Pot luck lunch

kuaka, Aug 13, 7:23am
Okay, I have a pot luck lunch to attend next week, and although it is looking like I won't be able to go because of other commitments, would it bug you if the "organiser" phoned you and told you what you were to bring. I thought the idea of a pot luck meal was that people took along what they wanted to and if it just turned out that everyone took the same or similar dish it was just too bad. (I should point out that I don't have a problem with the dish I was told to take, only the fact that I was "told" to take it)
firemansgirl, Aug 13, 7:26am
I personally think it's rude to tell you what you must bring. I think it's reasonable to suggest a type of course, like a salad, dessert, or meat dish etc... . but it should be up to you what it is that you take.
kuaka, Aug 13, 7:41am
thanks for that firemansgirl - I was beginning to think I'm just getting old and crabby!
glendeb, Aug 13, 7:48am
My sister had similar recently too. I think its a bit off to "tell" people what to bring.

Perhaps a Pot Luck Dinner Thats Not, needs a new name!
uli, Aug 13, 7:54am
I have asked people to bring certain dishes too if it is BBQ for example, and everyone brings a salad - so we have a spread of different salads rather than 15 coleslaws. However in such a case I make a list and ring and invite people and ask them what on the list would they like to bring.

Otherwise yep - just ask if you can bring dessert, or salad or soup or whatever would be the way to go.

edited to add that often people will ask you to bring a certain dish because they liked it last time you made it LOL :) I always have to bake bread for BBQ's for example ...
uli, Aug 13, 7:56am
Maybe call it "organised shared dinner" LOL :)
kuaka, Aug 13, 8:04am
good point uli except I haven't been to a "pot luck" do with this particular group of people before, so they can't say "you must bring that xxxx dish which you made last time as it was scrumptious! " as I haven't been in this situation with them before.
spongeypud, Aug 13, 8:08am
It wouldn't be so bad if they 'suggested' you bring something savoury if they had too many salads or sweets, but to actually tell you what to bring is a bit rude I reckon.
cookessentials, Aug 13, 9:15am
Yes, usually the suggestion is as far as what course you will be providing... that's why it's called pot luck.
duckmoon, Aug 14, 12:00am
Pot LUCK - is just that - hopefully it will all work out; but maybe every one will bring a dessert...

Also, when I organise meals at church, and I have a list of people who have offered a "broad topic", I phone them and say "you have offered a main", they often say "what would you like me to bring" - and I say "you know that dish you make in the middle of the week, you can cook without thinking about it" (because almost every one has one of those), "I would like one of those please"...

And they tell me what it is they are going to make.

Maybe the last person on the list gets to know that we already have 15 lasganes coming... But on the whole, even for a semi-organised shared meal, I still let people pick what they are going to bring.
duckmoon, Aug 14, 12:01am
shared meal is my suggestion...
duckmoon, Aug 14, 12:03am
If you want to make a point, flick her an email a couple of days before the event saying
"This week is crazy, and I don't usually make XXXXX's; so I need tomake it simple for myself, and will attend the YYYYY(function) with a meal of ZZZZZ"
kuaka, Aug 14, 2:00am
I have basically already said that I am unlikely to be able to attend, and it is looking as though I definitely won't be going, have to let them know for sure in a couple of days. I just wanted to know what other folk thought of it.
greerg, Aug 14, 2:07am
Once went to a wedding where we were not only told what to bring but it was "high-end" food i. e a very classy wedding for almost nothing! Felt like taking cheerios and tomato sauce but docilely provided oyster vol au vents.
uli, Jan 23, 1:18am
Why?
If you felt like cheerios - then you could have brought them - I am sure lots of people would have preferred them to oyster vol au vents ...