Thinking of Starting a Cooking Group?

Thinking of Starting a Cooking Group?

Don't wait another day!

We are Las Chicas, and we've been a cooking group for the past 5+ years. Let me tell you about us and the other cooking groups I’ve been a part of before I suggest ways for starting a group of your own.

At the end of a New Year’s Day party, Jeanette, Peggy, Sheree, and I were talking about how we enjoyed learning how to cook new foods. We had the same passion for food, so it seemed natural to schedule a lunch. Sheree started by teaching us how to make Spanish omelets, which are nothing like what Americans think of as omelets. Also called tortilla Española, it is a potato and egg dish that sometimes contains onions and garlic.

The afternoon was so much fun that we decided to make it a monthly event. It turned out that each of us specialized in different ethnic foods, so we had a lot to share. Peggy taught us to make French crepes and Chinese egg rolls. Her daughter-in-law, who lives in China, cooked an enormous, multi-course, authentic Chinese meal for the group when she visited the U.S. I don’t think any of us ate for days! Sheree specialized in Spanish cooking, and Jeanette cooked Peruvian recipes from her family. I cooked Mexican and Indian food, making flour tortillas and explaining the uses of mustard oil.

Through the years, we shared more than food. We shared each other’s ups and downs. Births and deaths, children going to college, health scares, and the day-to-day details of life. We didn’t always cook. Sometimes we went to restaurants, and we went to Peru for a week to visit some of Jeanette’s family. We didn’t get together every month, but we always scheduled the next luncheon.

Unfortunately, our last scheduled event was a week ago. My impending move will make it impossible for me to attend. I hope Las Chicas will add a fourth member and continue without me. I will miss them! The following picture is the outstanding salmon dish Jeanette served. Jeanette, please share the recipe!

Jeanette's Peruvian salmon

Jeanette's Peruvian salmon

This was my fourth cooking group. The first one was in Texas with a neighbor. At 4 pm every Sunday, Kerry and I sat down and planned a three-course meal — appetizer, main meal, and dessert. We went to the grocery and then cooked dinner. Our husbands did whatever husbands do when women get together, but they were always ready when dinner was finally served. Every recipe was new, so we always learned something. We served a salad with every meal, and I learned how unlimited the options are for dressings. I think this is the reason I like to cook new things all the time. During the eight years, we each had two children, but we continued the tradition. Of course, things changed. We planned menus ahead of time, repeated recipes, and ended the nights earlier, but it was every Sunday until we moved to Wisconsin.

The next two cooking groups were with the Newcomer’s Association, so we were thrown into a group of people we didn’t know. The first Gourmet Group decided that the hosting family would prepare the entire meal. Our personalities never meshed, and I found that there was competition to outdo the previous dinner party. When my husband and I hosted, we made homemade individual pizzas, so everyone had to roll out their pizza dough. Working with flour can be messy, so I provided each guest with a chef’s jacket with their name embroidered on it. At the end of the year when each of the four couples had hosted a meal, no one suggested continuing.

Not dismayed by the previous unsuccessful group, my husband and I signed up for another. The leader of this Gourmet Group decided that the host family would plan the meal and prepare the main dish. The recipes for the other dishes, appetizer, sides, salad, and dessert, were sent to the other three couples to make and take to the dinner. Initially, I didn’t like this idea, but it turned out to be a fantastic way to cook new foods. I was assigned a Spanish chorizo with balsamic vinegar recipe. It sounded terrible, but I followed the directions very carefully, and it was absolutely fantastic. Again, this group opted not to continue, and my husband and I decided we didn’t enjoy eating dinner with people we had nothing in common with.

As you see, cooking groups come in all shapes and sizes. In my experience, it is important to include people who you know. Decide how often you will meet. Once a week was intense, but it was a wonderful celebration every week. Once a quarter wasn’t often enough. If we had met more often, maybe we would have bonded more. I prefer once a month.

