Library cookbook clubs cater to literary tastes
Cookbook junkies can meet others with the same passion at several local libraries’ cookbook clubs.
The Whitehall, Green Tree and Northland libraries hold club meetings where each member makes a dish from a cookbook selected for each month’s meetings. The Carnegie Library system hosts “Dish!”, a monthly cookbook club that rotates among four of the system’s libraries and focuses more on the book than the food, although a staff member does make one or two dishes from the selected book.
Whitehall Public Library’s club is the most heavily attended, thanks to an appearance on “The Rachael Ray Show” last February. The club’s leader, Cheryl Priano, attended the show’s filming, and the rest of the group participated via Skype for a 3-minute segment featuring an impromptu book discussion of Ms. Ray’s cookbook, “Everyone Is Italian on Sunday.”
Brandon Taper, adult services coordinator, said the club used to attract about eight people a month, but it has grown to 22 or 23, necessitating a move to the borough building’s community room just to hold everyone.
This is the Whitehall group’s 10th year. Late last year, WQEDTV star Chris Fennimore presented a program on his cookbook, “Simple Pleasures.” Mr. Taper said he expected Mr. Fennimore to swing by for a brief visit, but Mr. Fennimore ended up “staying two hours and waxing nostalgic about the book,” Mr. Taper said.
The January 2019 meeting focused on the “Three Rivers Cookbook” series, which many club members had in their own kitchens, Mr. Taper said.
The next meeting at 1 p.m. Feb. 20 will focus on “Bring It: Tried and True Recipes for Potlucks and Casual Entertaining,” by Ali Rosen.
Mr. Taper said he always checks to make sure there are enough copies of the selected cookbook in the library’s system so everyone can check out a copy. Each participant sends a copy of the recipe they want to try to the group leader to make sure there’s no overlap.
When the meeting day arrives, each member brings his or her selected dish to share. After lunch, the group fills out an evaluation of the book, and each member discusses the dish he or she brought.
Similarly, the Green Tree Public Library holds monthly meetings where each member brings a dish. But in their case, one copy of the cookbook is kept at the front desk, and members can peruse the book and have a staffer photocopy the recipe they want to try.
Library director Adaena Tray tries to select a book that suits the interests of the group. For instance, for the past couple of months the group has wanted to focus on comfort foods for winter, she said.
For the next meeting, at 2 p.m. Feb. 15, the group will focus on “The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come & Get It” by Ree Drummond.
In January, lunch dishes included a BBQ macaroni salad, bourbon-infused bread pudding, key lime pie and potato soup with bacon, all from an America’s Test Kitchen book.
The Green Tree group is small, ranging from six to nine members, but it’s making a comeback after a hiatus. The library tried a similar group in the evenings about a decade ago, but it fizzled out, Ms. Tray said. She decided last year to reintroduce it during the day in hopes of attracting retirees to the group, and so far it has been successful, she said.
At Carnegie Library’s Woods Run branch, library assistant Katy Critchfield runs “Dish!”, which started at the Squirrel Hill branch in 2017 and grew to a rotation at four branches in 2018. The monthly meeting rotates among the Main (Oakland), Woods Run, Squirrel Hill and Knoxville branches.
The 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13 meeting at Woods Run will focus on “Soul: A Chef’s Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes” by Todd Richards. Ms. Critchfield plans to make Blueberry Sweet Tea as well as a food item from the book, and the group will spend the bulk of the time discussing the format, recipes and writing style of the book, she said.
“We try to use the group as a way for people to share their own stories about food,” she said.
Melissa McKenna, the librarian who runs the Main branch’s “Dish!” group, said the next meeting at her branch will convene in April at The Porch at Schenley. They won’t be able to bring in their own food, so they won’t be tasting any dishes from their selected cookbook, but the different location will provide a fun atmosphere, she said. April’s book discussion will focus on “Salt Fat Acid Heat,” a cookbook that was also turned into a Netflix show, so she expects members to discuss both the book and show.
“The group is about bringing people and cultures together through food and being able to find common ground,” Ms. McKenna said.
Local cookbook clubs meet as follows:
Carnegie Library: 6:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month, rotating among the Woods Run, Squirrel Hill, Main (Oakland) and Knoxville branches. The Feb. 13 meeting will be at Woods Run. Information: carnegielibrary.org/events/. To register, go to eventbrite.com and search for “Dish!”
Green Tree Public Library: 2 p.m. on the third Friday of each month. Information: greentreelibrary.org/event/cook-bookclub/2019-02-15/. Northland Public Library in McCandless: 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month. Information: northlandlibrary.org/ adults/book-discussiongroups/. To register, e-mail mkmkuhn873@gmail.com.
Whitehall Public Library: 1 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month. Information: whitehallpubliclibrary.org. To register: 412-882-6622.