The Beginning of the Lebanon Cookbook Collective

I was reading The Tenth Muse and it keep reminding me that behind every great cookbook is someone who believed those stories mattered enough to be shared.

Judith Jones saw the story in Julia Child before the world did. She introduced us to chefs like James Beard, Marcella Hazan, Madhur Jaffrey, Edna Lewis, and Jacques Pépin. Reading Judith’s words, I began to see that her work was changing the horizon of American home cooks. I was inspired. I wanted to hear other’s stories. Stories from the people in my hometown.

My New Years resolution for 2026 was to cook more from cookbooks. I wanted to craft 24 recipes from various cookbooks this year and study more technique, get tips, and learn. I am not a good cook. I can bake. But not really creative enough to cook.

Through reading Judith’s book, the idea of a local Cookbook Club came to mind. I began researching what that might look like for my community. Hosting is natural for my family, so the only thing holding me back was my own cooking talent or lack thereof.

The Lebanon Cookbook Collective carries Judith’s same spirit forward, on a smaller, more home cook intimate scale, but no less meaningful. I want to make sure the Lebanon Cookbook Collective isn’t just about home cooking. It’s about gathering together with old and new friends alike, with intention, honoring our community’s stories, and creating space for connection for the people around me.

So, this month, I am putting myself out there and launching the Collective for the Fall of 2026. Let’s see what happens.

Thank you Judith Jones… and Alice Waters. She’s my favorite. She is the original grandmother to the farm to table movement for America.