil as I catch the bus to do my errands.
There are five different departments in my office. Many times celebrations are held within their units, but say, if it is a birthday, everyone in the office will get a piece of cake. One woman in another department I used to work in will always ask me to help myself when they have a celebration. If I don't make a plate, she has someone bring me one. I have not noticed aggressive behavior towards food from anyone in my office.
I am always very happy to send leftovers home with anyone who wants them.
MM, we host an annual family reunion. Every year there are 3 people, 2 women and a man, who load up like they'll never have food again.
They've been seen taking whole desserts to their car before anyone eats.
And they never bring anything, and they are not even related.
"Old friends of the family"
They're thieves? call the police. Who invites them, and why?
I said why.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
If it's a potluck at work, everyone takes a bit home if there are any leftovers. Usually, there are no leftovers, because the food is a ethnic mix and absolutely phenomenal. Caribbean stew chicken, oxtail, conch fritters, pansit, taramasalata and spanakopita, tabouleh and baba ganoush, curries, etc. However, if you bring food to someone's house, I think it's tacky to bring it back home with you. If there's tons of food and the hostess absolutely insists, then yes. Otherwise...no.
-- Edited by weltschmerz on Saturday 25th of July 2015 05:44:28 AM
At work, we leave the leftovers and bring them back out the next day.
Other than work, I don't really have much experience with potlucks. I'll bring a dish to my mom's, but I don't expect to take anything home with me except my clean dish/bowl.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Most potlucks I've been to were at work, and you bring home whatever you brought so no one is stuck cleaning up. At neighborhood BBQ's or such I always bring things in the disposable containers and just leave it behind. If I am helping the host clean up and she/he offers for me to take something I will take a few items that I liked.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
Our church has "Second Sunday Lunch" - after everyone has gone through the line as often as they want, we bring out the to-go containers and encourage everyone to take what they want. Then the EGGS (Episcopal Good Guys) wash all the containers, so we don't have to transpor a dirty dish in our car.
My Farkel group does "heavy hors d'oeuvres" at our monthly game - I've never had leftovers of what I brought. The hostess provides dessert & beverages (iced tea, soda, etc.). We've always provided plastic wrap/foil to bring our containers home.
Our church has "Second Sunday Lunch" - after everyone has gone through the line as often as they want, we bring out the to-go containers and encourage everyone to take what they want. Then the EGGS (Episcopal Good Guys) wash all the containers, so we don't have to transpor a dirty dish in our car.
My Farkel group does "heavy hors d'oeuvres" at our monthly game - I've never had leftovers of what I brought. The hostess provides dessert & beverages (iced tea, soda, etc.). We've always provided plastic wrap/foil to bring our containers home.
Moma, so glad you are on. What are the instructions for cooking corn on the grill?
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
I'm not Momala but we leave it on the husk just like we get it from the store and grill it in husk. Then we take it off and peel it and it's great.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
I pull the husks back, clean off the silk and check for bugs and worms, pull the husk back up around it and grill.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I remove the first layer of mostly dried husks, then pull the remaining husks back and remove the silk. Slather with butter, salt and pepper. Pull the husks back up, and soak in cool/cold water for at least half an hour. 10-12 minutes before your meat is done, put the corn on the grill, turning so all four sides get the heat.
Enjoy!
Momala
I remove the first layer of mostly dried husks, then pull the remaining husks back and remove the silk. Slather with butter, salt and pepper. Pull the husks back up, and soak in cool/cold water for at least half an hour. 10-12 minutes before your meat is done, put the corn on the grill, turning so all four sides get the heat. Enjoy! Momala
Don't you let your meat rest, after you grill it?
If I'm grilling steak, my corn goes on, after the steak comes off. And is resting under a tent of foil.
Different ways of doing things, I guess.
I would never grill corn, in the husks.
I still build a charcoal fire, and would not want to deal with the mess.
Foil wrapped, already dressed with butter, works best, for an old school griller, like me.
We grill it in the husks then take it off and peel everything off. We don't use butter, salt, or pepper. Sweet corn, grilled right, doesn't need it.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
I boil water on the stove (or the grill's side flame), dissolving a tablespoon sugar and a splash of lemon juice to the water. Add cleaned corn to boiling water, return to boil, then cover and shut the flame off. Let corn sit for 10 minutes and its done. No butter or salt necessary.
-- Edited by FNW on Sunday 26th of July 2015 07:34:22 AM
-- Edited by FNW on Sunday 26th of July 2015 07:35:25 AM
I never really thought about what was "right or wrong". I really don't care if they keep the leftovers or not. Personally, I am not a fan of leftovers, so I would rather people take their food home for the most part. But, I try to take my cue from them, if they want me to keep leftovers, then I will pack some up and then clean up their dish or keep some and give their dish to take, etc.
That's the face people make when I tell them I don't like ribs. Too much work, not enough reward. Perhaps that's what your kids think about corn on the cob?
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Out of all the lies I have told, "just kidding" is my favorite !
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
We wrapped the corn in foil, put butter inside the foil, and put them on the grill while the tips were grilling. Everyone loved it. I packed everyone off with leftovers but still have a lot left. Will make for good lunches this week.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.