It’s Not Your Ordinary Book Club

Our Slow Food book club appropriately started out with the reading of Carlo Petrini’s Slow Food Nation.

Our next book, Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver was a much easier read.

We normally stick to food-related books but have sometimes chosen a non-food themed book thought to be enjoyed by book club members. The first meetings were held at a local independent book store. As our group took shape, we started taking turns hosting at our homes with the hostess providing a snack and beverage and attendees contributing to the snack only if they felt like it – no obligation.

We have since started a food theme that goes along with our book selection.

For Climbing the Mango Trees; A Memoir of a Childhood in India we all brought an Indian dish.

Last summer we read Julia Child’s My Life in France followed by Julie & Julia. For the latter meeting we all brought a dish that we made from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The setting was Irene’s house where we sat on the patio next to the pond with French music wafting through the air. One could almost feel Julia in our presence.

We did our cookie exchange for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which we happened to read just before Thanksgiving (thankfully nobody made the potato peel pie).

Our most recent book, The Pillars of the Earth (one of our non-food related selections) led to a suggestion to bring ale and horsebread for the peasants in our group and wine and meat for the nobility. The table that night was filled with grain bread, meat pies and stews – all different and all delicious!

Our book club takes reading to a new level. When you read the book you are not only thinking about what points to discuss but what you are going to make for the meeting.

Our next book selection is The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine. This may end up being our most interesting menu yet.

Note, see sidebar on right for a list of all the books we have read.