Let's cook and eat together: Sunday September 23rd

Buongiorno.
We're ready for our first anniversary dinner!
That's right: Cook Here and Now is now 1 year old and counting, with 300+ subscribers to the blog and about 500-800 individual readers a week. We've been recommended in 7x7 magazine, the Lonely Planet San Francisco Encounter guide, and the forthcoming book on international food politics, Stuffed and Starved. Thanks to everyone who participated this year for keeping the culinary inspiration coming.
True, it's not always easy to nab a slot at our monthly dinners, but do keep trying -- after a year of yummy dinners, we can safely promise a good time had by all.

For our upcoming dinner, we'll be featuring all poultry except chicken (we're including rabbit as well, the other other white meat). Please cook responsibly and choose local, organic and free-range meat whenever possible: You can get it at Whole Foods, at the Prather Meat Company or Golden Gate Meat in the Ferry Building, for starters.

Vegetables will be green beans, tomatoes (Two Dog farms dry-farmed Early Girls are highly recommended, and you'll know why if you just taste them), tomatillos, and peppers (be careful, don't let bold peppers take over all the other flavors in your dish).
Fruit will be blackberries (think blackberries with duck...) and figs.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

The plan
35-40 of us will cook and eat together on September the 23rd, 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 at the last event. There will be enough space for us to use the stoves and ovens in a couple of shifts.

We're expanding registration to 45 people, and I'm keeping at least 8 spots for newcomers to ensure everyone gets a chance to join us (we usually fill the spots in less than a day).
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).

Since 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 everyone, especially the people who wanted to participate and couldn't because all the slots were taken.

We'll divide the meal plan this way:

15 participants will make main courses for 3-4 people each (including some vegetarian options)
5 participants will make appetizers for 8 people each  
8 participants will make salads for 8 people each  
8 participants will make dessert for 8-10 people each  
8 participants will bring at least 2 bottles of good wine and some locally-brewed beer. Consider that most cooks spend $25-50 (and up!) just on their ingredients. If you're not cooking, you should be prepared to spend at least this much on beverages, out of respect for your chefs. 
2 participants will bring non-alcoholic beverages for 20 (sparkling water and juices)

Please let me know who is coming by name. Once we reach 45 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.)

So post a comment on the blog (do NOT email me) letting me know the following:
First and last name
Email address
What you'll be bringing (appetizer, main course, etc.) 
If you brought wine last time, you should now cook something (unless you cooked as part of a couple and made a large entree).

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 the spaces are gone.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

Comments

[Marco Flavio (the organizer)]

Buongiorno!
I will come up with some new breads for you...
I've been working on some new delayed fermentation techniques from Peter Reinhart formulated for whole wheat breads.
See you there,
Marco

[Dan Schuster and Amy]

Dan: entree
Amy: appetizer
See you on the 23rd.

[Jennifer]

Jennifer: Appetizer
Bobby: Wine
There will be of us!

[Lindsay + Warren]

we can't wait -- we'll be anticipating all this good food while we fast on Saturday for Yom Kippur!

We will make a poultry entree and a dessert.

[Jennifer Rost]

Hi! I'd like to sign up for the upcoming poultry dinner and bring a friend. Not sure if this is how I "post to the blog" or not since this is my first time.

Name: Jennifer Rost and Andrea Kovol

Email address: jen@jrcreativeservices.com

What you'll be bringing: I'd love to bring an appetizer, and my friend will bring wine if that is ok - we plan to cook together and buy the wine together. Do I need to let you know what I am making yet, or can I determine on Saturday after I go to the Farmer's Market to see what is fresh?

Please let me know if I have a slot or not - two newcomers, yea! I am so excited!

[brian wood]

I will bring some appetizers and a lot of bread.

[Joanna Tong + 1 Guest]

Hi, I'd like to make dessert and my guest will non-alcoholic beverages. Looking forward to celebrating our 1st year anniversary.

[agnes]

I would love to RSVP with ONE guest. We will bring DESSERT and SALAD. Thank you.

[Candice]

Hi, I've been on the list for a while and would like to attend. I can bring an entree and my guest wine/beer. Thanks, Candice Lin
candiceylin@yahoo.com

[kyna lim]

Dry-braised green beans.

[Julia Kochi]

I'm taking the easy way out and will bring wine this time. Thanks!

[Mini Kahlon + 2]

I'll bring/make a salad (I'm thinking a warm salad) or a vegetarian entree - you can choose and/or reassign me to anything else (i don't know much about cooking non-poultry white meat though ... :( )

my 2 parents will bring some good spirits - attitude variety, and wine/beer/softdrinks

[Lina Avidan]

I will make Mexican turkey mole tamales as an entree. I am looking for at least one helper, so we can make enough for everyone. I will bring one guest.

[Scott W]

Wow this fills up fast... God bless my desk job.

I'll cook an entree. And I scanned this post and had to backtrack when I saw "Girls are highly recommended."

[cristina pejoro + 1]

Hi Mario. In reading previous responses, I'd like to change my contribution from appetizers (it looks like we have lots of appetizers) to an entree and dessert from me and my friend. Cris

From the organizer:
PS. My first name is Marco Flavio, not Mario.

[Zubin Dittia]

Thanks Marco. This time I'll bring a few bottles of wine.

[Rebecca Weinstein]

I'll come plus a guest. My friend will bring wine, I'll bring a salad and figs from my tree, if they are still as plentiful in a couple weeks as they are now!

[Wendy Botwick +1]

Main course and guest will bring a dessert.
Looking forward to cooking/meeting you all.

Wendy

[Pilar Garcia]

I will make a greem bean dish

[Sigrid Reinsch]

Blackberry pie!

[Linda Law]

I will bring 1 guest (guest dish to be determined) but I'll make an entree, cheers! Guest will bring wine.

[Emily-Jane Cohen]

will bring a rabbit entree

[Valerie]

Valerie Drews

I'm a newbie- I'll bring a salad.

valerie.drews@ucsf.edu

[Genessa Kealoha]

Genessa Kealoha: Blackberry tart

My guest Alex Black will bring alchoholic beverages

[Jumana Muwafi]

3 people. We are:
Jumana, Houda and Mona.

We're bringing entrée, salad and wine.

[Arrigo]

Marco, I'd like to make a rabbit roast with (guess what?) aged balsamico... Looking forward to this dinner!

[Allen Cohn]

Allen Cohn

I'll bring a dessert.

[Carrie Aginsky]

Hi there,

I'd like to be one of the new people to come and I'd bring a salad. My partner/guest, Yasha, will bring wine.

[Kristin]

Hi - I am a first-timer and would also like to bring a guest. It's officially my birthday, so would love to spend it with you all!

I will bring salad and my guest Elisa will bring an entree drinks. Thanks!