Guide to Hosting the Ultimate Book Club Gathering
Tips, Theme Ideas & Menu Inspiration...
Setting up a reoccurring club (supper club, book club, cookbook club, wine club, card or mahjong, etc.) is a great excuse to gather and spend time with a group of friends. Whether it be that you want to develop and build new friendships or you want to guarantee that you have an opportunity to spend time with friends - starting some sort of club is the perfect way make it happen! So send out that email or text, organize a group, pick a date and watch your social calendar fill up. Now, what to serve…. We have a pretty basic formula for our “girl dinner” that proves to delight and excite every time. We start with a fun batched cocktail (with some mocktail options as well), a few appetizers or a big cheese board, and an entrée-style salad that all gals will love. Skip dessert and make a batch of dessert-like Grasshoppers and get ready to fill your cup—literally and figuratively.
Book Club Menu:
Strawberry Rosé Sangria
Macerated Strawberries with Whipped Goat Cheese
Roasted Beet & Walnut Dip with Crudité
Chinese Chicken Salad with Sourdough Crackers
Dessert: Grasshoppers
‘Elegant yet Easy’ recipe (subscribers only): Spring Salad with Chicken, Peas, Feta & Mint and a Creamy Lemon Chive Vinaigrette
Book Club Tips:
If hosting a book club, make sure your have prepared some discussion points to guide the conversation. Even better - pick a book from the Read With Jenna list or Reece's Book Club where all of the discussion questions are already outlined for you.
My parents started a "Skinny Book Club” years ago with a few other couples. They only read “skinny books” as a rule, and reading the book is actually optional!(Cocktails, conversation and dinner are required.) A fun excuse to gather and share time!
You don’t have to cook to host! Order sushi platters, your favorite Chinese food, or stock up on the pre-made apps from the freezer section of Trader Joe’s!
Already in a book club? Start a cookbook club with friends who also love to host and cook. Pick a cookbook and put everyone in charge of cooking and bringing one of the recipes from that book. You will get to enjoy great food and time with friends!
The host doesn’t have to put in all of the work. Consider co-hosting, making your book club potluck, or having everyone bring a themed dish inspired by that month’s read.
Book Club Essentials:
For Subscribers Only:
Book Club Shopping List & Prep Timeline
NEW ‘Elegant yet Easy’ Recipe- Spring Salad with Chicken, Peas, Feta & Mint and a Creamy Lemon Chive Vinaigrette
Is there anything that hits quite like a big entrée salad? For some reason there are few other dishes that feel more special that a big bowl of seasonal produce, herbs and a homemade vinaigrette. Joy in a bowl. This is the perfect salad to serve at any gathering. Line up all of the ingredients in rows for a lovely presentation and toss before serving. And this Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette will be the only dressing you will want to make this spring. Sunshine in a bottle!