Nancy, This sounds like fun! Can we tweak as we go if necessary?

Of course! You can only think these things through so far.

You going to be the driver?? Sounds good to me!
Linda C

We need a short catchy name to head the posts dealing with this.
As a first nominator I suggest "Whatcha got?"..
Or alternativly "I have..."
But I am not clicking on all cylindars....
However I think we need a name to ID the threads when they come up.

Here's a stupid question -- is a virtual dinner a whole meal or a single dish using the ingredient? I'm glad this isn't a team game. I'd be the last one chosen for sure! Hey, that might be fun for the future -- Team A vs Team B and Team C, except nobody can choose a team -- it's the luck of the draw!
It sounds like fun, Nancy; you've put a lot of thought into this and as a "newbie", I'm looking forward to participating the best I can.
Annie1971

I suggest calling it:

2009 CF Ingredient Game: Round 1

And then keep changing the Round #. Boring perhaps, but it will be easy to spot, and I think a new person would be inclined to open it and perhaps join in.

or, in Lindac's honor: I have......a glass of scotch. ;)

Good idea Linda.

How about Cookalong ____ e.g.:

Cookalong Carrots
Cookalong Edamame
Cookalong Figs

Sounds like a plan, Nancy! I'm looking forward to it.

Teresa

Hey, I'm in too, this should be fun.

Annie

Sing with me please....
" cookalong....cookalong....cookalong.....long long...."
I know....it's cold...I've been packing up Christmas and drinking Scotch.....can't help it...
"cookalong cookalong cookalong..long..long,...."
Linda C

LOL...I like the cookalong name.

Maybe something like...

Cookalong #1 (ingredient name)

Annie1971, to answer your question, your virtual dinner can be anything but at least one dish needs to use the focus ingredient. Easy....

Linda...have fun packing up Christmas, no driving for you! Wish I was there to help.....

Nancy

I'm in! Sounds like fun and I always sing the cookalong song when I'm cooking. Don't Yall?

Count me in too!!

(BTW Annie1971, you got me again!! I was thinking now why would "Original" Annie (note... NOT "Old" Annie and 1971 is older than 1992 anyway!!), think she'd be the last one chosen?...

Can't wait to see what the ingredient is!

Grace

Sounds like fun! I'll play when time and my work schedule allows. Every two weeks is a little busy for me but I'll try my best given my schedule and work....

David

I think this sounds like lots of fun and am looking forward to it.

Judi

Gotta have Scotch as one of the first ingredients. And consider adding Youtube clips (complete with bonus audio singing) to the pictures.

Time constraints considered, I'd love to participate. I may be spotty, but I'll try! Sounds like a plan to me.

And I also like the "Cookalong...cookalong...cookalong" name. Dang it Linda, now I'm singing!

Nancy - Great idea - thank you. This game should encourage/welcome new(er) people, like myself to jump in at anytime.
2009 CF Ingredient Game: Round 1 - I vote for this name- very self explanatory - suggested by weed30. also including the ingredient after the round.
"Cookalong" doesn't convey the focus of the game which is the ingredient. The named ingredient should draw the interest from the group. I think including meat and seafood and some ethnic ingredients would add more interest & participation and maybe we (I) could learn & try some new techniques and recipes. This would keep it interesting, as well as informative. Since the game/round is limited to 2 weeks each - if the ingredient gets little or no participation for what ever reason ( ingredient chosen, work /family obligations, vacations, etc) it wouldn't be a big deal.
I also think you need more time between the virtual dinner and the New Ingredient. Maybe the 1st and the 15th (date driven) - gives a little more time for the people to post from the old and choose new ingredient, and for us to shop , etc.

Sounds like fun. Two comments/suggestions:

1) I like two weeks. If you don't have time, wait for the next round. Two weeks keeps it moving, and also brings the next one along quicker if you simply don't like the current ingredient.

2) "Draw" the next name - Is that really going to happen or is it going to be a popularity contest? I suggest something more concrete, perhaps next person alphabetically (screen name) of those that took part in the current one. For example, based on this thread, after Linda C's scotch, magothyrivergirl gets to pick. And then mustangs... you get the idea.

(Like Annie1971 I wouldn't mind having a turn, too!!!)

magothyrivergirl, To your valid point of conveying "the focus of the game which is the ingredient", that was the point in my suggestion below:

How about Cookalong ____ e.g.:

Cookalong Carrots
Cookalong Edamame
Cookalong Figs

Well.....let's DO it!!

I like the day-of-the week structure rather than the date.
"Every other Monday" rather than "the 1st and the 15th."
That way we get used to a routine: Monday we see the new ingredient, then we think about some recipes, post them, read others. Many of us shop at farmers markets that are only open in the last days of the week, so I like winding up the shopping for this just before the weekend.

Mustangs - my apologies - I missed the ingredient name in your suggestion
It got derailed in the cookalong singalong :) sorry.

Is the Virtual dinner going to be separate thread? I am just wondering, as you can cook during the two weeks the ingredient is current and post any time, correct? You do not have to wait until the two weeks is over to post your dinner? If so, then, if it is all one thread, the dinners and post with recipes will be mixed. Not sure if this is good or bad, just thinking out loud :)

How fun I am in! Thanks Nancy for getting us off our collective winter butts....

I also kinda like Foodonastump's (way to long sir you need to help us with an abbreviation or a real name! LOL) idea on how to select the next ingredient. Something that would, by default, include all these wonderful newbies who enrich this forum.

Having said that, I coordinated virtual dinners here for a lot of years and the secret is to to keep it simple....

LOL LindaC...we are going to.....First thread will be started Monday..... :)

Foodonastump, I really don't think we will have any kind of a popularity contest going on, that never entered my mind. But you make a good point.
By having the current person who made the ingredient choice, the one to draw the next name, I was just trying to make it more fun for all. I feel drawing the name is better than trying to have a set pattern and less confusing.
Would it be better if I drew the name each week? I doubt it, but it might be easier for everyone as I could have the names written down to reuse each week. Each person's name will only be added to the hat once, no matter how many times they post in the two week period.

Magothyrivergirl, I didn't say that meat recipes couldn't be used. I just wanted the focus ingredient not to be a meat, fish or seafood. We have a number of vegetarians and folks who don't eat certain meats for religious reasons and I didn't want to have them not be able to participate. But by all means, feel free to use the focus ingredient with any recipe of your choosing.
Availability of some ethnic/regional ingredients varies greatly. That doesn't exclude general ethnic ingredients that are available throughout North America. I would think that some form of bean sprouts could be obtained by most anyone but many might be unable to purchase lemongrass...
that's just an example....:) We just need to keep things pretty general.

Good thoughts...it helps!

Nancy

I think this sounds great. As a relative newcomer to the forum, I agree completely that it is a way for some of us to start participating more. Fun, fun!

I might suggest that every time a new thread is started, regardless of the title chosen, the first post should link to this thread. That way people who come to the forum a couple of months from now can figure out what is going on. I know that for me, some of the threads you all understand completely are a bit of a mystery. I'm not even completely clear on the virtual dinner point for example (although I assume we all just post pictures of the dinner we made).

Deciding who gets to choose next - that's hard. I'm not keen on the alphabetical option because people toward the end won't have much of a chance (although "p" is better than "w"). I think the popularity contest will be balanced out by those making a deliberate effort to include the new people. And the new people don't have a clue who is "popular" and who is not, so will choose unbiasedly.

Just my ideas, this will be fun.

Ann

Sounds like fun and I don't care who chooses. Just count me in.

Ann