Book clubs are a dime a dozen. There are book of the month clubs, science fiction book clubs, history book clubs, paperback book clubs and mystery book clubs, to name a few. Book clubs that focus on culinary travel along with great writing are the coolest, latest trend.
Start your own culinary book club with a minimum of six members or better yet, twelve. With an even dozen, each person will be responsible for hosting the meeting once a year. Knowing which book you'll be reading and discussing beforehand makes it easier to prepare the menu. It doesn't have to be a gourmet meal, but it should make some kind of connection with the book of the month.
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Here's a novel that takes the reader on a journey around the world. Traveling with the author through Italy, India and Bali, this novel makes it easy for the book club host to find appetizers or desserts inspired by travel. The difficult part might be in narrowing down the many choices these countries offer.
If making food from foreign countries seems like a difficult burden, think again. There are recipes from India that are easy to make, like rice pudding or upside down mango cake. An Italian appetizer might be as simple as a salad of heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese. The unique cuisine of Bali with its huge array of spices from cardamon and candle nuts to pandan leaf and turmeric could seem overwhelming. Never mind the jitters, find a simple recipe and grill chicken or beef satay on skewers, a perfect Indonesian protein.
Ideas for a Culinary Book Club
Creating a book club list for a year should be the first step after creating the member list. The books can be chosen randomly or themes can be used as the authors of Recipe for a Book Club have done:
- January - Debut Books
- February - Classics or Romance
- March - Heritage
- April - American Lives
- May - Memoirs
- June - Sports, Travel and Leisure
- July - American Classics
- August -Art, Music and Award Winners
- September - International
- October - Mysteries
- November - Adventure
- December - Inspirational
In Recipes for a Book Club, the authors have laid out ideas for the whole year, including suggested readings, menu ideas, recipes and a short review of the book of the month. A book like this can be indispensable for a culinary book club group just starting out.
For an example of the authors' menu selections, Mary O'Hare and Rose Storey chose the following menu for February to complement the book choice, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Sample Party Menu for Pride and Prejudice Book Discussion
- Champagne
- A Variety of Finger Sandwiches - Olive Nut, Cucumber, Crab and Chicken
- Lemon Cake
- Darjeeling Tea
The Three Cs of a Successful Book Club
- communication
- commitment
- courtesy
Whether you choose to start a culinary book club or a book of the month club, communication is of the utmost importance. If you are not able to attend a meeting, show common courtesy by alerting the host. Being committed means showing up to a meeting with the book read, ready for a lively discussion and participating fully. And by all means, be ready to enjoy the food your host has prepared!
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