June 15, 2005

Food and fellowship

Whether you call them potlucks or pitch-ins, food should be quick and easy to prepare.

By Julie Young

Star correspondent

Jerry Blount says that the only time he gets his wife's special chocolate cake is when he attends a pitch-in or a special gathering.

"When I ask him what I should take, he lists off all the things he never gets at home," said Carolyn Blount.

"It's the best chocolate cake you've ever eaten," Jerry said.

The secret, according to Carolyn, is using Hershey's chocolate syrup instead of cocoa in the mix. She also makes a hot fudge icing that adds a bit of decadence to the dessert. The cake certainly was a hit with members of the Reach Out Sunday school class at East 91st Street Christian Church when members celebrated a recent missionary trip to Africa with a potluck supper in the church's Friendship Room.

Potlucks and pitch-ins are popular for family reunions, congregational events, picnics and office parties. Sometimes the main dish is catered or ordered from a local restaurant; other times, someone brings ham, turkey or homemade fried chicken to feed the masses. Everyone brings something a little different, and in abundance, to ensure that people leave satisfied.

The key to the success of a potluck meal is organization. Jean Brown said her Sunday school class at the Northeastside church creates a master list and allows people to sign up for what they want to bring. Eight volunteers arrive early to help set up, and everyone helps with the clean-up.

"Somehow it all works out," she said.

Other options are to assign dishes based on people's surnames or birthdates or to divide a large group and split up the menu. If the party is a themed event, inform those bringing food so that the theme carries over to the menu.

The Best Years Fellowship members have a pitch-in on the fourth Wednesday of each month to get together to enjoy -- what else? -- food and fellowship.

"I don't get much of anything, but I get a little bit of a lot," said Jane Wood, whose plate was dotted with tablespoon-sized portions of multiple dishes.

"Someone always brings meatballs and I stick with deviled eggs and pickled beets, rotating from month to month," she said.

Members of the group earlier this month ambled between two tables of dishes and created a bottleneck at the dessert table, which featured fresh watermelon.

"You know that won't last too long," said George Huffman, who noted that many members bring their cake or pie specialties month after month.

He said it isn't hard to plan for these pitch-ins, since they occur regularly. "We have 100 to 120 attend every month, so we go on that," Huffman said.

Cookbook being considered

Amy Blaskiewicz, a staff member at the church, said that their potlucks have become so popular that the church is considering publishing a cookbook of all the recipes people have come to expect from the community.

"There are too many treasures here to let go of," she said.

Besides church group gatherings, family reunions also are a great time for a potluck meal. According to family-reunion .com, the best way to get a balanced meal is to assign each family a category and ask them to bring more than their own family would eat. Sometimes the main dish can be catered and paid for with an attendance fee, while the rest of the meal is served potluck style.

BettyCrocker.com offers tips and planning guides for potlucks and pitch-ins, including reference charts to help with serving information. Even TV chef Emeril Lagasse has gotten into the potluck frame of mind with his book "Emeril's Potluck: Comfort Food with a Kicked-Up Attitude" (HarperCollins, $24.95).

Crowd-pleasing dishes include casseroles that are easy to fix and transport, as well as slow- cooker chilies and meat sauces. The idea is to feed as many as possible with minimal preparation. With today's busy schedules, some find it easier to stop at the local bakery or deli for a side item to take, but traditionalists prefer homemade goodies.

For the Reach Out pitch-in, Helen Jarvis brought "Mixed Vegetable Casserole," which she describes as easy to make.

Watch the temperature

"It doesn't take long using canned and cooked vegetables. It cooks in about an hour and serves a lot of people. It reheats well also," she said.

Jarvis notes that temperature is important for pitch-in food. A picnic should not have a lot of food that can turn rancid in a couple of hours, and it is vital for potluck dishes to be able to last for long periods.

"At some pitch-ins, you may not eat for a half hour, so you want to make sure to bring something that can hold up or be re-heated," she said.

Variety is the most important. No pitch-in needs three green bean casseroles, no matter how well yours went over at the last family reunion.

And there's always room for a surprise. "There are some new dishes that I have never seen before," said member Jack Harrison.