THE CLUB

The MEN'S COOKING CLUB of WIMBERLEY (MCCW) was initiated by Edgar Miller, a local web designer. During his latter years in his native Germany, he was a member of the CC-Club kochender Männer (Confrérie Culinaire - Men's Cooking Club). This club has existed for nearly 50 years and currently has about 1500 members in over 125 local "Chuchis" all over Europe, organized in small groups of about 10 men.    His dream was to start a men's cooking club here in Wimberley and in November of 2003, he and St. Edwards professor Allan Pevoto set forth to recruit members and find a professional kitchen for the Club's monthly cooking events. A short time later, the owner of the Jitas n' Ritas (formerly The Golden Spoon) restaurant offered the use of his kitchen, and with four members the MCCW began its monthly dinners.    Very quickly, the group grew to 10 members (mostly amateurs) and the club moved its activities to the Wimberley Café. When Robin and Mac McCullough acquired the restaurant, they graciously allowed the continued use of their kitchen and dining room until the Café was sold to Jen and "Chef" Jay Bachmann, who, in turn, let us cook there until the Covid-19 pandemic struck and closed down public life. After several month of mandatory break the club switched over to Steve Klepfer's Longleaf kitchen, mainly because it offered a large backyard for socially distanced eating.    After Steve Klepfer retired from the Cooking Club, the members gathered at different kitchens (mostly at a lodge at the 7A Ranch) until Mark Grimes, founder and executive chef of the Supper Club offered his kitchen as a new home away from home.    The 10 members gather on the fourth Monday of each month to cook a 4 to 5 course menu, which the lead chef of the month has planned and for which he has provided all ingredients and the wines / beers that will be served. Each month, the 10 chefs rotate the lead chef responsibility, so everybody has a chance to show his talent once a year.    Having previously selected the menu item they each wish to prepare, the members assemble at the restaurant at 5:30 p.m. to begin preparation for the dinner, which usually starts about 7:15 p.m. with one or two appetizers to get the appetites rolling.    To include the member's wives, each year the club features two events, a "gourmet" picnic, usually at the end of April and in December a celebration of the holidays with an opulent Christmas dinner.     In November 2023, we will celebrate our 20th anniversary as a club, and we are looking forward to the next twenty years and to many, many wonderful cooking and eating adventures.