Orlando
Cookbook Club

An Intro

Food is a boundless source of education and enjoyment. It makes the world a bigger and more connected place and is, perhaps, the only art form we can’t live without. Whether we’re hunting, gathering, cooking, or eating it, food is one of the most important ways humans have found to build and maintain community throughout the ages and across cultures.

Cooking for others is an act of love and, when food is shared as a group, it tastes even better. Not only because sharing the fruits of our labor shows care, but also because the stories we tell when we eat together add an extra depth of flavor that cannot be recreated in a solo setting. It’s an ineffable kind of spice that cannot be measured, bottled, or sold. It can only be found in the in-between spaces of meaningful conversation, heartfelt laughter, and the satisfying clinking of metal on glass, suggesting empty plates and full bellies. It momentarily brings order to chaos and allows us to forget our troubles and the maddening realities of our current era.

Cookbooks offer fertile grounds for exploration and with the Cookbook Club, we hope to create a space where new and experienced cooks can meet new people and gather around the table to share a satisfying meal and great conversation. Along the way, we hope to expand our cooking skills, discover new cuisines, try dishes we might not otherwise attempt on our own, and learn from a diverse roster of cookbook authors.

Although not required, we would love for this to be an unplugged gathering so we can all be present and engaged with the people around us.

How it Works

The Cookbook Club will meet every other month at Honey House Vintage, located at 115 N Summerlin Ave, Orlando, FL 32801.

For each meetup we will cook a selection of dishes from a different cookbook as voted on by the community. After every meetup, we will send out a feedback form which will include a section where participants can add their cookbook recommendations as well as vote on the books that were previously suggested by members.

Once a book has been selected, we will create a menu with a balanced mix of easy and complex dishes to allow everyone an opportunity to comfortably put their skills to the test regardless of culinary skill level.

We will send out invitations for the next meetup about a month in advance to allow everyone enough time to obtain a copy of the book/recipe, start gathering ingredients, and create a plan of action if needed..

Everyone who has previously attended a meetup will receive an email invitation 2 days before it goes live on Instagram and everyone who signed up for the email list but hasn't attended a meetup will receive an invitation 1 day before it goes live on Instagram. Once all the slots have been filled, we will email you the recipe signup sheet.

Meetups will be limited to 12 attendees and recipe signups are on a first come, first served basis.

We ask that everyone bring their own plates, cups, and utensils to minimize single-use plastic/paper waste. We also suggest bringing to-go containers for any leftovers and serving utensils for your particular dish.

We will provide iced water, but if there's anything else you prefer to drink, please feel free to bring it.

Although the Cookbook Club is free to join and attend, each person will be responsible to cover the cost of the dish they choose to make.

At the end, we all help clean up! :)

Ingredient Substitutions

Although we highly encourage following the recipe as it is written so we can experience the dish as the author intended, we understand that there are instances in which a substitution is necessary. Whether it be due to ingredient availability, inaccessible pricing, dietary restrictions, etc, we never want this to be a reason for anyone to feel like they can’t participate. We just ask that you let the group know when there’s been an ingredient substitution so everyone is fully informed.

A Note on Cooking Mistakes

Mistakes are bound to happen and that’s perfectly ok! We all have varying levels of cooking proficiency and, while some of us are expert-level, if not professionally-skilled home cooks, a few of us are more comfortable with opening a can and calling it dinner. The point of our Cookbook Club is to allow everyone to do as much (or as little) as they’re comfortable with while they develop their cooking skills. Most importantly, we want this to be fun for everyone and not a dreadful chore! If cooking is not your thing or you don’t have the space or tools to cook up an entire recipe, that’s ok! Just sign up for drinks until you feel confident enough to bring a dish.

Cancellations

If you signed up for a dish but have to cancel for any reason, please, please, please let us know as early as possible so we can have enough time to reach out to the wait list and find someone else to take your spot.

You can reach us via email at hello@karinasconfectioneries.com.

Waitlist

If you weren’t able to secure a spot for this quarter’s meetup and would like to be added to the waitlist, please email Karina at hello@karinasconfectioneries.com. In the event of a cancellation, we’ll reach out to members on the waitlist in the order in which requests were received.

We will try to give as much notice as possible, but the timing will depend on how far in advance we receive the cancellation. Please keep this in mind as a courtesy to our fellow Cookbook Club members if you find yourself needing to cancel.