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Q: How to
Sign up? Must
I go every month?
- A: You'll see every
dinner theme in advance, via email or the prior month Highlander. Sign
up only for a month that you want to go to. Three ways to do it:
- respond to the emailed evite invitation,
- or call one of the coordinators
- or use
the
form that is in the library at the HH clubhouse each month.
Once we have your email address, each month a message comes to your email. It tells you the country theme and links to the menu which will be posted here. Just reply
‘yes’ to this
message and you’re instantly signed up. Most members do it this way.
This also
lets you say when you’re willing to host.
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Q: Is it
Expensive? Someone said it's expensive.
A: Our ongoing
target is about $25 per person – including
all courses, and paired wines and beverages; we’ve met this on average
for the
last 13 months; specific house average costs do vary a bit depending on
who paid
what for ingredients. (If you can go find a complete wine dinner for two at any restaurant, including HH grille, well, we salute you; tell us where!)
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Q: What do
I have to do?
A: You probably will have to prepare something. One thing. You usually will have to cook one recipe given
to you, for the one house you go to. If you agree,
you may do
more than one dish, or host (which usually goes along with cooking the
entrée).
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Q: Consistency:
does it matter which house
I go to?
A: All houses use exactly the same menu and
recipes, and these are expected to be adhered to, so the dining
experience is
consistent across houses. Each house receives beverages based on equal
standard
allocations per person for the attendees. You do not choose the
house
you dine at; the coordinators will mix it up so you meet people. Couples
will
always be at the same house, but may be at different tables.
§
Q: Cancellations
and Emergencies –what If I
decide not to go?
A: Like any
other planned dinner, seating and purchasing, once done, is very awkward
if
there are last minute changes. To cancel at the last minute for less
than
severe reasons is unfair to the hosts, cooks, and other participants.
o OK
to cancel before deadline (approx two weeks before
dinner) – no penalty
o If
you or a family member becomes ill, we do understand, but lesser 'reasons' are not fair.
o If a host cancels, see if someone else who volunteered
to host can take over
o Cancellation
with less than one week notice burdens
everyone – so we’ll tell them why you needed to do it. If this becomes
an issue
the group may ask a cancellation fee to defray costs if already
purchased
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Q: Food
allergies –What if I don’t like or can’t
eat some dish? Can I bring my own food?
A: Any
allergy which is made known at or before the planning meeting we try to
accommodate in picking the recipes. But if you only
decide to
speak up afterward or at the dinner; that is unfortunate.
Bringing other
food is not appropriate at restaurants, nor allowed at our dinners.
§
Q: Wines
and beers –What if I don’t drink?
Can I bring my own?
A: Wines, and sometimes
aperitifs, a cocktail or after dinner liquor, are
planned - and included as part of each dinner as the members chose in the planning
meeting.
These are events where you sample new country-specific beverages, don’t expect your usual preferred drinks.
- Wines
are professionally chosen; paired with courses using Total Wine’s
recommendations. Group discount plus any monthly coupons are collected
and
used.
- BYOB
will never be allowed; that is inappropriate for these dinners. (you may want to check out Easy Dining ).
- Nondrinkers pay the same as everyone else,
there
will usually be non alcoholic beverages available to them. If you just
don’t
like a food or particular wine, just don’t eat or drink it.
- Wine
and liquor budget – is a target of around $10-$12 per person; a single buy
and
distribution to all houses is someone’s assigned task each month.
§
Q: Host
houses –How do they work? Am I
assigned to do this?
A: Host houses are volunteers each month. A host
house usually needs to accommodate 8 people. Less than this means each
attendee
can’t cook just one recipe or have one task. After you attend multiple
dinners
we kind of expect you to host. Hosts usually agree to prepare the
entrée,
because this is simply easier than packing it to take it to someone’s
house and
keep it hot or cook it there. If a host chooses to augment the
planned menu with their own wines, after dinner drinks, fine scotches,
or rare
brandies and ports, that is amazingly
gracious, but
not expected or needed, and not part of the shared costs.
§
Q: Co-hosts
–what do they do? How are costs
divided?
A: You help
hosts as needed (maybe serving or pouring wines) and calculate dinner
costs.
Each member tells their costs (honor system rather than inspecting
receipts);
the costs are averaged for that house; anyone under average pays the
extra;
anyone over gets a rebate.
§
Q: Guests-
Can I bring friends?
A: This is
for HH residents, but
houseguests
of a resident may attend these dinners too; they will be expected to
pitch in
and help cook, and will need to pay like everyone else.
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Q: Selecting
Country Themes – who decides?
A: – will be done at
the planning meetings.
Because the HH Highlander article deadline is two months before the
actual
dinner, we have to decide themes, but not recipes two months early.
These will
be posted in the Highlander, and in the signup email and flyer. The next
planning
meeting will pin down the final menu and recipes for that theme.
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Q: Selecting
Recipes –Can I help or
contribute?
A: : Sure; get them to the
coordinators before the planning meeting:
o We prefer
recipes someone has actually tested, and will always accept these prior
to the
planning meeting.
o Recipes should
be interesting; well proven if possible, and not overly difficult for
anyone to
make if they follow the provided recipe carefully..
o How
participatory do folks want it to be? Current practice is that
coordinators
will welcome any member’s recipes, and will bring to planning meeting
several strawman alternatives for each
course. The planning
attendees all vote on final choice for each course. This makes the
meeting
controllable and not unending.
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Q: How
do you send out recipes and house
assignments, and when?
A: We try
to send these out at least a week
early; plus
group wisdom on current best place to buy meats or major specialty
items; this helps
members minimize their costs. Cooks get emailed their assigned recipe;
and host
house. We always use MS Word attachment
format.
No, these may not print right from email. Better to download and then
print the
.doc file. If
asked, we’ll get a paper copy to you.
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Q: Menu/recipe
handouts- Are they
available?
A: We
print a couple of menu copies per house and you see them at dinner;
menus are sent
to everyone via email as printable attachments. Cooks get emailed their
assigned
recipe. If you want a recipe that you didn’t cook, just ask.. In
future we may be able to post recipes on the web for download