About

Hi, I’m Jessica. Like you, I share a love for cooking and hosting. I’m always trying new recipes, tinkering with various ingredients, and learning from my mistakes. The kitchen is my playground.

When visiting bookstores, the first area I go to is the cookbook section. Being a graphic designer, I’m drawn to beautiful covers, typography, and imagery. I feel like cookbooks are a treasure trove of inspiration. I love flipping through the pages and getting new ideas for recipes and techniques, much more so than scrolling through the Internet or Pinterest.

The idea of a cookbook club was introduced to me by my neighbors back in 2012. My husband and I just moved in and they mentioned their “culinary book club” on numerous occasions. I was secretly waiting for an invitation, but it never came.

As it turns out, it was a blessing a disguise. If I had joined their book club, I would have never started my own cookbook club. Nor would I have created this website or start writing a book. I feel deeply grateful for how everything played out.

My Story

After 6 months of procrastination (the nervous nail-biting type), I mustered up the courage and published my cookbook club online. My heart was racing and my head was filled with doubts. I was freaking out and almost canceled it until—one-by-one—people started joining. Within hours, 50 members joined my group. I was shocked!

Little did I know that my life was about to change forever.

There was no turning back now. I was committed to these new members, these strangers. Strangers that I would soon call family.

Five years later, the group has grown to over 1,500 members (even though event participation ranges from 6 to 60 people)! Such growth in memberships shows me that there’s a huge desire for groups like a cookbook club.

I don’t know what it is, but I find that people who enjoy cooking, traveling, and eating tend to be such fascinating individuals. They always have the best stories, they’re open minded, and they cherish the small things in life. These are my people. And now I want to help you find your people.

Learn how to start a cookbook club and—most importantly—how to make it yours.

Welcome to A Cookbook Club. Here, I’m going to give you all the nitty-gritty details on running a successful cookbook club. Where to start. Finding members. Making it flow. Having fun. And, ultimately, creating delicious memories for you and your group.

May the content on this site empower you to take action—not hold back—and get the ball rolling. Start small and keep it small. Or grow it into a huge local community. It’s totally up to you.

Keep me posted, seriously.

Did you start your own cookbook club? Are you a member of one? Awesome! I want to know how it’s going. Tell me all about it. Share your experiences with me. How has it impacted your life? Don’t be shy. Message me via the connect page or join my free Facebook Group — just for fellow cookbook club organizers, like YOU.

In closing . . .

Cookbook clubs bring all sorts of people together. There’s a lot I appreciate about my experience with my Feast Family, but the one thing I love the most about it is the variety of people that participate. People from all different walks of life. Different ages. Different religions. Different political beliefs. All of the above.

Even with the so much diversity in this world, we still have one thing in common . . . curiosity.

We share a curiosity for learning, trying new recipes, tasting new food, going out of our comfort zones, making mistakes, and meeting new people.

For a couple of hours each month, this eclectic gathering of individuals comes together to share a meal. They arrive as strangers and they leave as friends. They celebrate what that they have in common. They connect with their stories . . . and with their hearts.

Because cookbook clubs cultivate the most vibrant community of unique individuals, I believe they can heal the world. They join people together in a way that creates a true sense of belonging. People feel heard. They feel seen. Their hearts are nourished and their spirits are uplifted. Cookbook clubs can—and will—unite humanity.

They are that powerful.
We are that powerful.
You are that powerful.

Can you feel it? Can you taste it? Something so small in your little corner of the world can have a huge impact on others—a ripple effect of love and light. Trust me, I’ve seen it and I’ve lived it.

If you’re reading this now, it tells me that you’re hungry for something—and it’s not food. There’s something in you that’s craving connection and it believes sharing food with others is where it all begins. Guess what? You’re right. And I’m here to guide you, to inspire you, and to celebrate you.

Welcome, dear one. I’m honored you’re here.

—xo—

Jessica

Why This Website?

With the growing interest in cookbook clubs, more and more articles are coming out to inspire people to start a group of their own. These articles are wonderful at spreading the love and getting the word out. My hope for ACookbookClub.com is to go a little deeper and walk you through the potential commitment of running a cookbook club. At the same time, I want to open your eyes to the profound impact such a simple concept can have in the lives of others and your surrounding community.

Also, there is a book in the works. Because my personal cookbook club has filled my life with so much joy and flavor, I knew in my heart there was a collective need for such love. People need a printed and bound resource that can be referenced repeatedly, marked up, dog-eared, and shared among friends (kind of like a cookbook).

In addition to an in-depth exploration of the creation of a cookbook club and how to make it your own, my book will include interviews with dozens of other cookbook clubs from around the world. I want readers to be fully informed and overflow with inspiration!

Honesty, the idea of writing a book has been haunting me for a couple of years and I’ve resisted it long enough. My fears and insecurities were keeping me from trying. My perfectionism was paralyzing me. My doubts were drowning me.

My inner critic convinced my mind and heart that I wasn’t a writer and would never be good enough to write a book.

That judgmental voice would say no one would like what I have to say. Or it would say that someone else more qualified would do it better than me. Cue the imposter syndrome.

I’ve been a graphic designer for 15 years and refused to call myself a web designer. But guess who built this site? Yep.

I’m an artist who has been refusing call myself a writer.

No more. Enough with the labels.

I’m a human with a heart.
I’m a person with a voice.
I’m a woman with a message.

And I’m committed to getting that message out to those that need to hear it. It’s not for everyone, and I’m ok with that. But if it speaks to you and compels you to take action, then my mission is complete. To be able to touch your heart with my words is a such gift for me. I feel honored to not only have your captivated attention (as you’re reading this), but to also have the opportunity to help you see the tremendous power and capability residing in YOU.

Cookbook clubs aren’t meant to be a destination in life. Nor are they an accomplishment to be checked off a to-do list.

It’s a journey. It’s an ongoing relationship that will consistently change and evolve over time. It’s something that takes on a life of its own. It develops its own spirit. You become the witness and the participant at the same time. It’s mind blowing.

Get ready. You’re in for one of the most delicious adventures one can take in life.

Cheers to you, and cheers to the magic that awaits!