A cooking club is a fun way to build friendships. Whether you are a stay at home mom, have just moved into town, or have been there for years, this is a good way to make real connections with people in your area.
When my friend passed away, her youngest daughter was especially lost. She was not willing to talk, but she did enjoy learning how to make bread and egg rolls. That was the start of our cooking club, but you do not need a tragedy to start one of your own. New moms or those who leave the work force for whatever reason can really start to feel lonely; an informal cooking club is an easy way to invite a few acquaintances over.
Decide on the format – There are many ways to go about setting up a cooking club. Gather neighborhood children for an informal lesson once a week, or invite their parents over as well to cook and enjoy spending time with other adults. You can treat it like a playgroup and invite children over to learn how to make simple dishes, or let the kids play while the adults prepare a new dish.
Invite people – You can easily start with one or two people and grow from there. The nice thing about a cooking club is that age does not matter. You can invite your elderly neighbor as well as the new mom you met at the playground. Ask coworkers or the parents of your child’s friends. If you are starting this mainly to help your child make new friends and you do not know where to start, check with their teacher at school for recommendations or invite teammates from the soccer team.
Set guidelines – Even an informal cooking club needs a few guidelines. Ask everyone to come over and decide what direction they want to take the club. It could be that the majority of the group is interested in learning new skills. In that case, each member can teach a group lesson, you can rent a video from the library, or you can bring in a knowledgeable individual to handle teaching.
Cost and location – Food can become expensive and the pressure of having all the right ingredients and a clean kitchen each week can be overwhelming. If appropriate alternate houses and send out an ingredient list at least a week in advance. If that is not possible, set a price and collect the money to cover the expense.
Schedule – A cooking club can be a weekly event. The group can prepare a large meal and then invite the rest of their families to join in the festivities. It could be that each person brings home the dish they prepared, or you can simply enjoy what you make together. Instead of every Thursday, you could set it for every third Thursday or change it up as everyone consults their calendars.
Teach – A cooking club is not only social, but educational. Take the time to show children what the kitchen tools are for, how to measure properly, and read directions. Even if the cooking club is an adult centered club, children can help with food prep and spend time watching the adults interact.
Spending time together in the kitchen was something women used to do all the time. Bring back a bit of that history and discover what you have been missing!
More by Sylvie Branch:
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