As I’ve already written about this month, I’m obsessed with Samin Nosrat’s new cookbook. I love the recipes, but I also love the sections on “small good things,” which are very small things you can make to add extra deliciousness to a meal like whipped ricotta. As someone who is currently in a season where I have to make food for my family a lot, this feels doable and accessible. I like all the sauces recipes--they are easy to make in bulk and then add on to dishes to add more flavor to dishes than my children prefer.
However, my favorite section of the book is where she writes about her routine of having a Monday dinner night with friends. Every week she and her friends gather for dinner at the same house. People swap cooking responsibilities and chip in, but it happens almost every week. Joel and I were immediately drawn to the idea. We already enjoy having people over for dinner, and we both like cooking and food. A few days later we had our friend over for dinner. I told her about the cookbook and the Monday night dinner ritual, and she said, “that sounds fun, we should do it.”
And so, we are. We just started the ritual like a month ago and there is at least one Thursday a month that doesn’t work with a scheduling conflict. But even having her come over 2-3 times a month is kind of magical. My kids are way more comfortable with her when they see her regularly, and they get to have love and attention from an unrelated adult. Joel and I get to see her and connect with a friend more often.
I love that the Thursday Supper Club blends both routine and novelty. It is a routine in that it’s something we don’t really have to plan, and it’s a standing date. It’s novel in that it feels fun and different to have another person join our family dinner for the night. We are more likely to make interesting recipes or try new things when we are cooking on Thursday than other nights.
Life happens, and this ritual may not stay the same forever, but right now it’s working for us. Have you ever had a standing dinner date with friends, or a group that meets together regularly like this?
I love Samin! I've been obsessed with her since "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" and I have to get her new cookbook (that she never wanted to write because she hates recipes! Did you hear her interview on NPR? :)) So excited to hear that you approve of the book + recipes!
ReplyDeleteLOVE this! We had a group like this when our biggest kids were little, and it was so much fun!
ReplyDeleteI love this idea so much! I wish I had friends close by to do this with. The cookbook sounds fantastic too, I'll definitely check it out.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun way to hang out regularly with friends.
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't work for my life but I would enjoy it.
I love this idea so much! I'm not sure if your friend is single/childless like I am, but I love when married friends/friends with kids include me in their everyday routines like this. We may be in different stages of life, but I love being involved when I can! Plus, it allows me to hang with their kiddos and develop our relationship, and it feels very easygoing for someone like me who very much wants to be a hermit most of the time, HA.
ReplyDeleteShe is! She has said the same thing about being included in everyday routines, and our kids love her so much.
DeleteThis idea is so appealing to me! I tend to get a little worked up when having guests over, so I think this would help make it feel more regular and less of a Big Deal. Plus, it would be so fun to incorporate a friend into our regular routine! The only thing I'm not sure about is that my family are all extreme introverts, and I don't know that we could handle a weekly commitment to having another person in our space. Maybe monthly?!
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly introverted, but I lived with my friend for two years when we were in our twenties, so it feels very normal having her as part of everyday routine life.
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