Cookbook Clubs, Supper Clubs I have one and would

WhatsCookingMama

Senior Member
Joined
24 Jul 2019
Local time
12:40 AM
Messages
135
Location
USA
I have a monthly cookbook club. I started it January 2018 and it's still going strong. For me it's been a outlet of creativity. My days are filled with homeschooling and household duties. Cookbook Club has become my monthly me time.

I have learned to go out of my comfort zone with foods. I've pushed myself to learn new recipes involving foods I normally wouldn't. I have learned to entertain and now look for an excuse to throw together a luncheon or a party.

I would love to hear about other Cookbook Clubs, Supper Clubs, anything similar.

In my Facebook group for my local Cookbook Club. I wrote my vision and guidelines:

I want to stretch myself and I want to make a difference. The difference I want to make is not only in myself. I want my children to see and make their possibilities happen. I want others to experience the possibilities and have their possibilities happen. I understand that some will and others won't see beyond the recipes and the monthly commitment. Those who do see the beyond, will benefit like I.

This what I feel concerning Cookbook Club: I have made it a goal in my life since moving out on my own to succeed. Success means using what I have. Fixing what I can. Not wasting. Trying to being creative. Staying open to possibilities. Making nutritious food taste good. Saving money. I need to continually reach beyond my comfort zone. I want to feel comfortable entertaining in my home. I want my children to see me do something that I feel passionate about and achieve doing it. Plus doing all the above without breaking the budget.

What is Cookbook Club? Cookbook Club is a fun gathering of friends around the table sharing a passion for decilous food and great conversation. Some of us share a passion for cooking and baking. All of us share the need to nourish our bodies. So why not feed the body and soul for a couple of hours a month?

How does Cookbook Club work?
1- We decide on 1 or 2 cookbooks to make the meal for our luncheons. We use the cookbook(s) for a few months or until we decide we want to try something different. Or particular Chefs or themes.
2- A specific number of people commit to monthly luncheons. Keeping in mind that if you need to cancel you do so in a courteous amount of time. The hostess plans for a certain amount of people. Others have purchased the quantity needed for the amount of people attending. A week is a courteous amount of time.
3- All members of Cookbook Club agree to make 1 or 2 dishes from the chosen cookbook(s) or chosen topic. We bring them to the luncheon ready to serve.
4- We take turns hosting. The hostess may invite 1 guest to dine with us. Members do not invite a guest if not hosting. As hostess please let the others know if you invite and the person accepts. This way we have plenty of our particular dish(es).

Mod.Edit: Some detailed guidelines removed as not applicable to this forum.
 
Last edited:
Its a great idea and its brilliant that you are so committed. I presume it is for your local community? How many people do you get participating?
 
We have a dinner club and go out the first Wednesday of every month. We are a group of friends who drink in the same hotel. Some of us have been friends since our teens, each meeting a new person picks the next restaurant. There's about 12 to 14, depends who turns up. We also put in each week for lotto. We have been going for around 9 or 10 years.

Russ
 
I have 8 people who are members. Four who regularly attend.

That's great! I've often thought about doing something in my local community but I'm not sure it would work - it must be awkward if you end up with members you don't like or who are dreadful cooks (but think they aren't) - I mean, in the sense that you have to meet them face to face! Is that ever a problem?
 
That's great! I've often thought about doing something in my local community but I'm not sure it would work - it must be awkward if you end up with members you don't like or who are dreadful cooks (but think they aren't) - I mean, in the sense that you have to meet them face to face! Is that ever a problem?
No, it hasn't been a problem thus far. We're all friends and friends of friends. Some of us do cook better than others. Nothing has been too bad from them yet. Their skills have improved too.
 
No, it hasn't been a problem thus far. We're all friends and friends of friends. Some of us do cook better than others. Nothing has been too bad from them yet. Their skills have improved too.

That's great - my problem is that I have very few friends where I live :)ohmy:) so it would be pot luck who joined in if I floated the idea on the internet. I suppose it could be worth trying to start an on-line local cooking club to start with and see what happens?
 
That's great! I've often thought about doing something in my local community but I'm not sure it would work - it must be awkward if you end up with members you don't like or who are dreadful cooks (but think they aren't) - I mean, in the sense that you have to meet them face to face! Is that ever a problem?

I deal with a guy who has a bubbly outward personality. He lost his license for dui. He had to catch the bus to work. Every morning there were the same 6 or 7 people there, he introduced himself, then they all did. They turned into good friends, they go to each other's homes now for meals etc. maybe your neighbours may cook as well?.
I kinda like that guy that likes to talk, I've met some amazing people as well.

Russ
 
I deal with a guy who has a bubbly outward personality. He lost his license for dui. He had to catch the bus to work. Every morning there were the same 6 or 7 people there, he introduced himself, then they all did. They turned into good friends, they go to each other's homes now for meals etc. maybe your neighbours may cook as well?.
I kinda like that guy that likes to talk, I've met some amazing people as well.

Russ
That's a great idea!
 
I noticed a cook book club being hosted by a grocery - the cookbook that month was something I wasn't interested in cooking from. I should go back and see what the next cookbook will be - it's a monthly thing, and August is about to start. Thanks for the reminder.

I did join a Meetup (from Meetup.com) that focuses on making and sharing dinners - sort of pot luck - but based around themes which will vary from event to event. The point in joining is that you are willing to cook rather than just pick up something to bring. We try to do foods from cultures around the world, or maybe if it is the annual brunch, it will be your favorite brunch-style foods. The organizer sets up the sign-up - basically, she asks for 2-3 mains, 1 - 2 starches, 2 - 3 veggies, at least one salad, 2-3 desserts (numbers will vary depending on the type of cuisine or how many people plan to attend), and everyone just gives a basic idea of the name of the recipe, so that the meetup doesn't end up with 5 potato salads or something.

I couldn't attend the last one, but in that one people were to pick and make something from their ethnic heritage - not specifying the actual dish, just the basic category (salad, meat, veggie, etc.) The one hosted last September at my house, the theme was Mediterranean - I made a Moroccan leg of lamb from my farm share.

Yes, one or two of the members are vegetarian (eat dairy and eggs), and if they're on the signup list, there will always be a good number of vegetarian dishes - which there are to begin with.

Other themes that I've enjoyed have been Korean, Saturday Thanksgiving dinners (some folk get to celebrate Thanksgiving twice that way, as that holiday falls on a Thursday, and some of us don't have nearby families to celebrate with, anyway), and so forth. We regularly have anywhere from 8 to 20 attendees - and some of that depends on the size of the hosting facility/home.
 
I don't know if this is the right place to post this or not, but I would love to tell you about something I did on my cooking game that was so much fun, I wish I could do it here.

I hosted a Virtual Reality Pool Party. Since the members of my game were spread all over the country, like here, we pretended to get together. Everyone posted a recipe of the food they were going to bring. Some brought breakfast, for the early birds. lol Some brought sun tan lotion, floats for the pool, one guy brought his little yellow ducky lol. We just had a real good time all day long. Everyone had such real good imaginations, it was like they were really there.

I wish I did belong to a cooking club, but sorry to say, I don't get out much these days. Good luck and much happiness to those of you that do.
 
Sounds wonderful!
Do you think someday we could do something like that here? We could go anywhere in the world, do anything we want. I didn't realize it was stlll so cold where some of you live. If you want to get warm, you are welcome to come here and we can have another pool party. (a virtual one of course, lol)
 
Back
Top Bottom