Lately my Google Reader has been full of posts about food – is it the season? I’m not a very interested cook, but I’m a committed foodie. Fortunately I found a fellow-foodie partner and a not insignificant amount of our family budget goes into trying new restaurants and bringing home local specialties (olive oil, honey, tea, wine) from our travels.
To follow the food blogging trend, I’d like to introduce The Brussels Food Club to the world. It’s the brain-child of my friend Inês, a talented amateur cook and professional graphic designer (check out her site at The Avenger Butterfly).
The idea was to challenge our group of friends to try new things and share established favorites with others. Each month we choose a theme, bring one or more dishes to that month’s host’s home, present them to the others, and then… we eat!
So far we’ve had four meetings:
The “Food From My Childhood” Edition
There were probably about 10 different nationalities in a group of about 15 people. So interesting to see the cultural differences. I made my mom’s chocolate salami.
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The “Cookies, Cupcakes and Muffins” Edition
This was a special gathering because we all cooked together, divided into three groups (go Cookie Team!).
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The “Out of Africa” Edition
My favorite Club so far for the sheer deliciousness of the food. The theme was dishes from Africa, any country. I brought two experiments and mint tea from Tunisia.
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The “Exotic” Edition
Last weekend we got together to present our experiments with unusual ingredients. I used persimmons to make a tarte tatin.
Next month it’s the Christmas Edition and I might go to Nigella for some ideas. I’ll let you know how it goes!
17 comments
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November 14, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Beth F
That looks like soooo much fun.
November 14, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Sandy
Wow. I have to hand it to you for having so much initiative and to find so many people to participate! This looks completely fabulous. It would probably take an act of God to pull something like this together with my friends but maybe I’ll put it on the list of things to do when the kids go to college! In five years!
November 14, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Patty
Do you have space for any Greek / German? I can volunteer…
November 14, 2012 at 2:06 pm
readingwithtea
This looks amazing! What a great way to spend time together and enjoy cooking!
November 14, 2012 at 2:44 pm
Andre
It should be our hobby!;)
November 14, 2012 at 3:03 pm
Ana @ things mean a lot
This sounds super fun! Also, it brought back some memories – chocolate salami was probably the first thing I ever made on my own (though with careful parental supervision :P) and I haven’t had it in a good 15 years.
November 14, 2012 at 3:28 pm
Claire (The Captive Reader)
That sounds so fun – and delicious!
November 14, 2012 at 4:00 pm
victoriacorby
I belong to something similar as part of the Bordeaux Women’s Club. We set themes and everyone brings something for a pot luck lunch (or a bottle if you can’t think of anything). The variety is astounding, for “walnuts” we had two appetizers, two pasta sauces, three salads, a sauce for meat, two puddings, a couple of dips but then as amongst ten of us there were three Americans, two Japanese, one French, one Pole, a Brit, a Russian and an Australian it isn’t surprising.
Chocolate salami is what I make when I want people to go, ‘Oh, this is so goooooood….’
November 14, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Ti
What a great idea!! If I were close to you, I’d be knocking at your door to join!
November 14, 2012 at 5:29 pm
Teresa (@teresasreading)
This looks like a lot of fun. I would love to find something like this to participate in.
November 14, 2012 at 7:35 pm
Alex in Leeds
I’d never heard of chocolate salami before but just had fun finding out what it is. The club sounds great!
November 15, 2012 at 8:05 am
Leeswammes
Wonderful! What a fun idea. For Christmas, I can recommend Nigella’s book. That is, I haven’t made any of her typically English Christmas dinner recipes (I get to eat that every single time when I have Christmas in England), but I made some of the sweet recipes (cookies, deserts, etc.).
November 15, 2012 at 10:06 am
Mady
Great idea 🙂 Loved to be part of the Exotic edition (and ate too much!! :P).
November 15, 2012 at 5:01 pm
Arti
Wow, what a great idea. And wonderful photos of colourful varieties. ‘Out of Africa’ edition? Wish I could join you!
November 16, 2012 at 8:13 am
Steph (@ 20 Years Hence)
This sounds like so much fun! Whenever Tony & I are fully situated in a single location again, I’d love to start up a similar food club!
November 19, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Joanna @ CreateYourWorld
I love love love this idea and would totally participate if I wasn’t too lazy to come into Brussels. 🙂 Maybe I’ll steal the idea and organise a suburban version though!
February 18, 2013 at 4:18 am
michelle
What fun food parties! I love all the creative ideas.