Cooking Club

Once a month I get together for a bunch of women for a cooking club that we do.  We put together a list of what needs to come to each get together and then we cycle through who brings what.  The hostess always chooses the theme and makes the main dish.  Usually veryone is encouraged to make something that puts them outside of their comfort zone, but sometimes - after a long week- we're more understanding when someone brings a loaf of store bought bread instead of making their own :)  But in general it's been a great way to try lots of foods we've never tried, or been too intimidated to make, it's a chance to connect with eachother without our children tugging at us and there's usually a fair amount of some kind of alcohol to help us relax.  

We've had invetive themes and not so inventive ones.  My favorite to date was our Indian themed night - someone brought the most amazing homemade mango chutney!  But we've also had 'Three Ingredients or Less', "Mediterranian", "Vegitarian" and this month's is "A Victorian Picnic" (and we've been told we can leave our petticoats at home).

I'd encourage anyone to get a group of friends together and try something like this.  It would be fun to do as couples also (our husbands call cooking club 'left over night') and as families though the dynamic would be totally different depending on how you set it up.  Family night might not be quite as gourmet :)