As someone who’s obsessed with cookbooks – and has a growing collection much to my husband’s dismay – I’ve always dreamed of starting a cookbook club. I’m not sure why it took so long to get one off the ground. It’s such a fun way to test-drive a cookbook before buying, share a personal favorite, or finally crack open one that’s been collecting dust. As Glamour declared last year, “The Cookbook Club is the New Dinner Party.”
Well, 2025 is going to be the year of the Cookbook Club! When our friend Sarah reached out in January about starting one with a few friends, I jumped at the chance. For our inaugural get-together, we of course honored Ina by cooking from my favorite – Barefoot Contessa at Home.
Once I started chatting with other friends about it, we decided to launch a second group. As fun as a “more the merrier” approach is, it turns out that’s not always the best fit for cookbook clubs (space and logistics become real issues!).
After posting about our first gathering, I was flooded with messages from people asking how to start their own. So I figured it was time to share everything we’ve learned in our short time hosting cookbook clubs. Both of our groups operate differently – and that’s part of the magic. There’s no one “right” way to run a cookbook club. The key to success? Choosing a format that works for your group.
If you love cooking, cookbooks, and quality time with friends, I promise: Cookbook Club is for you. It’s the perfect excuse to gather your people, try new recipes, and enjoy incredible food – without the pressure of hosting it all yourself.
1. Gather Your People
You can’t have a cookbook club without the people, right?!
Identifying Participants: Look for friends who love food, enjoy cooking (or are willing to give it a try!), and who won’t flake on group plans. You can curate a personal list, invite five friends who each invite five more, or even post a callout on Instagram, local forums, or community groups.
Ideal Group Size: A good group size is between 4 and 10 people. We have a cap on our groups since hosting more than 10 people can be challenging. Alternatively, you can start with a core group of regular participants and expand occasionally as space and situation allow.
2. Setting up a plan
This isn’t the fun part, but will set you up for a successful cookbook club!
Communication: Choose your group’s preferred communication method – whether it’s texting, email, Slack, or Instagram DMs. One of our groups uses text, the other sticks with email. Use whatever keeps everyone on the same page.
Cadence: Decide how often you’ll meet: monthly, every other month, quarterly, etc. Will it be on a set day (like the third Thursday of each month), or flexible based on everyone’s schedule? If you go with a flexible approach, I highly recommend setting the next date at the end of each gathering while everyone is in the same room. If you’re not coordinating in person, Doodle and When2Meet are great scheduling tools. Send a calendar invite to track RSVPs
Note: With smaller groups (4-6 people) finding a date that works for everyone will obviously be easier. For 8+ people, you might have to go with “majority rules” and select what works best for most.
Hosting: Will you rotate hosts or stick with a “home base” if someone loves to host and has a space that works well? If you’re starting the club, I think it’s a nice touch to host the first gathering if possible – it sets the tone and gives the group a starting point.
Dietary Restrictions: Gather everyone’s dietary restrictions or food allergies upfront. Knowing this ahead of time makes planning easier and ensures you’re not going to kill any of your guests.
3. Choose Your Format
Below are options I’ve heard about, but it doesn’t mean these are the only ways to structure!
Potluck Style
- Single Cookbook or Author: Everyone selects one or two recipes from the same cookbook or recipe developer and brings their dish to share. This is the format we use for both of our cookbook clubs.
- Themed: Pick a theme – Italian, Thai, brunch, seasonal, vegetarian, etc. – and choose recipes from any source that fits the theme.
Cook and Eat Together
- Everyone meets at one home, cooks the dishes together, and then sits down to enjoy the meal. This format is better suited to smaller groups and larger kitchens but creates a fun, collaborative atmosphere, and ensures everything is hot and fresh!
3. Select a Cookbook
We are finally to the fun part, selecting which cookbook you’ll cook from (if doing the single cookbook potluck). Here are a few ways to decide:
Host Picks: This is the simplest option: whoever is hosting that month gets to choose the cookbook. Alternatively, the host can offer 2-3 options and let the group vote.
Group Vote: Have everyone submit 2-3 cookbooks they’re interested in. Compile the list and vote using a platform like UpVote List or Poll.ly.
Random Draw: For those who love a little chaos! Have each person submit a few cookbooks and draw one at random each month from a jar.
Things to Consider:
- Variety: Choose a book with a good mix of dishes – appetizers, mains, sides, desserts, etc. – for a more balanced menu.
- Accessibility: Try to avoid cookbooks with hard-to-find ingredients or overly complicated recipes.
- Popularity: Popular cookbooks are more likely to already be owned or available at the library.
- Affordability: Be mindful of books that call for specialty or expensive ingredients.
- Availability: Make sure at least one person in the group owns the book and can send photos of recipes if others don’t.
