Diane Zoellmer had heard about cookbook clubs in the past, which inspired her idea to offer one to the White Lake community. She proposed the idea to White Lake Community Library director Virginia DeMumbrum, and just over a year ago, Zoellmer and White Lake Community Library adult program coordinator Amy Morris-Jones organized the first meeting.
“At our initial meeting, there were maybe five women interested,” Zoellmer said. “Now we have around 10 members. We discussed topics and details, and we decided we would meet the second Monday of every month. We’d meet once per month and choose a topic or chef, and we would each bring a dish based on that topic. We bring a copy of the recipe for the dish we brought for each member.”
Each meeting has a theme, sometimes centered around an upcoming holiday or the season.
“In October, our topic was Thanksgiving sides or what to do with leftovers,” said Zoellmer. “Our December topic will be dips and appetizers. We’ve had a corn theme, soups, breads. I have a book that I’ve kept with all of the recipes that people have brought in and all of the topics.”
For many members of the club, the recipes shared have become favorites in their own homes.
“At our first December meeting, our theme was candies and cookies,” Zoellmer said. “Somebody made homemade marshmallows. They were amazing. She brought packets of hot chocolate to go with them. I made the recipe a couple of times and shared it with my sister. Her grandson loves them. That’s probably been my favorite recipe I’ve received so far. There’s a soup recipe that was shared in this club that has also become a part of my regular rotation. I will frequently make the recipes that the others have shared.”
The club allows people to share not only their favorite recipes, but also the memories and stories that make them extra special.
“We have a husband and wife who regularly come, and at the last meeting they brought a charcuterie board,” said Zoellmer. “This particular duo, they’re quite the cooks. They love cooking and baking. When we did our bread theme, they brought in sourdough and gave everyone packets of sourdough starter. One time, one of our members brought cranberry sauce and she gave each of us a jar of it. Our very first theme was your favorite family recipe. One of the women brought in a focaccia bread that her dad had made for years when she was growing up. It’s a very generous group, not only in sharing food, but also in sharing recipes and the stories behind them.”
The next meeting of the cookbook club will take place at the White Lake Community Library Monday, Dec. 9 from 5:30-7 p.m. New members are welcome to bring their favorite appetizer or dip, along with copies of the recipe to share.
