Our first-ever virtual FSC Book Club selection wrapped up this summer. Together, we read Tamar Adler’s An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace and worked our way through it chapter by chapter. We met on our online forum on From Scratch Club’s Facebook page and talked about her recipes, her tips for cooking food in water, how to set yourself up for a week of good eating and how to save a kitchen disaster.
A few highlights…
From Chapter 2: How to Teach an Egg to Fly
From Chapter 7: How to Have Balance
From Chapter 4: How to Catch Your Tail
From Chapter 1: How to Boil Water
It was a great first book club, but we have a feeling it can get even better. We want to hear from you! Please take a quick moment and answer our poll questions below. We want to know what you liked about the book club, what you didn’t like and how we can make it even better the next go-around. Do you like Facebook? Would you rather see the club hosted somewhere else? How fast do you want to read the book? What kind of book?
Everyone who completes this poll, and comments below that they did so, will be entered to win a copy of our soon-to-be-announced 2nd Book Club pick! We’ll announce the next book soon & if you complete our poll, you could win your own copy! Woot!
GIVEAWAY DETAILS
- Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only due to cost-prohibiting shipping costs (SORRY!)
- The giveaway & poll will run for TWO WEEKS until midnight on September 6th, 2012. The winner will be announced on September 7th, 2012.
- To enter the giveaway, please answer all the above questions and comment below that you did so. Please note: You answer the poll questions anonymously, so you must comment below to enter the giveaway. I
- In addition, if you’d like to leave us additional insight on the FSC Book Club, please do in that one comment. Only one comment per giveaway entry. We really want this to become ‘something’ that many people enjoy as we think a book club dedicated to food-only topics inspires and brings people together in a multitude of different ways than the blog, podcast or our food swaps.
- Once we wade through your insightful feedback (we are so excited!!!) we will determine the next book and announce it in mid-September: back to book club time! The giveaway winner will receive their copy via Amazon 2-day prime the week of the announcement.
I completed the survey. Looking forward to participating in the next book club. Suggestion: if you choose to have people upload photos of finished recipes, there should be a designated hashtag for us instagram junkies.
I completed the survey. I think the book club is a terrific idea and hope I can find time to read!
I am looking forward to what you decide to do after getting all of our answers!
I completed the survey. I’m sorry I missed this first book club since Everlasting Meal is definitely on my “To-Read list,” but I only recently discovered your wonderful website. I would love an in-person book club, but I will likely participate the next time around, however it is run!
completed the survey. thanks for this giveaway!
answered!
I completed the survey!
A book club for foodies! Count me in!
I’d love to do a book club where we meet in person before the swap, but not in the summer, maybe post the questions in advance? I don’t know, I’ve actually never been in a book club!
I couldn’t participate in the first book but love the idea of a cook along book club. I am good with any format except for twitter. I think it would likely be best to pick a grouping of recipes rather than one because certain folks have different dietary preferences.restrictions.
Still love this blog thanks Christina and the rest of the FSLIC ladies!
I’d be interested in a cook along book club! I took the survey and would love to win the giveaway.
I completed the survey. I missed the last book but love the idea!
I completed the survey. I was a participant this time and, even though I got sidetracked about halfway through (life happens, right??!!), I really enjoyed the discussions I participated in and the format worked fine. I’m looking forward to the next one and will try to be more active!
I wanted to and had plans on participating the first time around but… as I voted, finding time to read when I’ve got a very long list of ‘to reads’ already piling up…BUT… I do do do do want to participate because it will not only keep my ‘conversation’ fresh but help get through that list I have built up for myself… (=
I am new to FSC (thank you, Kizzi!) and really loved the Food Swap on Sunday! I have Tomato Jam (from Food In Jars) simmering as I type this – my house smells delicious! I would love to participate in a book discussion!!
I completed the survey. I would love to be part of the next book club
I completed the survey. I didn’t have time to read the book while you where all reading it but I did read it later and enjoyed reading thru the comments after the fact. I really enjoyed the book. I think a cook along would be fun.
Did it… Hope it helps!
The problem I had with the format is that I didn’t get alerts when someone posted something and I eventually just forgot to keep looking. I read the first book, then stopped. Maybe I am exceptionally concrete, but I need the reminder.
Reminders would be awesome!
I didn’t get my hands on the book in time. I love to read and I love to cook. I hope to be a part of the next book club pick. Thanks.
Completed the survey… What’s the next book?
Anna, we have some ideas but want to wait to see the poll results before picking a book.
