On the last Thursday of every month, the 10 members of the Gourmet Club might be dining on haute cuisine, in a canyon eating a Dutch oven dinner or sharing a Crab 'n' Gab session.
But one thing remains constant since the group began in 1995 — they go home well-fed, with a handful of new recipes to prove it.
The club was started by Karen Horne of Bountiful. "I was single and busy with a career and thought it would be a great way to get to see my friends and bring a new group together," she said. Horne got the idea from Ann Orton, then food editor at the Deseret News, who was in a similar club.
Horne called a variety of her friends — some were married, some had careers, others were stay-at-home moms.
"We wound up becoming good friends, but our paths never would have crossed otherwise," said Marcia Johns of Sandy.
"Our success has to do with the fact that we stuck with it," said Teri Grant of Salt Lake City. "I know a lot of others who have tried to start groups, and they've fallen apart because they didn't stay committed."
Rob and Jenny Rowley of Kaysville have met with the same six to eight couples for about 12 years. Every other month, the group rotates to a different home. The host couple does the entree and assigns the rest of the meal to the other couples to bring.
"It's a great way to try new foods and rekindle friendships," said Rowley. "With life being as busy as it is, when you start having children, it's very easy to get so involved in your family that you lose touch. When we first started, all the couples lived in one area. Now, we're all spread out, and this is an easy way to keep those friendships going."
Rowley also attends a recipe exchange among the women in her neighborhood. It's more flexible — whomever can come that day shows up and brings a dish to share with the recipe. Cooking clubs and dinner groups have spawned recent cookbooks. "The Cooking Club Cookbook" and "The Cooking Club Party Book" were written by six New York City women who cook for each other once a month. A group in Little Rock, Ark., last year published its own cookbook, "Entertaining With the Flaming Spoons" (Morris Press, $18.95).
A typical Gourmet Club meeting took place in April at Marcia Johns' home. She and Lori Plummer served Asian lettuce wraps, rice bowls of either Ginger Beef or Peanut Chicken, Lemonade Pie and spring punch. The table was set with flowers, candlelight, festive Chinese place mats, and chopsticks — more elegant than the typical weekday family dinner.
That's an advantage to a cooking club — it gives you a chance to haul out the good china and flex your culinary muscles.
"When it's my turn, I tend to make things I don't normally make at home," said Judith Nielson of Salt Lake City. "I like to read food magazines, but my kids won't eat it, so this is my chance to try things and have it appreciated."
"It also motivates you to do things with your house you wouldn't otherwise do, such as put in a deck," joked Lisa Winger of Salt Lake City, who has earned a reputation for fabulous desserts, like creme brulee and a cake that took three days to make and assemble. "I've got a great chocolate mousse, but I won't give out the recipe because I don't want to be mini-classed in Relief Society," she added.
Hosting the month's dinner is stressful — "On the day I have to do it, I tell myself I'm going to quit Gourmet Club!" said Misti Beus of Farmington.
But, it hones entertaining and cooking skills, so putting on other events, like baby showers and dinner parties, aren't so daunting.
"Early on it was a lot harder, and you felt your house had to be perfect," said Grant. "I've noticed it's gotten easier, and I don't worry about it so much. I love it because you get such great recipes. So if you entertain or have to take food somewhere, you don't stress out because you always have something good to make. "
While it's called "Gourmet Club," members say they're not limited to fine dining. One month they had a back-to-school theme with kid-friendly recipes; another night they did a tailgating party. After perusing several complex lettuce-wrap recipes, Johns ended up ordering hers from China Lily restaurant.
"One of our rules is that you're allowed to have a flop, so don't be afraid to go out on a limb," said Nielson.
They've had a few mishaps, like the night someone served brothy soup in bread bowls, which then sogged and disintegrated. Or when their feng shui guest speaker went a little overboard — they joke about that as "the seance night."
The Gourmet Club has included spouses a few times. But talk is usually focused on recipes and cooking, so some of the guys tend to get bored, Horne said. Husbands are enthusiastic about their wives going off to Gourmet Club, because their wives come home happy and relaxed, said Plummer.
Johns quipped, "They thought the payoff was going to be this great cooking at home, but they've figured out that we only cook it for ourselves."
Here are favorite recipes that have been served at the Gourmet Club:
GINGER BEEF AND BROCCOLI
1 pound boneless beef sirloin
2 large broccoli stalks
1 red or yellow bell pepper
1 cup beef broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Slice the beef crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices, each about 2 inches long. Cut the florets off the broccoli; peel and slice the stalks. Cut the pepper into thin strips. Combine the broccoli and pepper strips in a bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, mix the beef broth, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and cornstarch. When the cornstarch is dissolved, set the sauce aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the beef strips and stir-fry until brown, about 2 minutes. Remove beef to a plate. Add remaining beef, cook 2 minutes, until brown, then remove to the plate.
Carefully wipe out the hot pan with a paper towel. Heat the remaining oil over high heat. Add broccoli and pepper strips to the wok; cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Stir the broth mixture and pour it into the wok, then add beef and any juices from the plate. Simmer over low heat, stirring, for a minute or two, just until the sauce thickens. Transfer to a serving platter.
LEMONADE PIE
2 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine ingredients. Press into two 9-inch pie plates. Bake 8 minutes. Let cool on rack.
Filling:
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
6 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate
12 ounces whipped topping
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup blueberries
In large mixing bowl, fold sweetened condensed milk and lemonade concentrate (do not make lemonade according to package). Refrigerate mixture 10 minutes. Fold whipped topping into condensed milk/lemonade mixture. Fold in fresh fruit, reserving some fruit for garnish. Pour into cooled pie crusts. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Before serving, garnish with remaining strawberries and blueberries.
CUCUMBER LIME PUNCH
2 small cans or 1 large can frozen limeade concentrate
Cucumbers, peeled and sliced thinly
2 liters lemon-lime soda
Thaw limeade. Marinate cucumbers in limeade for a few hours. Add to the punch bowl with the soda. Add ice to chill.
ROASTED AUTUMN VEGETABLES
3 small Yukon gold potatoes
1 large sweet potato
3 small parsnips
1 large red onion
1 large yellow onion
6 baby carrots, halved
6 garlic cloves, halved
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
Peel the potatoes and parsnips and cut into 1-inch pieces. Cut onions crosswise into halves. Cut up peppers lengthwise. In large, shallow roasting pan, combine all the veggies and garlic. Drizzle mixture with broth and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered in a 450-degree oven for 45 minutes, stirring veggies occasionally. Stir in balsamic vinegar and rosemary sprigs and roast 15 more minutes, or until veggies are tender. Remove garlic if desired. Makes 6 servings.
GINGER-SESAME-MARINATED ASPARAGUS
2 pounds jumbo asparagus
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Ice water
Dressing:
1 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Select a pan large enough to accommodate the asparagus when lying flat. Fill the pan 2/3 full with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Snap off the woody bottom end of each asparagus spear, then trim any ragged edges. Using a vegetable peeler, lightly peel the bottom half of each spear, removing only the thin, fibrous outer layer.
Add the salt and asparagus to the boiling water. Cook the spears, uncovered, until they are bright green and crisp-tender without tasting raw, 5-6 minutes. Using tongs, remove asparagus spears to a large bowl of ice water. Cool 1-2 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels. Mix dressing ingredients. Place spears in a gallon-size lock-top plastic bag. Set aside.
Pour 1/4 cup of the dressing over the spears. Place sealed bag in refrigerator to chill and marinate at least 1 hour. Store the rest of the dressing in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Arrange asparagus spears on a serving platter. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serves 6.
E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com