I have to go to several pot lucks a month at work. It always amazes me that 99% of all the food there is store bought. I dont understand this, I thought the idea of a pot luck was sample other peoples cooking and exchange receipes. When we used to have pot lucks at church years ago we would have rows of tables with all homemade food. I just wondered if andbody else had this experience and does it bug you? Roxanne

-- Roxanne (Roxanne143@webtv.net), February 13, 2001

Answers

I've noticed that, and I attribute it to 1. People not having time/inclination to cook, and 2. Fear that you'll get food poisoning or get a hair or something in your mouth. I agree that pot lucks used to be fun, and in family situations they still are, but somewhere like the workplace---no thanks. I'd rather take my chances with KFC or Taco Hell than with something someone I barely know has cooked. Have you seen some people's kitchens? Roach infestations, food improperly prepared (contaminated surfaces like countertops, cutting boards, preparer having open cuts on their hands, or taking a taste and then putting the utensil back into the food) or food improperly stored. Food being brought to the workplace at 7 or 8 a.m. and sitting on the table till noon or one. Do you know that the bacteria population in a jelly doughnut doubles ever twenty minutes? In other words, don't eat a jelly doughnut at noon if it was made in the morning. I know it sounds nasty to talk about those kinds of things and I realize that most people are probably careful enough in preparing food, but all it takes is one bad batch of potato salad or crab puff and you're calling Ralph all night long.

Did I mention people blowing out the candles on their birthday cakes? The worst case of infectious diarrhea (aka stomach flu) I ever had was after I ate birthday cake at my wonderful 5 year old nephew's birthday party, after he blew out the candles. I was ill for about ten days and very nearly had to go to the hospital. As it was, it took three trips to my physician.

-- Hannah Maria Holly (hannahholly@hotmail.com), February 13, 2001.

At the ones our church has, at least half the stuff is home made. It often includes delicious homegrown beef! Often the desserts are the sickly sweet articficial storebought kind, but not always. About cleanliness, I'm not all that sure that restaurants are much cleaner than the average kitchen, especially from what I've heard from those who've worked in such places. A lot more people come through a restaurant,too. What really grosses me out is when people let the dogs clean off the plates on the floor, or simply use the dishes as dog dishes, interchangeably with the human dishes. Then there was a gal I knew, who was cooking spaghetti sauce. A dog got rowdy, she whapped it on the head with the wooden spoon, and stuck the spoon back in the pot! Dog hair sauce, anyone?

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), February 14, 2001.

I agree that restaurant kitchens are no cleaner than a home's. I consider it building my immune system. But then i eat from street vendors carts too!

We have potluck dinners at our house with game nights and there are some folks I know are too busy to cook so I ask them to bring ice or something like that. That way there are less buckets of fried chicken. I do appreciate it when folks take the time to prepare something.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), February 14, 2001.

"I'd rather take my chances with KFC or Taco Hell than with something someone I barely know has cooked." And you know all the workers at the fast food restaurants real well? I'd rather eat something that someone I barely knew made than something someone I don't know at all made. 99% of the workers in fast food restaurants are teenagers and mainly it's teenagers who think it's funny to spit in the food. And let's not talk about how clean their kitchens are ~ our nightly news does a spot on which restaurants failed their health dept. tests and why. I'd rather be able to judge for myself whether or not I'd like to eat something that Susie in the next cubicle (who looks like she takes a bath every Saturday whether she needs it or not) made herself.

-- Wingnut (wingnut@moment.net), February 14, 2001.

Our church potluck dinners usually bring a large assortment of homemade items. You do get an occassional container of store bought salads but more is homemade. It may also help that stores are 10-15 miles away and fast food restraunts are 20 miles away.

At office potlucks and "party" pot lucks most of the food is store bought. Some homemade items, but not much and nothing complicated. The office is in town with a large mega store on every corner with restraunts on the other 3 corners.

-- Gary (gws@redbird.net), February 14, 2001.

You obviously run with the wrong crowd! We are all just as competitive in the "bringing the best dish" as we are with everything else we do. Goat club meetings are the best, with everyone using their homemade cheeses in the dishes, and sausage! I do agree with you that the sorry bundt cake from the local grocery store, isn't quite the idea! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), February 14, 2001.

My daughters Brownie Troop has 2 potlucks a year and our 4-H club has a holiday party and a summer party. I am always surprised at how many women are terrible cooks (sorry gals), but its true. Our last Troop potluck was the carbs from hell dinner. I never knew that macaroni could be used into so many awful dishes. I usually bring some crockpot dish to the winter events. Last holiday it was an ethnic lamb dish. Several people raved about it and asked for the recipe, but most just stuck with the mac n cheese. Summer partys I usually make baked beans or grilled meat.

Hubby keeps telling me not to knock myself out because no one appreciates it, but I don't like to "dumb down" just because others do.

It does bother me that people don't think a party is worth an edible dish, that any 'ole thing will do, but when you've tasted some of the things people cook, store bought or starvation is preferable.

My advice, keep doing your own thing. At least your will be the one dish fit to eat.

-- jennifer (schwabauer@aol.com), February 14, 2001.

At the school I work for we do "goodies" every Monday morning for staff meetings. Some of the women cook wonderful dishes, some of them do a great job of buying a good salsa and chips with fresh fruit. I have a hard time deciding what to do when it is my turn. I have a one hour drive to work, and really don't like to think about the food being in the car, and then set out at work for so long. I usually go with homemade bread, homemade jam and cream cheese, and fruit- or bake quick breads. In the warmer weather I have resorted to buying something on the way to work rather than take chances with food in the car. I do have a big problem with a few of the women, I would rather take my chances with an institution that at least has a chance of being inspected by the Health Department. For potlucks in general that's what I thought it meant- pot luck! I've had great stuff at our annual winter parent potluck and asked for the receipes! We also get parents who drop over on their lunch hour (after picking up the child from daycare since we do this on a non school day) and I appreciate KFC and anything else they bring. It's their presence that counts to me as it always does. I can eat when I get home, but I can't always visit with all these wonderful people then. betty

-- betty modin (betty_m9@yahoo.com), February 14, 2001.

Boy, some of you folks need to come eat at our potlucks!!!! The church had a huge fridge, and cold stuff goes in there, and either one of the two stoves, or a legion of crock pots will keep hot stuff hot. And our ladies can COOK. One sister and I have this thing about making bread; her in her bread machine, and me by hand. And the meatloaves, sloppy joes, and beef medalions....!!! Yes, sometimes there is chicken or slaw from KFC: that is usually from folks who had to work, and don't have a chance to cook, and that is OK. Veggies galore, a broccoli salad that is sooogood(if Sister Chris makes it), several kinds of baked beans, and desserts that will make a weight watcher's member cringe. Hey, ya just gotta know where to go!!!!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), February 15, 2001.

In regards to KFC and Taco Hell, plus fast food in general. When you get a hamburger or taco, it can have meat from DOZENS of different cows in it. Most of the food products are processed so much that they have to have flavor and aroma added to it to make it taste good. There is a whole industry in NJ that makes these chemical additives along with the scents for floor wax and soap (ugh!) Fat sugar and salt is added to make the foods appeal to our basic desires for salt, fat and sugar (don't let your children eat this junk, it will pattern them for life). I would risk poor home food handling over eating over processed, nutrient-less food filled with chemicals. Try reading 'fast food nation' you'll drive by every golden arches you see!

-- Dianne (yankeeterrier@hotmail.com), February 18, 2001.