Let's cook and eat together: Sunday, March 18th

Buongiorno.
We've just had our terrific Lunar New Year dinner, and plans are already in place for our March dinner.
As agreed last Sunday, for the March event we'll be having sustainable fresh fish (except salmon: we do that separately when wild-caught salmon is in season).
Fruit will be apples: anyone for a serious tarte tatin?

Go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch for a complete list of sustainable seafood choices in California. Pick a fish from the Best Choices or Good Alternatives columns.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

The plan
30-35 of us will cook and eat together on March the 18th, starting at around 2:30.
The dinner will be in San Francisco. Jeremy has kindly offered his company's very large, multiple-range kitchen for our gathering. Thank you, Jeremy, for making this dinner possible.
There will be enough space for us to use the stoves and ovens in a couple of shifts.

We're expanding registration to 40 people and I'm keeping at least 8 spots for newcomers to ensure everyone gets a chance to join us (as some of you know we usually fill the spots in a day or two).
Every person coming (including any guest you bring) will have to sign up for a slot and either cook something or provide wine and beer (if beverages slots are available, see below).

As participation is limited, please let us know at least four days before the dinner if you're not going to be able to make it, so we can invite someone else to join us. Emailing me on shorter notice (or not at all) is unfair to us and to the people who wanted to participate and couldn't because all the slots were taken.

We'll divide the cooking among the participants this way: ALL SLOTS FULL

4 participants will make appetizers for 12 each 
12 participants will make main courses for 3-4 people each (please include some vegetarian options)
5 participants will make salads for 8 people each  
5 participants will make desserts for 8-10 people each
6 participants will bring 2 bottles of good wine and some beer (no Bud or Miller, please) 
2 participant will bring non-alcoholic beverages for 20 (sparkling water, juices, soda)

Please let me know who is coming by name. Once we reach 40 people confirmed, I will close the event and start another post for the waiting list. If the slots are full for what you'd like to bring, please choose something else instead. (Don't worry: There will always be another event to showcase your skills.)

Ingredients
We decided to pick the vegetables together, so we'll work with what the group decides (Iron Chef-style, only without the competition bit). Sustainable fish as a main course and apples as a fruit are the already-chosen ingredients.
Below I've suggested some seasonal March produce; now YOU get to vote the ones you want. We should pick 3 vegetables.

Here are the possibilities: 
Vegetables: Asparagus, garbanzo beans, leeks, mustard greens and mizuna (the Japanese mustard green), arugula, jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes).

So post a comment here letting me know the following:
First and last name
Email address
What you'll be bringing (appetizer, main course, etc. and if it's vegetarian)
Your vote for ingredients (please pick 3 vegetables)
If you brought wine last time, you should now cook an appetizer or an entree, (unless you cooked as part of a couple and made a large entree).

I'll tally the results and post a list of the chosen ingredients, and who's bringing what.
If too many people pick the same course, I'll have to assign a different course to the last entrant.
If the votes are tied for ingredients, I'll flip a coin.

This is going to be great! So sign up before we have no space left.
Precedence will be given to the people who came last time, but please feel free to pass the word to fellow foodies.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

Comments

[mark russo]

Ciao Bello,

I will attend the March dinner and prepare a scrumptous scampi appetizer with capers.

[Rebecca Weinstein]

Great! I would like to bring a guest, Scott. We will bring 2 different vegetable dishes. We can count them as one main and one 'salad'. I vote for leeks, mustard greens and sunchokes. Thou garbanzos and arugula are fighting for a place...I am really looking forward to this!!

[Dan Schuster]

Please put me down for a dessert. I may bring a guest, my wife if she can get away. Put her down for a soup. If she can't make it, I'll still make the soup.

For vegetables, I vote for asparagus. Got the first ones last week at the farmers market and they were good!

[Ken]

Ken Shultz
kshultz10@yahoo.com

I'll bring a salad and my guest will bring wine

My vote: Asparagus, garbanzo beans, leeks

[Yiming and Robert]

Robert will make an asparagus soup and I will make an asparagus dish, possibly asparagus with scampi.

[Marco Flavio (the organizer)]

I'll be making an entree.
And my rustic bread, we always need bread.
I vote for arugula (the wild one is amazing this season), mustard greens mizuna) and asparagus.
ciao

[Kelly Nguyen]

Hello,

This will be my first dinner with the group. I'd like to make tilapia in a panko crust.

Cheers!

[Julia Kochi]

I can make this one again! I'll bring a salad.

My votes for veggies: Asparagus, leeks, arugula,

Thanks!