Deciding the format is tricky and depends on the cooking levels of the members. Personally, I learned the most from having recipes assigned to me. There are downsides to this, but it is worth trying, especially if you want to push yourself into new areas of cooking. Or, choose a cookbook and make every recipe.It’s worth having a conversation upfront to ensure everyone is comfortable with the approach.

The hardest part is finding people to join you. My recommendation is to start by asking yourself who you would like to spend more time with. It could be a friend from yoga class or someone in your book group. It can include spouses and children. Be creative and think outside the box.

My next cooking group will be difficult to find because we are moving to a place where we only know family. It will take time to find the right group, but I will find it because sharing food with other people is important to me.

I served this appetizer at the last Las Chicas meal. It’s simple to make, easy to transport, and is addictively delicious. Serve this to your cooking party, but tweak it, and rename it in honor of your group.

Make Cooking a Social Event

Make Cooking a Social Event

I'm extremely lucky to have a group of friends who love to cook. It also doesn't hurt that I run a cooking school where I am exposed to many diverse people, from vegans, gluten-free, and Paleo to students who just want to cook an easy meal. What I enjoy the most is seeing more people with the desire to cook.

Yesterday, I taught a class with Kay and Donna in Delafield, Wisconsin. Two extraordinary women, who were so cheerful and relaxed, yet exuded the desire to take the next step in cooking. Both are accomplished cooks. Donna was in the food industry for a while and is now returning on a limited basis to fill in for others on vacation. Kay used to cook often, but her new routine finds that she's out of the habit. It was great to see Donna tackle the puff pastry, even though she had some reluctance. Kay was most interested in cooking the risotto. They split up the tasks, and they were the perfect team.

Delafield cooking lesson

Last month, I taught a class to a mother and daughter, Lauren and Claire, in Allen, Texas. The daughter is vegan, and it was fun to hear her discuss adaptations to the recipes. What Claire was willing to compromise on and what she wasn't. It was refreshing to listen to an open dialogue on why one chooses to eat what one does. The menu was Chicken fajitas, but she made tofu fajitas. It was a first for me, so I can honestly say that this high school student taught me how to branch into new areas. And, yes, they were delicious. Change the chicken to tofu and the Worcestershire sauce to soy sauce. 

In both cases, I was struck by how much each cooking student wanted to learn not only how to cook but the whys of what they were doing. Why do you score the puff pastry? To let out steam. Why do you measure the dry ingredients first? So that you can use one set of measuring spoons instead of two. Why do you wash cryovac meat? Because it smells like ruined meat. If it smells after washing it, you may have a problem!

I take cooking for granted. For the past twenty-five years, I've prepared food and enjoyed it. My family and guests like my food, or so they say! But after these recent lessons and thinking back to when I was the happiest in the kitchen, it seems to be when I have other people with me. The family decorating cookies. My Mom and Dad watching my sister and me bake a cake in an Easy Bake Oven. My mother-in-law helping prepare for a New Year's Day Party. My cooking group, Las Chicas, learning to make Peruvian food, Tortilla Española, and crepes.

Kay, Donna, Lauren, and Claire remind me that cooking is more than just about the food. It's also about the social experience. Not everyone has the time, space, or desire to cook with other people, but if you are in a cooking rut, choose a recipe, grab a few friends, and spend the afternoon cooking. The food doesn't have to be great. You may create some exciting memories no matter what. Laugh. Enjoy doing something different. It's not really about the food after all.

Kay and Donna's cooking lesson was to prepare a dinner for seven people. The menu was Mediterranean lamb chops, Mushroom risotto, which was a variation of Red onion risotto, a salad with Sweet and sour vinaigrette, and a Berry tart. We finished the prep in less than two hours, and they had plenty of time to spend with their guests before putting the final touches on dinner.

Remember that cooking doesn't have to be a chore. Invite a friend for the afternoon and divide the food for dinner that night. Enjoy the process!