A cookbook club, as the name suggests, is a group of people who meet each month to discuss and eat recipes selected from one cookbook. And more than that. The Cookbook Club brings the world of cooking back to the community. Cooking is either something you grew up with or something you never knew you needed in your life.
Instead of sweating it out by making four courses before your friends arrive, or missing out on what they’re up to by the time dinner is over, you’ll find that watching your friends make recipes and learning the tricks can be a lot more fun than you expected.
Today, I want to give you a detailed explanation of how to run a successful cookbook club.
Just like you might like some of your friends but don’t want to travel with them, you might want to approach a cookbook club differently than just gathering your closest friends and having a separate get-together. That doesn’t mean the approach won’t work. However, there are some things to keep in mind.
How to start a cookbook club in 3 easy steps
1. Select a structure.
Use one of two methods to configure a cookbook club:
1. A potluck-style gathering where everyone prepares food at home in advance and brings it to the host’s house.
or
2. A night where you can make a few recipes together in bulk and share the spoils so everyone can take home a few servings of each and freeze them for future enjoyment.
2. Select the members you feel like you have a good atmosphere with. We recommend no more than six.
Think about who your friends would be a good fit for the type of cookbook club you want to host. Who among my friends likes to cook? Who is adventurous? Who is always up for a challenge? We recommend finding friends who are a mix of introverts and extroverts, who share common values but have different interests. Cookbook clubs are a great way to introduce people from different friend groups.
My friends Liz, Hilary, and Dahlia came up with the idea for our cookbook club, and each of them invited people they thought would be fun to get to know each other. It worked out really well because the group was small enough that everyone had a chance to connect one-on-one while setting the table and finishing the meal. Creating moments to spend quality time with people you know is a rarity as an adult, but it’s one of my favorite aspects of cookbook club.
Creating moments to spend quality time with people you know is a rarity as an adult, but it’s one of my favorite aspects of cookbook club.
3. Set some rules and boundaries.
Yes, I know the rules aren’t fun. But boundaries are important in all areas of life, especially when fun is involved. We want the club to be just “fun”. So be sure to have honest conversations about logistical matters such as: How often can we meet? How do you choose a cookbook? What dietary restrictions do we accommodate? Where will we host?
Our rules look like this:
- Rotate hosts monthly.
- The host chooses the books and creates the menu. She then texts you a menu with images of the recipes. We usually don’t buy a book until we finish reading it. This is a great way to test whether the book is something you might use yourself in the future. (Here are some of my favorite cookbooks, so please check them out.)
- Recipe selection is on a first-come, first-served basis. Usually the host calls dibs on what to make (often more complex and difficult to transport dishes).
- We will help you clean! We usually don’t wash all the dishes thoroughly, but we do clear the table and pack leftovers into our own Tupperware containers.
- Decide your next date before you leave. It’s hard to coordinate schedules, but it’s much easier to coordinate in person.
Leaving your ego behind is the door.
Cookbook Club is all about learning and trying new things. It’s not about being the most perfect cook in your group of friends. Mistakes are inevitable. Most of the time, it’s my first time making a recipe from scratch. Ingredients you may not know will also appear. I forget to add sugar. The nuts will burn when you toast them. I hope you don’t have to use a fire extinguisher. Remember to find joy and lessons in failure. It’s all part of the experience.
Cookbook Club is all about learning and trying new things. It’s not about being the most perfect cook in your group of friends.
Finally, think about what you will get out of this experience.
Do you want to learn basic skills or want to try your hand at more advanced cooking? Do you cook from a variety of regional and cultural styles, or do you want to make your life easier by sharing the work required to feed your family?Whatever you want to get out of a cookbook club, you’ll find a deeper connection and appreciation from the art of preparing a meal, sitting in good company, and enjoying the fruits of your labor.
Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is constantly testing the limits of her creativity. Follow her on Instagram @witanddelight_.
Source: – witanddelight.com
