DinnerSaturday

I'm up for dinner Saturday, if anybody's going to be around & interested in trolling for some kind of good food.

- JimBullock, 19-Sept-2002

I'll be there, and I'm always interested in good food. Maybe someone knows about regional specialities? FionaCharles 19-Sep-02

Navajo: fry-bread and mutton, though it would be tough to find

Hopi: incredibly thin bread made from blue cornmeal, water, and maybe ash. It's cooked on a hot rock, and folded over a few times. Likewise, hard to find.

BBQ: Bill Johnson's Big Apple Restaurant "We don't fool ya, we feed ya!" (My wife used to work there)

All information courtesy of my wife, who lived in the area from '83 until '89. Some of it may even be serious.

DaveLiebreich 19-Sep-02

My only request is that the dinner accomodate vegetarians.

DaveSmith

My requirement is that you leave some kind of notice for people who might arrive later than planned. - JerryWeinberg (")

Phoenix has lots of good restaurants to suit almost any taste. I found some good ones through whatever the local guidebook was in the hotel.

I love Thai food and one of my favorites is on Main Street in Scottsdale - a Thai restaurant whose name, of course, I can't remember right now. I'll see what I can dig up in my paper archives. - BeckyWinant Sept 19, 02

The restaurant is Malee's on Main. _ BeckyWinant Sept 22,02

With all his brave chef talk, why don't we have JimBullock cook for us on Saturday night? Is there some restaurant in Phx that will let us mess around in their kitchen? - JerryWeinberg 2002.09.22

Jerry, now you're talking. Jim, cook for us! --JohannaRothman 2002.09.22

Great Idea! Might we be able to do this Chez Embassy? - BeckyWinant 9-23-02

For those who are shy about new cooks and question the skill level of chef JimBullock, a few of the attendees have had the pleasure to taste several JimBullock-prepared dishes earlier this year. They were delicious! -JohnSuzuki 2002.09.23

I will be arriving Saturday afternoon, and would love to join all of you wherever you go (and, at one point, Jim had volunteered to cook Salmon... never happened, but I am still interested!)

-DianeGibson 9/30/02

I do appreciate the kind words about our SEM02 dinner. Let's remember that the centerpiece was Paul Jakubik's marinated, rubbed steak - a recipe I have since stolen. This past weekend I got told again that I should cater for a living. So maybe I should "follow the energy" and give up this whole software thing.

Like many things, cooking works best when the people involved are interested in creating something together. It isn't something you do "for" people as much as you do "with" people. I'm glad to help us cook together for Saturday dinner, if we want to do that. (God, that was just a "channeling JerryWeinberg" moment, wasn't it? I wonder if I can borrow being tall?)

- JimBullock 2002.20.1

I would love to cook together Saturday evening, if it fits for others. -- ShannonSeverance 2002.10.1

Shannon, Jim and others,
I would enjoy this, too. Jim's cuisine and the comaraderie (sp?) sound too good to pass up. I will have a large suite (which AYE hosts get to use as their headquarters for meetings). There should be a large room that is a living area, dining area and kitchen, if I recall. My plane is due to arrive on Saturday by 4:30, so I should be checked in by 5:30 (barring any plane delays etc.). The only caveat I can think of is a poorly stocked kitchen. I have no idea what the pot and pan situaiton is. Perhaps everyone will have to bring a pan from their room!

If others are willing to plan a meal and shop, I'll host and be a helper. I can follow instructions and can slice and dice and I have no food allergies or dislikes (well, calf brains doesn't thrill me even tho I have never eaten them - nor do I plan on doing that).

-BeckyWinant 10-1-2002

I would be very happy to help with whatever is needed. I get in mid afternoon Saturday. SherryHeinze 2002.10.02

Sherry,

I don't know if we've met (I was a AYE last year, but I met so Many people!)... but if folks decide to do a cooking event and can propose a shopping list, perhaps we can do shopping Saturday afternoon. I get in about 2:15... should be settled by about 3:30. I'm not renting a car, but perhaps we can get a hotel van to take and pick us up?

What do others think? Can some folks propose a shopping list ahead of time? Interested in making such a commitment (you 'P's' out there?)

DianeGibson 10-3-02

This is feeling like a critical mass of interest. I've extracted the DinnerRequirements to their own page, so we can check against them convenienly. Meanwhile, here's a set of next steps:

Becky, can we get access to the suite early, for recon purposes (space, seating, burners, etc.?)
We'll need an approximate headcount. Bob, can you make us a sign-up page for dinner? Or is there some better idea?
Any kids anticipated?
Having arrival times, and help available all in one place would be nice. Can we collate this stuff somewhere, or is there a better idea?
I'm biased toward buffet / pot-luck kind of presentation (also called "family style" sometimes.) Greatly reduced logistics for plates, serving and so on. If we make something that's got pretty individual portions we can deal with that separately. Objections?
I'm wondering what kind of support we can get from our kind hosts: utensils, serving stuff, staples, etc. I'll ask about this if someone will get me contact information.

