My sister Ashley runs a cooperative weekly rotating dinner party called a “Supper Club”. I’ve often thought of doing something similar but have had difficulty finding people who will commit to hosting one meal weekly. I’ve invited her to guest blog about her experiences doing this, and today will be the first of four non-consecutive posts on the topic. Hope you are inspired, and enjoy! j.f.
On occasion, I like to write. Especially when doing so of my own volition on topics of interest. My sister offered to let me crash her blog with my adventures Supper Clubbing and I agreed, hopefully not to her later disappointment. (of course not! jf)
First, since this seems to be a foreign concept to a lot of people, let me elaborate on the concept of a “supper club”, or at least what it means to me. I’m sure there are other names for it, but at its most basic, a supper club is a group of people who take turns cooking for each other. At the moment, my Supper Club only has three members (down from a high of six), so we field trip to restaurants on weeks when the stars don’t align for one of us to cook.
Many people are so scared to cook for themselves that I’m sure the concept of cooking for other people seems absolutely daunting, if not downright impossible (right up there with trying to refuse a second helping of desert at Thanksgiving!).
Let me allay your fears by passing along my own personal mantra as said by Catherine Aird, “If you can’t be a good example, you’ll just have to serve as a horrible warning.” : ) There are definitely times when I feel I’m the latter much more than the former, but I persist nonetheless because doing is really the only way to get better. Failure is often the best way to learn (and incidentally, makes for much better stories)!
If you’re skeptical still, let me assure you that in the course of my supper club I’ve had meals which were undercooked, overcooked (and even set on fire), several hours late and bestly (yes, I said bestly) perfectly done.
In the end, we’re not looking to be a top chef. Supper Club is not simply about becoming a better cook, though that’s nice. It’s about connecting with other people. When we pop open a bottle of booze and talk the week out over a home cooked meal, I don’t think things get much better. It’s possibly the best thing about my week. Anyway, I think I’ve rambled enough for now. Stay tuned for my first post on the last Supper Club I hosted.
Ashley
Oh, this sounds like so much fun, especially the GOING to Supper Club. The part about cooking FOR the Supper Club is more daunting. I keep thinking I’ll do more of this and then the months go by. I know I really enjoy the treat of going to someone else’s house for dinner and not having to bring along a dish–so I figure my friends would enjoy the same. I also know that simple food works perfectly well–and yet I get that nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach at the thought of it all. I so admire those hostesses who take it all in stride, seem perfectly relaxed and welcoming–you have inspired me!
I would love to do something like this MONTHLY — not weekly. A lifetime ago, when I lived in NJ, we had a five- household (combo of singles and couples) “gourmet club.” It was always a lovely sitdown dinner with real dishes, real flatware, real stemware — kind of liking going out to dinner in a nice restaurant. Guests contributed for the wine purchase.
We tried two different formats: one was that the host(ess) prepared the entire meal, soup to nuts, and the other where the host(ess) set a a theme (Italian, French, Indian, Chinese, Indonesian, etc.) and assigned the other participants a course. Unlike random potlucks, all courses then culturally matched. It was something we all looked forward to and dissolved after a number of years when a couple of couples moved out of town.
Your post brought back fun memories of a supper club I belonged to in graduate school, at the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston. Four of us–two men and two women–met once a week, alternating at our respective apartments, and cooked for the others. So we each cooked the entire meal once a month, always something fairly simple but comfort-food. It was like being in a family for that night, and our friendships continued after grad school.
–Gail Storey
Thanks so much for your comments!
It always feels like such a treat when I go over to someone’s house for a meal. When they open the door, the smell is always so inviting. I can’t wait to find out what they made.
And I love hosting myself…planning out a meal, shopping for all the items, cooking and even presenting it!
You’re exactly right Rosemary, just start simple…maybe with something you’re already confident making. Remember, sometimes things don’t work. It’s ok, just roll with the punches. Most times, they won’t even notice. Hopefully, as I share my experiences, you’ll see that no one is perfect.
So please, cannon ball in…the water’s fine (Gail knows what I’m talking about)!