Potluck is one of my excuses to eat things I normally wouldn't.

I look for stuff that is yummy and really unlikely to be contaminated. For baked, I'm all for fluffy white buns and butter.

As for bringing food, if it is for people I really like, I'll make banana cake, spice cake or pumpkin pie. Usually the crowd is not anyone I need to impress or anyone who would even appreciate a killer spice cake, so I'd take 'em salad or something from Costco.

I'm kind of a cynic.