[Vivian Ross]

Hello - I would like to attend on 3/18, and will make an Apple Tart Tatin. I've been experimenting for several months, and they are getting better every time.

[Scott W]

non-vegetarian entree!

[Scott W]

oh yeah... leeks, garbanzo beans and asparagus.

[Rosemary Vu]

Have been hoping to attend this since last november - I'll bring an appetizer and my guest will bring dessert. I also vote for asparagus and leeks.

Rosemary

[Bess Nguyen]

New participant..
bessnguyen@gmail.com
I would like to participate w/ a guest.
I would like to bring an appetizer.
My guest will bring non-alcoholic beverages

My vote: asparagus, arugula, sunchokes.

Can you please email me to confirm that I get to participate? Thanks!

[Nick Vorono]

I'll bring a dessert, Apple Crostade with Burnt Caramel Sauce.
My vote for veggies: Asparagus, Arugula and Leeks.

[Vincent Chang + Eriko Hayashi]

New participant with guest. We can bring wine and an appetizer (does the appetizer have to feature the seasonal ingredient? and we can cook it all there?)

Vote: asparagus, arugula, leeks

[Stephanie Theodore]

Hi, I'll be a newbie as well.

steph_theodore@yahoo.com

asparagus, sunchokes and leeks...

How about an asparagus-leek risotto?
It can be vegetarian/vegan.

Thanks!

[Amanda and David]

Hello all!

Amanda will open her famous bar and ofer drinks to everybody... And she may incorporate some of the ingredients in the coctails...

David will work on some side dishes: Leek gratin (2 die 4), and may be more!! with asparagus and jerusalem artichokes.

Veggies vote: Asparagus, Leek and jerusalem artichokes

[Krista]

wouldn't miss it! I'd like to do an entree...

[Eve Diamond]

Hello!

My vote is for sunchokes, leeks and asparagus. I'll bring some kind of appetizer unless there is a different need....

[Julie motz]

I'll do a vegan dish with jerusalem artichokes.

[Nancy Chan and Max Chen]

Hello hello all!

I'll bring an apple dessert this time- maybe a candied apple something something...i want to play with caramel or some kind of sugary, syrupy glaze. and Max will bring non-alcoholic beverages. see you next month!

[Julie motz]

I forgot my vegetable votes: garbanzo beans, asparagus and jerusalem artichokes.

[Kerry Lange]

Hi there! I'm new to this so looking forward to meeting everyone!

I'll bring some fantastic wine, and my vote is for asparagus, sunchokes and arugula.

[Lia Cherian]

Hello everyone, this will be my first dinner and I am very much looking forward to it.

I will bring 2 bottles of good wine. My vote for ingredients: Asparagus, garbanzo beans, jerusalem artichokes.

[Andrea Jadwin]

I'll bring wine (white). My vegetable votes are asparagus, arugula and garbanzo beans!

[Lyora Zadik]

I vote for asparagus, artichoke, and arugala. I will be making a dessert, probably an apple pie.

[benny]

I'll make some (vegetarian) appetizer dips, and my vote for vegtables are: asparagus, garbanzo beans, and any kind of artichokes.

[Alison]

Hey all, I'm bringing Marco & 2-3 bottles of exciting wine to pair with delectable sustainable fish (Mark Russo, this may call for a consult!), but I'm not ruling out other surprises too ...

[Alison]

About those veggies: Jerusalem artichokes, mizuna, and asparagus.

[Anne]

Hi,
Me and one guest will attend. We will bring a salad (with fresh fruits) and a main course to share.

[Anne]

The vote for veggies are: artichokes, asparagus and mustard greens.

[margherita]

Hello,
I'll make an entree and my guest bring an entree and appetizer.
See you there

[Serena Federman]

Marco,

Thanks for posting a link to the Seafood Watch program. Tell all your friends that we have a great event coming up on May 19th and 20th at the Monterey Bay Aquarium called Cooking for Solutions. Check it out on our website and don't forget to download the latest 2007 pocket guide, which was just recently updated www.seafoodwatch.org

Cioa,
Serena Federman
Seafood Watch Outreach Specialist

[Joanna Tong]

I'd like to attend and bring a side vegetable.

Veggie Vote: Asparagus, artichokes, leeks

[Vicki Simon]

I would like to participate for the first time.
Main course – a fish dish
My choice of veg – sunchokes, mustard greens, leeks
THANKS!

[Linda Law]

Dessert - I'll be whipping out my favourite dessert...Tiramisu!