Now, a shopping list. Well, we don't have a menu yet, so that's kind of hard. It's always easier when you work with what's locally good.

Anyone local to Phoenix, or the South West in general?
What's in season? What's good there? What can we count on getting?
What do we just absolutely have to get? Have we got someone with a deep need for Mesquite, for example?
Does someone have a dish or ingredient that they think would really fit with this exercise?
I have really liked the chilis, and in general the hot peppers / cheeses combinations in the SW (usually Jack cheese, or Cheddar.) Is somebody a chili expert?

I'm a little reluctant to try making blue corn bread on hot rocks, or to base dinner on hard to find mutton, if mutton really is hard to find. So some alternatives would be nice. Onward . . .

- JimBullock, 2002.10.2

Jim,

How early would you want to get in the room? I will be at the hotel most likely by 5PM. If you want in earlier, I can ask if they will let you in, let me know what you want.
Can we set a time for dinner? is 7 PM okay?
I can find out what is in the room for utensils.
I suspect that getting staples and added utensils from the kitchen will cost something, and that is okay if we can all agree to share the cost of dinner.

I put other notes on DinnerRequirements

- BeckyWinant 2002-10-03

Count me in. I like Cilli.

KenEstes

Ken,

I like chili, chilly, chilli and even cilli, especially if its silly and always when its HOT!

- BeckyWinant 2002-10-03

I'm hungry for it already. Imagine a hunger that lasts for months... I might be in a little late (deplaning 5PM). What ingredients from a different continent (that can survive a 20 hour flight) would harmonize well with local supplies and climate ? -- LaurentBossavit 2002.10.04

Laurent ,

Cheese !!!

- BeckyWinant 2002-10-04

Hi folks,

Are we still proceeding with a Saturday dinner? Is there a next step pending? Does cooking still sound good to you, Jim?

Checking in... BeckyWinant 2002.10.20

Jim,

If you are still looking for a kitchen, I could bring a coleman camping stove and I am sure you could use it in the parking lot.

--KenEstes 2002.10.20

I will have a suite with plenty of room and a basic kitchen (as per most Embassy Suite suites). I suspect that pots and panswould be the challenge. Any camping gear for pots and pans, Ken?

- BeckyWinant 2002.10.20

Becky, do you know what the "basic Kitchen" is in your suite? I have a vague recollection from last year of a bar fridge and a small microwave, a couple of cups and glasses and a coffee pot. But I am not as sure as I would like to be that I have the right hotel.

SherryHeinze 2002.10.20

Sherry, good question. I'll check with the hotel.

- BeckyWinant 2002.10.21

United changed my planes, so I won't be landing until 7pm. If this happens, let me know, and I'll eat leftovers. --JohannaRothman 2002.10.23

I will have the same minimal "basic kitchen" as Sherry recalls. I am wondering if this is headed toward doom. :(

- BeckyWinant. 2002.10.23

This is definitely not doom, but it may be a change of plans. I figure that if the worst case scenario is that we have dinner together anywhere, life is not to bad. What other possibilities are there?

SherryHeinze 2002.10.23

We all go out to dinner and bring leftovers back for Johanna?

-BeckyWinant 2002.10.24

I had to reschedule my flight to Phoenix, and will be arrive quite late. I hope I'm missing an enjoyable dinner. --DaveSmith 26 Oct 2002

Dave, maybe we'll eat dinner at the hotel together. JohannaRothman 2002.10.26

So are we meeting somewhere, maybe the lobby, at some time 6? 6:30? 5:30? and going somewhere, leaving a destination for late comers, as Jerry suggested way back? Or in Becky's room & ordering something? Or buying bread and peanut butter?

Even if we can't cook, we can still eat.

SherryHeinze 2002.10.30

I'm allergic to peanuts, but otherwise Sherry's idea is a good one. How about we start gathering at the bar in the lobby at 5, for "cocktails," and go from there depending on what we've got to work with? We can meet inside or outside the bar - depending on individual choice. There's not a sharp border between bar and lobby. And we can leave a note on the bulletin board next to checkin desk, for latecomers. JerryWeinberg 2002.10.30

I am going to bring wine. I bought "Fat Bastard 2001 Chardonnay". Mostly I bought it for the name, but the wine dealer told me it is very good.

KenEstes 2002.11.01

News. The only cooking in my suite is a microwave (and a small fridge).

Looks like we'll have to come up with another way to dine. - JerryWeinberg

(It's not my party, but...)
Does Phoenix have any parks with charcoal grills? Grilled dinner is not at all a bad thing. At worst, splitting the cost of one or two grills (Walmart) can't be much. Of course, managing cooking over a fire is more challenging. --BobLee 2002.11.01

Updated: Friday, November 1, 2002