About this Event
October Patterson Park Cookbook Club
Hosted by local hobby-baker and cook (@challahbake_girl), Courtney Lennon, in partnership with Friends of Patterson Park, this free cookbook club will meet in the Cedar House.
Instead of reading a novel, all members will cook from the same cookbook. Before each meeting, you'll choose a recipe from the featured cookbook, prepare it at home, and bring it to share with the group. During the gathering, we'll enjoy a potluck-style meal, get to know one another, and discuss our favorite recipes, cooking techniques, and the cookbook itself.
Whether you're an experienced home cook or simply enjoy trying new recipes, everyone is welcome. The goal is to build community through a shared love of food.
October's Cookbook
Cocina Puerto Rico: Recipes from My Abuela's Kitchen to Yours by Mia Castro
Cookbook Description:
Cocina Puerto Rico transports you to Borinquen—the Island of Enchantment—otherwise known as Puerto Rico. Or, to chef Mia Castro, home.
Mia spent her early career working under prestigious chefs such as José Andrés, Thomas Keller, and Wolfgang Puck, and later cooked for exclusive clients worldwide as a private chef. In 2020, unexpectedly grounded in New York City, she found herself craving the foods of her native Puerto Rico. Over daily FaceTime calls (that sometimes stretched for hours) with her beloved Abuela Sara in San Juan, Mia collected the time-honored recipes that represent her family’s homeland. Now, applying her professional knowledge, she has expertly adapted these dishes for you to re-create in any American home kitchen.
Cocina Puerto Rico covers everything from salads, fritters, and soups to seafood, meat, and rice dishes to sweets, including re-creations of favorites from the island’s traditional panaderías (bakeries). Classics like Abuela’s Sancocho (Root Veggie Stew with Plantain Dumplings), Serenata de Bacalao (Saltfish Salad), Arroz con Jueyes (Stewed Crab Rice), and Tembleque (Creamy Coconut Pudding) bring the signature flavors of Puerto Rican cooking into your home, while dishes like Tropical Caprese Salad and Caribbean Passion Pie introduce some of Mia’s modern tropical riffs.
Featuring photography shot at Abuela’s house in San Juan, iconic landmarks throughout Puerto Rico, and a design inspired by the sun-washed alleyways of Old San Juan, this book is a true trip to the Island of Enchantment. Whether you want to explore a new destination, savor a unique cuisine, or immerse yourself in vibrant culture and rich history—Cocina Puerto Rico is your way in.
How It Works:
-Register for the event (currently, space is limited to 25 participants).
-After registering, you'll receive a confirmation email with:
----A link to where the featured cookbook is being sold by our local Baltimore book retailers.
----A link to our shared recipe sign-up sheet so everyone brings something different.
----Meeting details.
----A few reminders about what to bring.
-Choose your recipe, prepare it at home, and bring it to the meeting.
-Share your dish, enjoy everyone else's creations, and connect with neighbors around the table.
Each meeting will feature a different cookbook, and attendees will have the opportunity to help choose future selections.
We can't wait to cook, share, and build community with you, one cookbook at a time.
Event venue & nearby stays
27 S Patterson Park Ave, 27 South Patterson Park Avenue, Baltimore, United States
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