Tips for starting a New Supper Club

[Ktw]

We are putting together a new supper club and are looking for tips about how to have a successful club. Any thoughts from our experienced members? Other than participation, what else makes for an enjoyable club? What kind of mistakes should we avoid? Your help is greatly appreciated.

[dcornelius]

Phoenix west valley is having an organizational meeting Feb 1st and we need all the hints we can get! I really want this to be successful! I am so excited!

[Peggy]

Here are some links that might answer some questions for you.
http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11062&highlight=supper+clubs+starting

http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13893&highlight=supper+club+starting

Good Luck!

Peggy

[kgreen01]

I'm in a monthly supper club that started four years ago. Our key to success has been a core of about five members who come very faithfully, along with three to five other members who come when they can. It's pretty looseknit, greatly aided by e-mail. Here's what we do: Get together at the hostess's home. She generally thinks up the theme and makes the main course, then we all volunteer (by e-mail) for appetizers, sides, desserts until we all have something to bring. One of our members doesn't cook, but she always brings a fantastic beverage. At the end of each meal, someone volunteers for the next month, then we all whip out our calendars to set a date. We've found that that's the best way to work around work travel and personal vacations. Two or three times a year, we invite significant others, too -- typically for December, when we do heavy finger foods and desserts, and sometime in the summer for a cookout or brunch. Some of our yummiest themes have been the kookiest:
--Make something with the name of a place you've visited in the past year (Greek salad, St. George Island shrimp casserole, Neapolitan biscotti, etc.)
--Make your dad's favorite dish and bring his picture (pot roast, green bean casserole, lemon meringue pie)
But our theme ideas have been really varied -- Thai (the hostess had a new rice cooker), green food for St. Patrick's Day, Octoberfest, Thanksgiving w/o the turkey, Iron Chef -- lemon, cooking with herbs, and so on...
The women in this group are now my best friends on earth. Start a club and have a GREAT time!!!

[brykate]

For us :) , I love our group!, we share duties.
Similar to above Kgreen01, the host kitchen makes the main dish. Before hand the hostess, who's turn it is, decides for everyone what they will make if agreed and varied (same person shouldn't do desert every single time...). There's sometimes a couple of dishes that are made in advance but mostly we bring everything and make the dishes together at the time of supper club.

We happen to be all women who cook. Our husbands come also and have a good time hanging out and chatting or "supervising" :p We all share in evaluating how the foods turn out. Teenage kids and babies come to. If we had school age kids, I'm sure they'd be welcome too. We are a diversified group. We are all different from eachother and in different stages of life.

We are pretty laid back and just have fun and try to make foods that are new and challenging. My favorite part is making something that I wouldn't pick to make for my own family at home. Ya know what I mean? :cool:

So just have fun and decide as you go along.
Some groups may need more leadership than others so don't be afraid to step up the first time until everybody feels more comfy - or whatever happens.

[dcornelius]

I am SO excited! This Friday evening is our organizational meeting for the Phoenix west valley club! So far we have four girls who say they are comming for sure. I read your posts and hope our club will turn out as well as yours have!