3. Select Recipes
General Guidelines: Depending on your group size, I’d recommend each person brings 1 to 2 dishes to each cookbook club. Try to ensure a mix of dish types – as no one wants to end up with 10 desserts (although, I wouldn’t complain). You can structure any way you’d like: selecting one or two dishes from each chapter or free-for-all, allowing everyone to cook what they’d like. In our experience, people are generally great about creating a well-rounded menu.
Staying Organized: To avoid duplicates and keep the menu balanced, we use a shared Google Sheet. It can be as simple as one column for the dish name and another for who’s making it.
If Someone Doesn’t Own the Book: Not everyone needs to own the cookbook – check your local library or borrow from a friend. If the book has a recipe index, one person can snap a photo and share it with the group. (Shoutout to Ina Garten – her recipe indexes are all online!). Since I am Excel obsessed, I create a recipe index for every cookbook I own so I’ll share that for selecting, if available. Once people have chosen recipes, those who don’t have the book can ask someone who does to share a photo of their chosen recipe.
Flexibility Is Key: Leave room for modifications based on dietary restrictions, ingredient availability, or last-minute time crunches. Life happens – and the more relaxed you are, the more fun everyone will have.
4. Day-of Tips
- Bring your own serving utensils (or confirm your host has what you need) so you’re not scrambling for a large spoon when it’s time to eat!
- BYOT – Bring. Your. Own. Tupperware. So everyone can take home leftovers – and not just of their own dish! We found these which were super helpful for easy swaps.
- Bring your drink of choice – wine, a fun mocktail, sparkling water, whatever
- Let the host know ahead of time if your dish needs to be reheated, so they can plan oven or stovetop space accordingly.
- We keep it super casual – there’s no formal structure to the evening. Sure the dishes and recipes come up in conversation, but this is really just an excuse to spend time together over great food.
Optional:
- Set the next date, host, and cookbook while everyone’s in the same room.
- Themed playlists or outfits – Ina Garten night? Throw on a bob wig, collared shirt, and a scarf for full effect! And don’t forget Ina’s Trip to Paris playlist.
- Label your dish – include name cards with the dish name and any relevant allergy or dietary info.
- Share social handles if you’re posting on Instagram or TikTok so you can tag each other and the dishes!.
- Create a simple recipe tracker to remember what the group has cooked.
I know that was a lot, but I hope it answered any questions you might have about starting a cookbook club! At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember is that it’s meant to be fun – not stressful. Be flexible, don’t overthink it, and just eat, drink, and have the best time. And a little advice from one Type A to another: let go of some of the control and enjoy!
Have any other questions? Drop them in the comments or email me at storeboughtisfine@gmail.com. And if you have your own cookbook club, I’d love to hear your tips, tricks, and favorite cookbooks from your experience!
Our Cookbook Club selections so far:
- Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten
- What We Made: Shrimp Bisque; Chicken Salad Véronique; Roasted Pepper & Goat Cheese Sandwiches; Chicken with Goat Cheese & Basil; Lemon Fusilli with Arugula; Portobello Mushroom Lasagna; Beatty’s Chocolate Cake; Honey White Bread
- Lost Kitchen by Erin French
- What We Made: Chamomile Crème Brûlée; Cornflake Fried Chicken; Warm Mushroom Toast with Port Herbs & Ricotta; Chowder of Sweet Clams with Shallots; Saturday Night Baked Bean; New England Brown Bread; Roasted Cauliflower with Olives & Red Pepper Flakes; Cider-Braised Brussels Sprouts; Chocolate Tart with Chocolate Wafer Crust
- Cooking in Real Life by Lidey Heuck
- What We Made: Honey Roasted Cashews with a Kick; Marinated Fennel & Green Bean Salad; Little Gem Salad with Avocado Goddess Ranch Dressing & Pickled Red Onions; Arugula and Romaine Salad with Radish, Shaved Parm, Pistachios & Mint; One-Pan Chicken Meatballs with Red Sauce & Spinach; Braised Short Ribs with Port, Shallots & Cranberries; Maple-Roasted Squash with Grapes, Shallots & Rosemary; Brussels Sprouts with Dates & Crispy Prosciutto; Lemon, Rosemary & Olive Oil Cake; Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies; Lidey Bars (Vegan Date & Almond Bars)
- Essential of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan
- What We Made: Risotto with Clams, Ossobuco-Braised Veal Shanks, Milanese Style; Layered Crespelle with Tomato, Prosciutto and Cheese; Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup; Pisciotta-Olive Oil Cake; Mushroom, Ham, and Cream Sauce with Green Pasta; Diplomatico – A Chocolate Dessert with Rum and Coffee; Italian Chocolate Mousse; Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter; Amatriciana—Tomato Sauce with Pancetta and Chili Pepper
Interested in my favorite non-Ina cookbooks? Check this out.
