friday potluck, anyone?

Several years ago, back when we lived in San Francisco, I belonged to a loosely-organized potluck group. We usually met once a month, with everyone taking turns hosting the gatherings. The host got to choose the theme, and because we were a pretty eclectic bunch, ranging from bookkeepers and artists to microbiologists and musicians, the themes got pretty interesting.

I've tried once or twice to drum up interest in forming a new group in my Portland neighborhood, but we all seem to be too busy these days to commit to a regular thing. It's a shame, really - my friends are awesome cooks. The closest we've come to a regular thing has been the five-plus years that three or four families have been pitching in to cook dinner for our local Ronald McDonald House.

It's been a great experience, but cooking a meal for 25 people you don't know generally tends to limit your creative choices. I'm not sure the residents would fully appreciate a meal composed entirely of bite-sized foods or the color purple.

So, in the spirit of my old potluck group, I thought it would be fun to start a virtual potluck, where bloggers could take turns hosting and choosing a theme.

Here's how it would work:

1. The host chooses a theme and posts a recipe on their blog on a Friday evening.
2. Other bloggers will leave links to their recipes in the comments section.
3. The first person to post a recipe link becomes the next week's host, who then gets to choose a theme. The themes can be as elaborate or a simple as you like, and the recipes don't have to look like these, by any means...you can simply post a recipe, or even a link to another blogger's recipe. (Just make sure to give credit where credit is due!)

I'll post the link to the next host's site here every Thursday evening.

So stop by here tomorrow for the first week's potluck theme and recipe!