As the darling name of this publication states, I am a hungry girl. I am always in the mood for something starchy with the perfect combination of savory sweet. Whether it’s making or eating, food is a central staple to my quest to juice out wisdom when it comes to being a human.
Despite the discourse (and the fact that I do not wear white linen, never plan to have a garden, and the extent of my labeling is slapping masking tape on a recycled jar with chicken scratch Sharpie) I relate to and appreciate Meghan Markle/Sussex’s desire to be a present parent and cook meals for her family.
Since moving to a new small city almost two years ago, one of the ways we’ve been creating friendships and building community is by inviting people over. Sometimes I’m a little too eager (hi hello we just met please come over and I’ll cook) but more often times than not, sending a somewhat spontaneous text (are y’all free tomorrow night? I’m making pasta, please join us!) results in friends gathered around the table.
So when I was on the receiving end of an invite to a fully formed Cookbook Club, my inner 12-year-old girl standing at the front of the cafeteria trying to find a place to sit was giddy, and present-day me was elated.
I am new to the world of Cookbook Club and was so very grateful to the hosts and other members who had things organized and set. The general premise is that the host picks the cookbook and everyone attending picks a recipe from that book to make and share. This past Sunday we all cooked and ate from A Place at the Table: New American Recipes from the Nation's Top Foreign-Born Chefs.
Since your girl always makes time and space for a sweet treat, I signed up to make dessert. And because there is never enough dessert I chose two from the book (I did say I can be a little too eager): Hoetteok (Korean Sweet Pastry)1 and Banana Bibingka (Filipino Rice Cake).
I checked out the cookbook from our library, and the recipes called for new-to-me ingredients which gave me the opportunity to visit our local Asian grocery store for the first time. Quinn was ecstatic to see all the different candy and chip flavors and was over the moon when the sweet cashier gave her a Yan Yan treat.
While every single dish at Cookbook Club was truly amazing, what was most wonderful was the kinship and shared joy. There were kids independently running around and playing. There were different languages being spoken. There were strangers realizing their mutual connections. There was laughter. And for maybe the first time since our country’s most recent inauguration, there was a collective feeling of ease and belonging.
Even more refreshing was the no-muss no-fuss nature of it. We all took our shoes off when entering our hosts’ home. Dishes were plated on foil pans, pots and pans were brought from home, rice was served straight out of the rice maker, we ate off paper plates, and kids sat on the patio ground eating only the carb-centric food. Best of all? There were no phones. This wasn’t a rule set by any means, it just became this tacit agreement from all attendees that we would be together and eat together, distraction free. I literally have no photos of the food or the day. What I do have is my memory of standing at the back of the kitchen, watching the scene unfold. One that felt very reminiscent of the before-COVID times, or even my 90s childhood: A hodgepodge of food and friends, the gathering of community.
Have you been a part of a Cookbook Club?
I recognize the financial and class privileges that go into the idyllic afternoon described above. Food, time, and other resources are scarce for many. I’ve been thinking about how Cookbook Clubs can further community support and thought of two ideas:
Along with bringing a dish, ask that those attending also bring nonperishable items to donate directly to a local food bank.
A few gatherings out of the year, volunteer as a group with a local organization that serves and supports those facing food insecurity.
Catch up on my other thoughts about being medicore, boobs, mothering, the internet, and finding meaning in it all. <3
Culinary Cam has the recipe available on their old site which is where I got the photo for this article.