Rambutan by Cynthia Shanmugalingam

At some point I put this book on hold at the library and when my turn came I was putting sticky flags onto so many pages I knew I had to host a meetup based on this book - my not secret at all ploy to try so many of the dishes! The photos of the food and the island, the stories of Cynthia's family and descriptions of each recipe really give a sense of place to these mouth watering dishes, and the recipes seem to me quite accessible with a few key ingredients repeating in slightly different combinations to create so many options without much special equipment - unless you heed her call to grate your coconuts fresh :).

Please choose a recipe from the Rambutan cookbook - on sale at Amazon right now, support local Book Larder if you can, and the Seattle Library has multiple copies available. If you can't get your hands on the book you may find some of Cynthia's recipes republished online, please stick to her Sri Lankan recipes. One dish is required per person, so if you have a +1 please bring two dishes or double a recipe. Please post what you will be making in the comments so we have a balanced menu.

This event will be held at Katy and Cebron's house in South Seattle. This is a limited attendee event, so please do not RSVP if you are not committed to coming. If something changes and you can't make it, please update your RSVP as soon as possible, preferably at least 3-4 days in advance. We usually have a waitlist and people need time to plan for a recipe, so no-shows, "place holder" RSVPs and last minute RSVP changes aren't groovy for an event like this. If you're not feeling well, please stay home. If you don't post what you are bringing by 11/10 or respond to messages we will move you to "not going" to make room for waitlist attendees. Thanks for your cooperation.

Additional reminders:

• Make sure your Meetup settings allow event updates from organizers. If you don't get the emails, check your spam, or social folders (for those on gmail).
• Bring serving utensils for your dish - and remember to take them home.
• Feel free to bring a beverage to share, alcoholic or non-alcoholic.
• Your dish must be prepared in advance and ready to serve when you arrive. (if you need to reheat please message host to confirm space)
• Please bring a few dollars to help cover the Meetup fees that I pay for hosting this group ($330+/year), Venmo (@katy-ionis) or PayPal equally appreciated. Thanks!

Looking forward to seeing everyone!