According to the January 2012 issue of Sunset cookbook clubs are “catching on across the West.”  The idea is simple.  Friends get together to choose a cookbook, just as they would to pick a novel for a regular book club.  Then they spend a month trying out the recipes.  At the end of the period the group gathers to choose their next cookbook and to enjoy a potluck featuring recipes from the current month’s selection.

If you’re interested in forming a cookbook club the library is a great place to find books.  An easy way to survey a library’s cookbook collection is to visit the cooking area: Dewey number 641.5.  You can also do this online by searching by the call number:  641.5. If you sort this list by date (Newest to Oldest) you’ll find the newest cookbooks in the collection.   You can do a similar broad search under the subject heading:  Cooking.   If you’re looking for particular types of cookbooks, the best way is to look under a narrower subject, for example Cooking French, Vegetarian Cooking, or Bread.  Bon appétit!