b'This ClubCooks by the BookLocal chefs inspired by monthly cookbook recipesBY ROSE BENNETT GILBERTMembers of the SOMA Cookbook Club gathered on a Sunday with their dishes from the "World Central Kitchen Cook-book." Clockwise from left: Rose Gilbert, Nooshin Gol, Eileen Campos, Cora John, Laraine Pinnone, Aleeda Crawley, Jenn Wong, Judy Tu, Allison Oxman, Joanne Beckerich, and Elizabeth Rohan. D ramainthekitchen!Ma- Membershavecookedtheirwaythroughmoretheir dishes will stay hot while theyre being de-Youre busy cooking andlivered, Crowley says.suddenlyrealizeyouveThere are only two other club rules: 1. Reci-run out of masarepa forpes must be followed exactly. No improvising or thearepasyoureplan- subbing ingredients. 2. There must be enough ning for a picnic. copies at the library of each chosen cookbook to No worries if you be- go around or share. long to the SOMA Cookbook Club. Were on our 90 th -plus cookbook, Crow-With 408 fellow members, mostly withinthan90differentcookbooksofferingdishesandley says. Nobody has room enough to actually own plewoodandSouthOrange,someonescupboardideas from around the world. New and of specialthem all.is bound to hold the answer to your problem. Asinterest, they report, are recipes and traditions fromDitto for consuming every morsel in the 10 or so longtime member Aleeda Crowley points out, If Ithird-culture cuisines. This explains the search for have lemongrass, why should you have to go out andmasarepa,aprecookedcornflourusedtomake buy it? arepas, a Venezuelan specialty that are crispy buns Sharing herbs, spices, ideas and enthusiasm hasto be split, slathered with butter, and stuffed with been the key ingredient in the success of the clubavocado and shredded cheese.since it was founded in 2016. Inspired by a SeriousTheclubsrecipeforsuccessissimple:Each Eats article, How to Start a Cookbook Club, themonthamemberhostchoosesacookbookfrom club kept on cooking via social media through thewhich members select recipes to prepare for the oth-pandemic and is now thriving in real life, buoyed byers delectation. Then, at exactly 3 p.m. on tasting the robust nationwide interest in home cooking andSundays, you can spot a line of cooks bearing cov-healthy eating. ered dishes heading into the hosts home. The host Americans are making dinner at home four nightshas already set the table and stocked the bar with per week, plus one or more times on the weekend,water, soft drinks and wine. Bottles of peach mango according to an April trends survey by TheKitchn, anhibiscus tea are also popular.online site with some 29 million monthly followers. The number of cooks depends on the size of the No wonder we are constantly in search of newhosts table, but participants are always local, for aEvery dish is labeled as is this Al Pastor Braised Pork so members know what they\'re eating and can ask the recipes.Theclubhasvolumesofthem,literally.good reason. They have to live close enough thatcook about its preparation.32/ matters magazine / summer 2024'