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This post is all about how to start your own cookbook club.
We love finding any excuse to gather our friends for a fun girls night. If it involves food, friends and new memories, we’re 110% here for it. That’s why we absolutely love the idea of starting a cookbook club!
Not to mention, we have a slight obsession with collecting beautiful cookbooks that accumulate to hundreds of recipes we have yet to try. The great thing about starting a cookbook club is that you have the opportunity to try new recipes, create new memories with friends, increase your culinary experience and make note of new staple recipes you love.
If you’re interested in starting a cooking book club your best girlfriends, we’re sharing everything you would need to get one going.
Keep scrolling to read more about how to start your own cookbook club.
Want more party ideas? Check out these articles:
- How to Host Your First Home Cafe With Your Besties
- 16 End of Summer Party Ideas to Make the Most of the Season
- 10 Ways to Make Birthday Morning Breakfast Super Special
What is a cookbook club?
A cookbook club is super similar in concept to a bookclub, however, a cookbook club requires minimal reading. LOL!
A cookbook club is when you gather friends to cook dishes, eat together and discuss your thoughts on the specific cookbook you’ve chosen for the month or next few months (depending on how often you meet).
You have the option to make it as casual or as extravagant as you like, but the purpose behind it is to experience new foods, cooking skills and make new memories with your friends. We can’t think of anything better than that!
How to Start Your Own Cookbook Club
Choose a Cookbook
Like a book club, you’re going to want to pick a cookbook for your friends to use for the meetings. There are so many directions you can go with your cookbook club. You can go the traditional dinner club route with a full course meal. Do you love desserts? Have everyone plan to bring a treat from a beautiful dessert-centered cookbook.
Whichever cookbook and theme you settle on will give you and your friends the direction you need to plan the rest of the club’s events.
At home cookbook
kismet cookbook
cookies & crumbs cookbook
trader joes 5 items of less cookbook
more is more cookbook
Shabbat cookbook
Send Out Invitations to Friends
Once you have a cookbook set, it’s time to send out invitations to your friends. This can be as simple as a text message, however we love the idea of making this club feel exclusive by sending out invitations.
There are so many cute e-vites to choose from that you can send via text, or you can go the extra mile and send invites in the mail (this is our personal favorite).
dinner party invite
dinner party invite template
block print squiggle invitation
countryhouse dinner party invite
Have Friends Sign Up for a Dish or Drink
After the invitations are sent, it’s time for everyone to sign up for a dish to bring. Have a few people make appetizers, some make a few main dishes and others make desserts and drinks. To make sure everyone gets a fair chance at making each type of dish, rotate through a few rounds on the same cookbook.
If you want to get formal with it, create send an Google Sheets form for people to sign up for a the food category they want to bring, or make a SignUp Genius page for the club. This will ensure that everyone has a role in bringing things and keep the party more organized.
Make Your Dish
Many times, we plan these clubs on evenings after work, so cutting down on the work we have to do when we get home is a must. Some things you may want to do the night before could include: marinating your meat, chopping the vegetables or fruits, cooking or baking items the night before and refrigerating them. Practically think of the time you will have before hand and make your decision.
In addition, have everyone make their dishes before they come, so everything is ready to go.
caraway ceramic pot & Pan set
staub dutch oven
staub baking dishes
kitchen utensil set
wood cutting board
Set the Table
Whether you’re hosting your cookbook club indoors or on your back patio, setting the table is a must.
If you choose to go with a theme, you can decorate your table with linens and dinnerware that matches a specific aesthetic. Otherwise, setting your table can be as simple or maximal as you would like.
We like to add a table cloth, napkins, dinner plates, dessert plates, glasses and silverware at each table setting. Here are some of our favorite items to decorate with:
block floral print tablecloth
mercer white plate set
lyla solid plates, set of 4
strand flatware
Set the Mood with Music
A free and super simple way to set the mood for the evening is with music. You can use a playlist from a music streaming app (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music etc.) or pull up an aesthetic music video on YouTube to play on your TV screen.
dinner party radio
cookbook book club radio
Help Friends Prep Their Dishes to Serve
Once friends begin to arrive to your house, they may need to reheat their dishes before serving. You can give them option to reheat it on a low temperature in the oven, or offer them to heat it up in microwave-safe bowls or containers.
Serve Your Meal
As much as we love cooking the meal, we equally enjoy serving it on a beautiful platter, plate or bowl. Depending on the dish you make, you may even choose to serve in the dutch oven, skillet or baking dish you prepared it in. That’s why we love having gorgeous cookware, bakeware and serve ware for parties.
These are dishes and serving items we love:
marin white oval serving platter
rosette round marble board
old havana cake stand
old havana salad bowl
resin serving set
merge dip set
Serve Drinks
Whether someone has signed up to bring drinks, you provide the drinks, or every one makes their own beverage of choice, cute glasses and punch bowls are always great to have on hand.
You can totally go casual and serve people canned and bottled drinks. There are no rules here…you can make them up as you go.
symphony fluted cocktail glass
bow icon juice glass
Atwell stackable ribbed glass
ramona wine glasses
Take Home To-Go Boxes
As the evening winds down, you’ve joyfully eaten delicious food, talked for hours, belly-laughed and chosen the next meeting date, it’s time for people to head home. However, before they do, send them home with leftover to-go boxes. Everyone may even have lunch or dinner for the next day.
Here’s some cute to-go boxes to package for your guests:
pink to-go containers
large paper bowls with lids