So! I like the idea of the book club. My only issue is that primarily online, I don’t like to use my full name anywhere. For various reasons. Since this was on Facebook, I did not have the option to use my first name and initial.. or an alias. I understand that using real names means less trolling… but, well.. I like to keep my comments on public sites limited to my “handle”
I completed the survey! I was very excited about the book club, but did not plan well for the actual reading part, ha. I will do better next time.
Answered! I participated, sort of.
I’m in for sure next time!
I just discovered you on Facebook (and ‘liked’ you), and am looking forward in participating and learning along with you! Yay for Facebook!
Just ran across this post and wasn’t aware of the book club.Very exciting to know!
Completed the survey – the questions that applied to me – and my fingers are crossed. Thanks for the chance!
I completed the survey. I definitely plan on joining in for the next book!
I completed the survey and would love to win the book. Super excited to participate this time around in whatever you choose.
I completed the survey–thanks!
i completed the survey. would like something not on facebook, but simple.
I completed the survey. I love the idea, and once (most of) the kids are back in school, I might even have time to participate in a book club!
Survey completed. Reminders when new questions get posted would be great. I love the cook along idea. I think it would help deciding what to cook some weeks – and in a fun way. The Facebook format was fine, but another format could be fine too. Just not Twitter.
Just found out about the bookclub as you completed your last book. Looking forward to the next one. I completed all the questions on the survey that I thought were relevant for someone who has not yet participated but plans to. VERY excited to be in on next one. Would love to do in -person but since I’m in Maine and you are in New York I’m hoping the online version continues.
Here are some comments to expand on the information I put in the survey:
Hi.
Since I haven’t participated yet, some of the survey questions didn’t fit my situation. So here I am, expansively answering most of the questions:
My answer to the first question is NO, I have not participated in the FSC Book Club. But the reason is simply that I did not know about it until you were already finished with your most recent book (I DID know about it before you posted the survey, so “What FSC bookclub” didn’t work as an answer, either!). I am eager to participate in the next book.
I can’t answer any of the questions beyond the first two from experience – they are my expectations. It wasn’t clear to me on the website that that could be understood. So here are my answers.
I have never participated in a format like the one you have on Facebook, but I’m excited to try it. I am a VERY busy person. I have been wanting a bookclub with a food topic for a couple years, but have not started one because I’m not sure how much participation my busy schedule is going to allow. The FB format seems perfect – mostly because YOU started it and all I have to do is join and participate, not organize.
Having never tried this on FB, I don’t know if some other format would be preferable. I do know that my one issue with FB is how absolutely public it is. None of us own or can protect any of our content on it. People have lost jobs based on things they unthinkingly said on Facebook. I’m not too worried about that in the arena of food discussion – I think about that mostly in regard to more controversial topics although if we veer into the arena of food justice things can become somewhat controversial I imagine (and I would welcome veering into that arena – it’s an important and fascinating aspect of food, IMHO).
The “cook along” idea sounds like great fun. But I have to say that when I read those questions on the survey my heart sank a little. I’m already going to be REALLY stretching it to keep up with reading a book. If cooking things with deadlines were added to the agenda I don’t know if I could pull it off. Sure would be fun if I could, though! And if you did, I’d vote for a combo of FSC chosen and individual choice. And I’ll hope you won’t kick me out if I can’t do the cooking (and if the discussion turns totally to the cooking, and if I’m not doing it, that wouldn’t be so much fun).
As for types of books, I hope for a mix – recipes, policy, memoirs. Limiting it to the topic of food is enough of a limit for me. I’ll get bored if it gets too much narrower. I notice on the survey that policy didn’t get much of a vote. I’m fascinated with food policy and books like the Omnivore’s Dilemma or Javatrekker can make it fascinating for people who might not have realized they had any interest in it. I hope the “mix” folks mean for the mix to include an occasional book related to policy.
Getting an alert when someone posts would be helpful if it’s possible to set it up that way.
I hope this information is helpful. I’m really excited to participate starting in September.
I voted! I’m new to this FSC blog so didn’t participate before but would love to!
I completed the survey except for the “if you participated” questions – I wasn’t able to participate in the first book club. For the same reason, I’m not sure how to answer the last question about platform. I’m fine with Facebook but not at the exclusion of something else that works better/different. I don’t Twitter so that would be the only platform for which I would vote “no”.
I had problems with the old format because it was hard/impossible to remember to read other people’s comments without some kind of system for alerting me to new messages. I did not find it interactive.
I completed the survey. I started the last book but couldn’t really get into it. I’d love to try a cook along!
Participated in the poll. Looking forward to hearing more about the club and would love to win a free book!!!
I’ve completed the survey. I’d just like to add one thing that would be helpful. Since Facebook is selective about what posts will actually show up on my wall, a way to sign up for an email reminder would be so helpful to me.