A generally agreed upon number is seven participants, with one member dedicated to dessert. Too many cooks do spoil the broth, and too few can become unsatisfactory. A delicate balance must be maintained between ambition and mediocrity before the host assigns responsibility. To expect too much would be foolish, and to keep it chip ‘n’ dippy would be amateurish. It begins with deciding the kind of cuisine that should be served, and then understanding the cooking chops of each participant. Potluck veterans will tell you that a good host orchestrates their spread like a puppet master. “It was not badly made, it was just the wrong dish for that menu,” she says, a touch defensively. One potluck participant I spoke to still remembers the agony of watching her chowmein go untouched in a table full of dahi vadas, imli chutney, chole, and puris. And, that there is no greater shame than your contribution being ignored. Besides, everyone knows that the star of every potluck is a dish that sparks conversation. Within the rigid framework of a well-executed one, each dish must complement the other, but also stand out enough to be discussed.
