Hello, dog days of summer — a time for potlucks, cookouts, family reunions and pool parties. By their very nature, these gatherings are dependent on the guests’ generosity and collective enthusiasm and on, by my reckoning, three key types of contributors: the Pick-Up Artist, the One-Dish Wonder and the Showstopper.
Happy to provide critical essentials, the Pick-Up Artist buys chips or drinks or cold cuts, slaws or salads, cookies or paper goods.
The One-Dish Wonder arrives with the same tried-and-true platter no matter the occasion. It might be mac and cheese or potato salad, barbecue or fried chicken. In my neighborhood, Mr. Bishop’s meatballs are legendary: sweet, tangy, perfectly sized. If I went to a gathering and didn’t see them, I would be bereft.
The Showstopper is competitive to the core; in a potluck guest, this is by no means a negative quality. As hosts, we count on the sensational contributions from our friends the Showstoppers. These are the guests of whom we can ask, “Will you bring a vegetarian dish that will feed a crowd?” Or, “Do you have a dessert for 25?”