Post-Covid life really has us appreciating the seemingly simple moments we now realize we took for granted pre-quarantine, like dinner parties with friends. Now, there’s nothing wrong with the old school version of a dinner party where the host is responsible for the venue and the dishes, or even your classic potluck where everyone brings something, but we challenge you and your pals to kick it up a notch and start a cookbook club.
What is a cookbook club you ask? Allow us to fill you in. A cookbook club kind of combines a book club and everyone’s favorite activity: eating delicious, homecooked food. This group of friends will get together as often as decided to discuss and eat select recipes from a variety of cookbooks.
Not only is a cookbook club a great excuse to gather and eat, but what we love most about a cookbook club is that each member gets to experiment preparing different cuisines and it takes the pressure of meal prepping for multiple people off of one singular person, so what would take hours (and probably lots of stress) just takes a fraction of the time. If you’re convinced that getting a few friends together to enjoy company, some good tunes, and an even better meal sounds like your kind of night, then here are some pointers for starting your own cookbook club:
- Choose the club members. When it comes to the number of guests, the sweet spot is around 6; this keeps things intimate to ensure that everyone feels a part of the group.
- Location, location, location. Discuss how the venue should work: the same house each time? Rotation schedule? We recommend changing it up each time you meet so everyone gets the chance to show off their unique space, control the playlist, and choose the cookbook.
- Choose your fighter, err, cookbook. There is no wrong way to do this, but the fairest way is simply to ask the host to choose which cookbook you’ll be cooking from.
- Keep a shared file for the group to keep track of any and all food allergies and restrictions.
- Also, keep a shared file for the group to keep track of who’s bringing what. Sure, we wouldn’t be super disappointed if we showed up and everyone baked a pie, but what if everyone made gravy? Not as much fun. It’s a smart move to know what everyone is bringing.
- Lastly, have fun! That’s what it’s all about anyway
