By: FOXmls.com
Published: June 25, 2013
Visiting the latest restaurant used to be a way of life; now it's all about DIY.
"Social cooking" has become the new way to entertain, as everything from cooking parties and gourmet groups to those blasts from the past, potluck suppers and fondue experiences, are bringing foodies together at home.
We're seeing the rise of cooking "events," attended by groups of friends.
Celebrating a birthday or promotion? You can hire a local chef to demonstrate techniques and help attendees craft their special meal at home.
Or a group of like-minded foodies can get together to prepare a meal, then sit down to enjoy the fruits of their labors.
Even easier - and just as much fun - are potluck suppers.
Once the purview of young couples who couldn't afford to wine and dine friends on their own, a potluck supper now becomes a showcase for guests' signature dishes and an opportunity to try something new.
Many guests bring copies of their recipes to share.
The fondue party is another retro alternative. But with a twenty-first-century twist. Today's foodies have switched up the 60s throwback, beef fondue, to make it healthier; strips of raw beef and veggies are cooked in beef stock - not boiling oil as before - then dipped in healthy sauces such as guacamole.
With social cooking, the focus is on the food and the company, not so much the environment. This mindset marks a shift in how we think about entertaining.
Perhaps with "foodtainment" gaining popularity through TV shows such as The Chew, we now see cooking as a way to connect in an old/new way.
Hosting a fondue party may make food the center of activity, but the conversation is wide ranging, there's lots of laughter, and maybe even a trivia game to play during dinner.
And not a smartphone in sight.
"Social cooking" has become the new way to entertain, as everything from cooking parties and gourmet groups to those blasts from the past, potluck suppers and fondue experiences, are bringing foodies together at home.
We're seeing the rise of cooking "events," attended by groups of friends.
Celebrating a birthday or promotion? You can hire a local chef to demonstrate techniques and help attendees craft their special meal at home.
Or a group of like-minded foodies can get together to prepare a meal, then sit down to enjoy the fruits of their labors.
Even easier - and just as much fun - are potluck suppers.
Once the purview of young couples who couldn't afford to wine and dine friends on their own, a potluck supper now becomes a showcase for guests' signature dishes and an opportunity to try something new.
Many guests bring copies of their recipes to share.
The fondue party is another retro alternative. But with a twenty-first-century twist. Today's foodies have switched up the 60s throwback, beef fondue, to make it healthier; strips of raw beef and veggies are cooked in beef stock - not boiling oil as before - then dipped in healthy sauces such as guacamole.
With social cooking, the focus is on the food and the company, not so much the environment. This mindset marks a shift in how we think about entertaining.
Perhaps with "foodtainment" gaining popularity through TV shows such as The Chew, we now see cooking as a way to connect in an old/new way.
Hosting a fondue party may make food the center of activity, but the conversation is wide ranging, there's lots of laughter, and maybe even a trivia game to play during dinner.
And not a smartphone in sight.
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