Last month we launched a brand spanking new Cookbook Club to create a space for us to come together, get to know each other a little better, and learn from each other. (And to explore and cook from more cookbooks, too, of course!)
Books are self-selected by the group, and earlier this month, we held a vote to find out what books you all wanted to cook from for the next three months. Today, the results are revealed!
Read on for more about what's ahead for the Cookbook Club; our newly launched off-shoot, the Baking Club; details on how to participate in both clubs; and which books you can find in our Shop.
We'll get right to it. Based on community votes, here are the books the Cookbook Club will be using recipes from in the months ahead:
- April: Simple by Diana Henry
- May: Small Victories by Julia Turshen
- June: Ottolenghi (any or all of his books are fair game)
We've been cooking our way through Deep Run Roots this month, and will continue to do so until the end of March. We know a lot of you are excited to dive into Simple though, so here are a few of our favorite recipes and stories from Diana Henry to whet your appetite until April 1.
A couple of weeks ago, a member shared in the Cookbook Club that they were interested in a group devoted to baking (and baking-related cookbooks), and it quickly became clear that many other members shared the same desire. We're in full support, so the Baking Club was born. We again used the results of this month's vote to determine the club's lineup of books for the next few months:
- April: Dorie's Cookies by Dorie Greenspan
- May: Breaking Breads by Uri Scheft
June: Classic German Baking by Luisa Weiss
Bonus Book: How to Bake Everything by Mark Bittman
What is a bonus book? Well, when the community rallied around the creation of a baking club, one member suggested calling it "Baker’s Dozen," with the idea that we'd focus on one book a month, but have one extra book that members could cook through the whole year long, too. The idea was a hit, so while we didn't use the name, we’ve incorporating the idea! The group will not only have more time to cook through Bittman’s book, but members will always have this book as an option to bake from if they don’t have access to the book of the month.
While you wait for your copy of Dorie's Cookies to arrive, we've got a few of her recipes and some of our favorite articles about her to tide you over:
Are you new to the clubs and feeling a little lost? Here's a quick primer on how to join in the fun:
1) Get the Book(s)
Buy a book or two—we've got quite a few of them or you can pay a visit to your favorite local bookstore. Or, if you’re not ready to commit quite yet, check them out from your local library or borrow a copy from a friend.
2) Read & Cook
Rather self-explanatory, as this is one of the most important parts of participating in a cookbook club, right? If you’re not sure where to begin, take a page out of our Cookbook Editor Ali Slagle's playbook. When she reviews a cookbook, she reads through the entire introduction as well as 15 headnotes and recipes, and then cooks at least three recipes.
3) Share Your Opinions
We chat in the Facebook groups all month long! Join the original Cookbook Club here and the Baking Club here. Post pictures of what you bake from the books and share reviews—fill everyone in on what you thought of the dish (remember to share the recipe name and even the page number, too, if possible). You can also share on social media: Post mini-reviews, photos, or tricks you pick up from the book by tagging content on Instagram or Twitter with #f52cookbookclub or #f52bakingclub.
What are you waiting for? Pick up a book or two and dive in. (Many of the ones in our shop are signed copies!)
Written by: Lindsay-Jean Hard
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