Here are some tips for starting your own cooking or dinner group:
Keep membership consistent: Don't add and subtract members at will. Avoid picky eaters and those who aren't dependable.
"Face it, some folks are as flaky as a Crisco pie crust, and you need to weed out the chaff from the wheat as soon as possible," says "The Cooking Club Cookbook."
The Gourmet Club allows the host to bring a guest, but otherwise, the group is closed to new members.
Gourmet Club members said it helps that they're not all from the same neighborhood, so they don't tire of each other's company.
Limit the numbers: How many people can your home accommodate? How hard will it be to contact everyone? The Gourmet Club started out with 12 members. "We found that when everyone came, there was a few too many, and the conversation wasn't as intimate," said Marcia Johns. When two members dropped out, they kept the number at 10.
Make a schedule: The Gourmet Club meets at a restaurant in January to plan the year. Two are assigned to host each time, so each person hosts twice during the year. Hosting in pairs reduces the pressure. They skip July, when many people are vacationing.
"If it's your turn and you've had a bad month, you can meet at a restaurant and pay for everyone's dessert," said Judith Nielson. "We don't want it to be a burden."
At first, Jenny Rowley's dinner group met the first Saturday of every month, with the host couple preparing the whole meal. "Then with the more kids we all got and the crazier life got, we decided to go out to eat, with the couple in charge picking the restaurant," she said.
Now the group meets every other month at a home, with the host couple preparing an entree and assigning other dishes to the rest of the group.
Attendance: If members can't make it, they should let the host know beforehand, so someone isn't stuck with a $70 whole salmon and three people to eat it.
What to cook: Gourmet Club hosts provide an appetizer, drink, entree and dessert.
Think themes, advises "The Cooking Club Cookbook." "They get you excited to cook, and that means the dishes will probably work together."
Holidays and ethnic food are obvious — Chinese New Year, Cinco de Mayo, a Hawaiian luau, Swiss fondue or Italian night. The Gourmet Club had a dinner with all the dishes named for celebrities, and Easter dinner with ham, asparagus and eight different types of deviled eggs.
Lisa Winger sent out toe rings with an invitation to "sit by the pool in our toe rings" (it turned out to be a kiddie pool). Another night they did a cooking session in My Girlfriend's Kitchen, a Fort Union business where cooks assemble multiple take-home meals.
"We're still trying to plan a trip to see Oprah," said Nielson.
Invitations and favors are optional with the Gourmet Club. "I thought the favor thing got out of control for a few minutes, but it's mellowed now, so there's not as much pressure," said Misti Beus.
Plan ahead: Gourmet Club members start thinking about what to serve early on. Nielson, known for gorgeous centerpieces, often schedules another event later in the week so she can re-use the centerpiece. Lori Plummer looks for recipes to do a day ahead. Johns avoids last-minute panic by setting the table the night before and having everything ready before the guests arrive.
"My tip is to get my kids out the door an hour before everyone comes, so I can go through the house and do all the little things," said Teri Grant.
Edit the recipes: If you've had to alter the recipes in order to make them work out, note those changes when you give out the recipes.
Reap the benefits: "I've gotten so much better at being able to look at recipes and tell if they're good or not," said Grant.
And it helps your reputation. Says Beus, "My friends all think I'm an amazing cook because I'm in a gourmet club."
E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com