Dinner Swap Groups in the Bay Area

If you’re getting tired of your family’s dinner recipes but don’t want to surf the web for new dishes, we have a solution. It’s a chance to try new foods, and also meet new families in your community. Sound appealing? It’s called dinner swapping. 
Dinner swapping, or food exchanging, isn’t a new concept. It’s basically bartering: an opportunity to swap a Tupperware container of your extra chili for a few jars of homemade apple butter.
This food trend has made its way around the Bay Area. The New York Times wrote about the trend: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/us/25bcfoodswap.html?_r=1.
So there are plenty of opportunities to attend a homemade food swap. Try new foods, spend less time cooking and make new friends. It’s a win-win-win!
Here are the groups we’ve found. Maybe there’s one in your neighborhood. Or start your own! Let us know about it and we will add it to this list. Email [email protected]
 
East Bay Homemade Food Swap. This swap occurs four times a year at different locations around the Bay Area. It’s organized by Kendra Poma, who is a big fan of trading in general: Poma also organizes clothing and plant swaps. Her blog is on hold for now as she prepares to have a baby, but she plans to resume with a homemade food swap in October.
http://swapitoakland.blogspot.com/p/homemade-food-swaps.html
 
Food Swap Silicon Valley. This relatively new food swap based in Silicon Valley calls itself a “community around a shared love for, and interest in swapping, your favorite locally grown, foraged and handmade foods.” “Like” its Facebook page for updates on their next event. https://www.facebook.com/foodswapsv
Homemade Swap: Monthly at 18 Reasons. On the second Sunday of every month at 4:30pm, families gather at 18 Reasons in San Francisco to trade homemade family dinners. Bring at least one dinner to barter. Confirm before attending.
http://www.biritemarket.com/events/swap-homeade-family-dinner/
 
Homemade Trade SF. Hosted monthly by SF Swappers, this group (co-founded by a professional chef) aims to “provide an opportunity for home cooks to share food they enjoy, creating with a community of like-minded food lovers. We welcome bakers, canners, picklers, distillers, home cooks and everyone passionate about making and sharing food.”
http://homemadetrade.blogspot.com/p/upcoming-events.html
 
None of the above swaps in your area? Check out the Food Swap Network to find a group that works for you, or organize your own:
Food Swap Network
http://foodswapnetwork.com/
Swap On-Demand. Have extra food you want to trade right now? If you can’t wait for a monthly swap, try the Leftover Swap app. You can ask for or offer leftovers to your neighbors.
http://leftoverswap.com/
 
Mallory Pickett is a freelance journalist in Berkeley, California.