Last February we started a Cookbook Club—we wanted to create a space for our community to come together, get to know each other a little better, and learn from each other. (And talk about food, of course!)
In just one year, the Club has grown to include nearly 20,000 members, yet still retains a close-knit feel thanks to the entire group’s warm, welcoming spirit. We’re thrilled to be celebrating the Club’s first birthday, and if you haven’t joined us yet, there couldn’t be a better time to do so. All this month we’ll be revisiting every cookbook we covered so far, so you can get up to speed. Here’s a month-by-month overview of the Club’s first year:
We kicked off the Club last February with Kate McDermott’s Art of the Pie, because it was clear that a lot of you like the book—and for good reason! (Fun fact: This is the only baking book in the lineup, because, due to popular demand, we expanded to create our Baking Club two months later.)
In March, we focused on Vivian Howard’s Deep Run Roots and members fell for this 2017 Piglet contender. (The Piglet is our annual Tournament of Cookbooks—stay tuned for more about this year's competition soon.)
Diana Henry’s Simple was April’s selection, and even though she’s not on Facebook, she graciously answered club member’s questions multiple times!
In May, we cooked through Julia Turshen’s Small Victories, and it was a book that members said they’d return to again and again. One dish in particular was the runaway favorite: Curried Lentils with Coconut Milk.
June was Ottolenghi Month—we cooked through his entire suite of books! Ottolenghi, Jerusalem, Plenty More, Plenty, and Nopi were all fair game, and members definitely put their Ottolenghi collections to good use.
In July, we headed to France from the comfort of our own kitchens and cooked through David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen. As member Laura Ratliff said, “this book is a nice investment that will stand the test of time in most kitchens.”
August was devoted to Melissa Clark’s Dinner: Changing the Game, and with her Harissa Chicken as the unanimous Club favorite, we think it’s safe to say that sheet pans really can save dinner.
In September, we read through Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and many us were surprised to learn that we haven’t been using enough salt.
October’s book was Made in India, and we all learned how to make author Meera Sodha’s favorite Indian dishes, like Coconut Milk Fudge and Caramelized Onion, Coconut, and Egg Curry.
In November, we dived into J. Kenji López-Alt’s The Food Lab and came away with a greater respect for the science behind the cooking.
December was devoted to our own Kristen Miglore’s Genius Recipes, and nearly all of us made at least one batch of Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter.
Last month, in January, we covered a classic—Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One—and mastered eggs from poached to scrambled.
Ready to join in the fun? Head here for more details on how to participate in the Cookbook Club.
See what other Food52 readers are saying.