Potluck...

...so last night I went to a Potluck with some friends. It was a great night and the food was delish! We often get together for a potluck and it raised a few questions in my mind. One being why on earth is it called a Potluck. I don't feel that i'm lucky to have something come in a pot. Afterall, that is the point. Here's the wikipedia definition:
"The word pot-luck appears in 16th century England, in the work of Thomas Nashe, and was there used to mean "food provided for an unexpected or uninvited guest, the luck of the pot". The sense "communal meal, where guests bring their own food", appears to have originated in the late 19th century or early 20th century US, particularly in the Western United States, either by influence from potlatch or possibly by extension of traditional sense of "luck of the pot".

Potluck - To the Irish, a potluck was a meal with no particular menu. Everyone participating brought a dish for all to share. The term comes from a time when groups of Irish women would gather together and cook dinner. They only had one pot so they cooked the meal together with whatever ingredients they happened to have that day."

Apparently it does mean that i'm lucky to have received whatever is in the pot. Hum...who knew?

Anyways, now let's move on to another questions....what is potluck etiquette? Does everyone bring a meal item and dessert? Do some bring meals and some bring dessert? Is a fruit tray an appropriate item to bring? Can you bring something that you know most people will not like? Do you make a double batch...like if you were bringing chicken wings, is 12 appropriate for a group of 20 or more...or should you stick to items that are more easily spread out amongst large groups like lasagna, casseroles, etc..? Do everyone share the leftovers? Do you just bring back what your brought? Should you take the hint if nearly no one helped themselves to whatever you brought? Is it fair that the same people always bring the pricier items like meat dishes?

I searched this topic and found many sites offering advice. Here's some advice (http://www.drdaveanddee.com/potluck.html):

Pot Luck Etiquette Advice

1. The host generally provides one of the main dishes, plates, silverware, napkins, and glasses.

2. If you are a guest, ask the host what to bring. The host may have food categories divided among the guests such as bread, salad, appetizer, main dish, side dish, dessert, and beverage.

3. Arrive on time. Do not inconvenience the other guests by making them wait for you and your dish to arrive.

4. Bring the appropriate serving utensil for your dish. The host may not have the utensil or have enough serving utensils for everyone's dish.

5. Unless you have an unusual serving dish and utensil, it is best to tape your name to both for easy identification. Have your name attached is helpful if you forget to take your dish home.

6. The dish should be ready to serve and kept at the appropriate temperature until placed on the table. If bringing hot food, keep it hot until it is placed on the table and bring a hot plate to protect the table surface. If bringing cold food, keep it cold until ready to serve.

7. When at the buffet line, only take a small portion of each item to taste. Part of the fun of a potluck is to sample everyone's dish.

8. Help the host with clean up. If everyone helps with clean up, it will get done in a fraction of the time with little effort on everyone's part.

9. If your dish has leftovers, then take them home unless you would like to offer it to the host. Do not take someone else's leftovers.

10. Show appreciation. Let everyone know how much you enjoyed their dish and thank them.

Most sites had the same advice....never thought about bringing a serving utensil...good idea! I still have some unanswered questions though....any of you have suggestions? If so email me lisenewell@hotmail.com and I will gather and post a new list for all...I will keep your identity confidential so no worries peeps :)