Recession Potluck

“I don’t want to go out tonight and blow $50,” I said to Rachel one morning back in March, sitting in Sweetwater’s at Kerrytown. “How ‘bout a spontaneous potluck? We’ll ask people to bring just whatever’s in their fridge and call it a ‘Recession Potluck,’ cause we’re too cheap to go out!”

And thus the seed for every Ann Arbor restauranteur’s worst nightmare is planted. Normally avid fans of the downtown restaurant scene but feeling the economic pinch, our crowd has made the Recession Potluck (RP) a monthly event. Our only “rule” is that it’s BYOB and the food you bring must have come from your pantry or fridge. No elaborate planning or purchases allowed.

We had 8 or 10 people at the first RP, and the resulting menu sported just the right mix of meats, veggies, desserts, and snackies. The mix is always one of the more dicey aspects of a potluck, if you ask me. I hosted a potluck at Christmas once, and I SPECIFICALLY told guests that I was making ‘cheesy potatoes.’ And yet TWO friends also brought identical casseroles. The Button and I were eating cheesy potato leftovers for the rest of the holiday vacation.

Impromptu themes are emerging – the second RP in May was a Derby watching party, so we all wore hats. And last Saturday’s event was Beth P’s birthday, so the day was declared a birthday party for EVERYONE. Host Kristi and kids made cupcakes, which had candles and we sang happy birthday to ourselves. I also found myself particularly entertained by the contents of Kristi’s pantry and freezer – she has young kids, so her stocks skew a little more creatively than mine. Mixing a brightly-colored punch for the kids with pomegranate lemonade and ginger ale, Kristi asked me if I’d like some. I accepted, and promptly added a jigger of Pinot Grigio to the glass. “What are ya gonna name that drink Mandy?” Beth S called out from across the room.

The “Recession Potluck Cocktail,” of course. Impromptu, cobbled together from materials at hand, and crafted with a spirit of whimsy.