Exchange Ideas

[lovedogs]

We have a new Dinner Club in the Sacramento/Roseville area. We are a group of 8 women and are really enjoying the club and each other. It would be nice to have ideas for dinners, recipes, etc. from more established clubs.
Thanks,
Leslie

[Dbshelly]

I would like to know how you all got your clubs started? Did you advertise, word of mouth? I had posted on my local freecycle list this past supper about a cooking club and my sister in law and I found someone interested. We really had a nice time meeting Thursday nights to cook and socialize. Unfortunatley the person we did the cooking at quit. My kitchen is very small so I have to change it to a Supper club where we all bring a food item together to eat and have a nice time. What are some succesful theme ideas and also how did you all get started?

Thanks,
Debbie

[jkb113]

Hi Debbie~

We started a group in Northwest Indiana. I wrote a press release and sent it to our area papers, a few ran the piece and I received about 45 replies by email.

Check out our website where we are beginning to post recipes and photos.
www.northwestindianasupperclub.com

We're having a ton of fun meeting new people and discovering new recipes, ingredients and wine.

Good Luck!
Julie

[Dbshelly]

Hi Julie,
I checked out your site and it looks like you all have fun... I am trying to get a Supper club together but it seems it would only be ladies and no hubbies. I hope though to include the husbands at some get togethers, such as, a cook out, romantic theme in Feb and a Christmas get together. Perhaps others but for reluctant hubbies I hope these will work.
So far I have been having trouble trying to get local woman to join and find a time to meet that works for all so still organizing. I have a very small kitchen and so does my daughter so we would have to do the cooking before coming to the hosts house instead of us all cooking together. It would be fun but in my small kitchen I can't even fit a small table and chairs and 3 in the kitchen is too much. I figured the main dish would be made at the hosts house and the sides and desserts brought by other members. Good luck with your club..
Debbie

[jkb113]

Hi Debbie~

You should try the press release route and send to your local paper, that way you're meeting "new people" and not trying to recruite old friends. Timing was an issue for us too. My press release ran in October and we didn't have our 1st meeting till the end of February! We started out with 45 responses and by the time we got down to organizing the groups we only ended up with about 20 serious members.

The website seems to help people find us too, I've had 2 people email me just in the past few days who have stumbled across it!

We are a mixed lot, 4 sets of couples and 4 singles, but I think it makes it more interesting. And sometimes we cook together and sometimes most of the food is prepared ahead of time and either finished off or just plated and garnished at the hosts home. It does depend on the size of kitchens.

In November we have a set date to host a function with the other group from our large club. It will be the 1st time all of us will meet again since our 1st organizational meeting. So we're looking forward to that as well. We might too organize a supper club event at Meals on Wheels and help in their kitchen...a way of giving back to the community.

In any event good luck and if you have any questions email me!

julie@northwestindianasupperclub.com
www.northwestindianasupperclub.com

[Dbshelly]

I have posted on a local email group that was started from the Allentown freecycle list for asking questions and things not permited on the freecycle list. That is how I found a few so far interested. I hope we can get organized and all and start meeting once monthly. It sounds like you have a great group going. I wished my husband would like to participate. I would love a couples group. I love the idea of the meals on wheels and community participating, that is a great idea.

Good luck to you and your group.
Debbie

[401krep]

I was in a Supper Club a few years ago and we did "theme nights":

Italian
Spanish
Mexican
Tapas
French
Mediterranean
Indian
Thai
Brunch
Vegetarian
Comfort Food

Hope that helps! There are also a couple cookbooks put out by a group of Supper Club women in NYC that has a lot of great menus. I think it's called
Supper Club Cookbook or something like that..

[Dbshelly]

I have received information for a cooking course through Penn Foster a correspondance school. I would love to learn all the tips and tricks chefs use and learn to cook more new recipes and things. Has anyone taken a course for cooking?

Debbie

[angee418]

I'm in a supper club in Houston and we all met on this bulletin board. We've done lots of themes so far, including:

Southwest
Sushi/Japanese
Thai
Brunch
Italian
Comfort Food
Greek
Tapas

I'm hosting the next dinner in August, and I've decided on Middle Eastern for the theme. Some of the other ideas I had for themes are Vietnamese, Tex-Mex, Authentic Mexican, Indian, French, Carribbean, Luau, Dim Sum, Barbeque, All-Desserts, German, Thanksgiving Feast, African, Eastern European, Cajun/Creole, Soul Food....the possibilities seem endless!