Pablo’s Potluck party

Remember potluck parties?  Come to think of it, I haven’t been to a potluck party in ages.  As a matter of fact there are only a few that I can remember.  Growing up, my parents used to host several small parties a year, often gathering a bunch of friends who would come over with a tin foil covered dish or bottle of wine, placing it on the buffet table of miss-matched dishware.  I must have been 11 or 12 at the time, but I clearly remember the red and orange colored Tupperware, and the classic white Corning Ware baking dishes with 3 blue cornflowers imprinted on one side, being placed on the table.  Typically they were filled with, then, popular recipes like hearty beef stew, green bean casserole, Swedish meatballs, quiche, deviled eggs, hot crab dip, and monkey bread (yummmm, remember monkey bread?)  There was always a plentiful smorgasbord of home cooked dishes, brought over still warm. 

Flash forward 15 years and I remember a different type of Potluck dinner parties that I attended.  I must have been in my early 20’s and I remember making a pot of my Dad’s famous chili recipe, and placing the still hot crock pot down on the buffet table with slight embarrassment.  I looked at the table and saw only covered plastic platters of cubed cheese or pre-cut vegetables that still had the grocery store label on it.  I saw unopened bags of tortilla chips and jars of El Paso salsa.  I saw Cheddar cheese flavor popcorn bags, family size Doritos, and 2 liter bottles of coca cola.  The closest thing I saw to fresh food was a 6-foot subway sandwich that was cut into small wedges accompanied by a quart of deli macaroni salad.  Was this dinner?  Was this real food?  Where were the Corning Ware dishes? Where were the aromatic casseroles?  Why was I the only one who thought potluck meant homemade? What happened to the potluck memories I had growing up?

Flash forward again, to my most recently attended potluck party, which took me a little by surprise considering I haven’t heard the term “potluck” in almost a decade now.  My good friend Pablo, held a pre-Thanksgiving potluck party in the West Village last night, and I haven’t stopped smiling since.  It reminded me of potluck parties of yesteryears, (like the ones my parents threw), where people actual took time in preparing a well thought out home cooked meal.  The difference about this potluck party was the transformation of dishes of today.  Rather than beef chilies and meat stews or braised sausage and peppers, there was a wide array of delightful options for all eating styles.  There was a fresh baked vegetarian lasagna, split pea soup, Kale and beet salad, faro salad with butternut squash and wild mushrooms, steamy saffron rice with chicken, simmering herbed cannellini beans, spiced turkey pie with flaky crust, fresh cheeses and baked breads, warm pies and to boot a big bowl of fruit filled sangria!  I spent the entire night circling the kitchen island like a vulture, refilling my plate subtly every 15 minutes or so.  I was chatting with old friends and new friends I met that night, mostly talking about how tasty everything was.  It brought back the meaning of a potluck, where you experienced everyone’s tastes, personalities and food they cooked from the heart, not something that was picked up at a deli on the way down. 

It was a perfect way to kick off this week’s holiday.  I am so thankful for having a friend like Pablo, who put together this extraordinary potluck party and showed us the importance of good food and good company. Happy Pre-Thanksgiving!