How to Start a Cookbook Club
Recruit a small number of members., Know where to look for members., Welcome everyone into your home., Decide when to meet, and stick to it., Keep a chain of contact in place., Decide on a structure for your cookbook club.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Recruit a small number of members.
Usually, four to six members is a good amount to start with, and you can expand as need or resources allow.
Keeping the number small prevents your members from having to cook especially large portions, and it also makes it easier for you to develop a system. -
Step 2: Know where to look for members.
Friends and family members are the perfect place to start, but you can also expand into co-workers, friends of friends, and acquaintances if needed.
You typically want to stick with members who someone can vouch for, however, since you will need to trust each other well enough to eat the dishes one another makes. , While ordinary book clubs can meet in public, cookbook clubs usually need to meet in someone's home.
That way, you can share dishes and discuss your experiences with the cookbook.
In fact, while the founder should host the introductory meeting, it is best if every member of the club is willing to host at some point to keep things fair.
Main courses and other larger dishes are usually prepared by the hostess, so everyone should have a shot on the rotation.
Once or twice during the warm weather, you can mix things up by meeting at a park for a picnic.
Just make sure that you select a cookbook with plenty of picnic-themed recipes in it. , Every one or two months should give your members enough time to get the cookbook and try a few recipes out of it.
To keep things simple, try to make it the same day each month, such as the third Sunday of every month or the 10th day of every month.
This will help everyone remember when the meetings are.
Also keep in mind the best time of day.
If you plan to meet on the weekend each time, scheduling your meetings between 2 PM and 5 PM will give your members enough time to cook in the morning and allow them to treat their giant cookbook club meal as an early dinner.
If you meet during the week, you may need to schedule your meetings during dinner and into the early evening to give everyone enough time to make after-work preparations. , Phone numbers are fine, but in today's digital age, e-mail is even better.
You can also set up a blog or online spreadsheet to keep things structured.
Members can stay in the loop and learn about any last minute changes, and keeping in contact will also prevent members from accidentally preparing the same dish for a club meeting. , Most cookbook clubs choose one cookbook each month, and each member makes something out of it to share during the meeting.
If you have a small enough group, you can have each member select a dish from the cookbook and all work on cooking it together.
You can also do a study of a specific person or company known for having an extended career in the culinary arts.
For instance, you can have a cookbook club dedicated to preparing dishes published by a major cooking magazine or dishes first made by Julia Child. -
Step 3: Welcome everyone into your home.
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Step 4: Decide when to meet
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Step 5: and stick to it.
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Step 6: Keep a chain of contact in place.
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Step 7: Decide on a structure for your cookbook club.
Detailed Guide
Usually, four to six members is a good amount to start with, and you can expand as need or resources allow.
Keeping the number small prevents your members from having to cook especially large portions, and it also makes it easier for you to develop a system.
Friends and family members are the perfect place to start, but you can also expand into co-workers, friends of friends, and acquaintances if needed.
You typically want to stick with members who someone can vouch for, however, since you will need to trust each other well enough to eat the dishes one another makes. , While ordinary book clubs can meet in public, cookbook clubs usually need to meet in someone's home.
That way, you can share dishes and discuss your experiences with the cookbook.
In fact, while the founder should host the introductory meeting, it is best if every member of the club is willing to host at some point to keep things fair.
Main courses and other larger dishes are usually prepared by the hostess, so everyone should have a shot on the rotation.
Once or twice during the warm weather, you can mix things up by meeting at a park for a picnic.
Just make sure that you select a cookbook with plenty of picnic-themed recipes in it. , Every one or two months should give your members enough time to get the cookbook and try a few recipes out of it.
To keep things simple, try to make it the same day each month, such as the third Sunday of every month or the 10th day of every month.
This will help everyone remember when the meetings are.
Also keep in mind the best time of day.
If you plan to meet on the weekend each time, scheduling your meetings between 2 PM and 5 PM will give your members enough time to cook in the morning and allow them to treat their giant cookbook club meal as an early dinner.
If you meet during the week, you may need to schedule your meetings during dinner and into the early evening to give everyone enough time to make after-work preparations. , Phone numbers are fine, but in today's digital age, e-mail is even better.
You can also set up a blog or online spreadsheet to keep things structured.
Members can stay in the loop and learn about any last minute changes, and keeping in contact will also prevent members from accidentally preparing the same dish for a club meeting. , Most cookbook clubs choose one cookbook each month, and each member makes something out of it to share during the meeting.
If you have a small enough group, you can have each member select a dish from the cookbook and all work on cooking it together.
You can also do a study of a specific person or company known for having an extended career in the culinary arts.
For instance, you can have a cookbook club dedicated to preparing dishes published by a major cooking magazine or dishes first made by Julia Child.
About the Author
Jack Nguyen
Jack Nguyen specializes in educational content and has been creating helpful content for over 1 years. Jack is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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