Eighth Edition

My goal this week is to convince you all to have a cookbook club.

It’s the kind of party where you only have to whip up a dish or two, there’s a built-in convo starter, and no one expects you to stay out past your bedtime. What more could you ask for?

I’ve seen cookbook clubs done lots of different ways, but here’s how we designed ours: 

• Host picks the cookbook 

• Everyone picks 1-2 dishes from the selected cookbook to bring 

  • Ideal if the host can make a main dish, as it’s easier for them to prepare it hot

We chose Cook This Book by Molly Baz for a few reasons. I knew some of the guests already had it on their shelves, and the recipes we had tried so far were not only delicious, but approachable, quick to make, and used ingredients you could find at any grocery store. It also has a great mix of apps, mains, and desserts—plus it’s under $20 on Amazon and available at the local library!

I used Partiful for my invitations and couldn’t recommend it more.

I also created a google doc so that everyone could see what others are bringing and we don’t risk having two of the same dishes or all the same types of dishes (apps, desserts, etc)

Since I knew what everyone was bringing in advance, I made little labels for all the dishes (using leftover scrapbook paper from Kiki’s Christmas Edition)

There truly was not a bad dish and everything went well together!

I was most surprised by the Ants on a Log Cel Sal and Raw & Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Sesame & Lime. These are both recipes I probably wouldn’t have chosen to make myself but absolutely loved them! As I mentioned in the last edition, I’ve made the Salty Date & Cheddar Biscuits several times since cookbook club. I’m also eager to make the Paccheri with Pork & Lentil Ragu again.

Here are a few lessons learned that I will keep in mind for our next cookbook club:

• I made a couple of apps (Frispy Chickpeas and Spanakopita Dip), thinking we wouldn’t eat right away—but they weren’t really necessary.

• We waited to cook the steak so it’d be fresh, but guests arrived promptly (some with hot dishes), and it would’ve been better to have it ready to go.

• Next time, I’ll plan ahead for how to keep guests’ dishes warm—more stove space or crockpots would’ve helped.

I’d love to hear if you have your own cookbook club! Feel free to share your favorite Molly Baz recipes, recommendations for our next book, or any questions I can answer to help make your cookbook club a success. 

Thank you so much for reading! 

Christina