Simple food, simply prepared, can be the best to eat

You can blame squarely on our inherited cultural psyche of kiasuism for hospitality that there's always the temptation if you're entertaining, go out of your way and buy the most expensive produce available. I must admit that it is difficult not to feel that way. It doesn't have to be that way. As an experiment in entertaining on a tight budget, I have invited four families to my home for a potluck party this weekend but with a twist - each family is asked to bring a dish that served four to six and mustn't cost more than $10-$15, along with a wine that cost $10 or less. I will post the outcome of the potluck dinner party and the "bring a plate" recipes in the coming weeks. Since my philosophy is simple food, simply prepared, can be the best to eat I am going to shop around for some low cost ingredients and boost it with some flavour that will appeal to friends and family as my contribution. Maybe you can contribute your recipe to help.