Chicago area neighbors make friends over international food
MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill. (CBS) – It began with a simple Facebook post on a northwest suburban community page.
A Mount Prospect couple with a passion for food and travel wanted to create a cooking club.
As CBS 2's Dana Kozlov explained, it's become a recipe for success and sparked a culinary adventure uniting neighbors who were once strangers and now are friends.
Alex and Clint Hervert never imagined that within just a few months, they'd be preparing a dish for the fourth gathering of their Mount Prospect international cooking club.
"We were thinking maybe we'd find a few couples, like max 10 people that would want to do this," Alex said. "So when I posted it, and there were like 100 people interested, I immediately got overwhelmed."
But together, the travel-obsessed foodies figured it out. They created a private group, capped membership, and set some basic rules. They were thrilled to find members from various stages in life.
Bob and Marilyn Peterson, the host home for one evening's journey to India, found the timing to be perfect.
"Many of our friends had moved off to Florida, gone to other places, and this was a blessing for us to have this club, to find new people to share cooking with," Bob said.
Clint added, "We were looking for an outlet of how we could cook and share our love for travel, and it gave me a chance to push my boundaries of what I like to cook normally."
As members arrived at a recent meal, the aromas filled the room. Dishes were carefully set in place and were ready for introductions.
For example, Scott and Natalie showed up with a slow-roasted lamb with chutney.
The club has pushed its members to explore new culinary horizons and expand their cooking skills.
Once seated, the conversation naturally turned to travel, with members exchanging experiences and advice. The group so far has savored the tastes of Spain, Thailand, Italy, and India.
"We haven't met other individuals in the area that travel as much as we do, and we have kids, so it's nice to also hear from others that have kids and they travel," said Agata Olszewsi. "The people, the energy, the places they've been, the conversation's amazing."
Marilyn added, "It's wonderful. We look forward to it. It's fun to meet new people."
"The end goal was to make friends," Alex Hervert said. "To get to know our neighbors, and it's been really positive in that way.
"It's a great way to meet people and literally break bread with them."
Members said they feel connected to Mount Prospect and that the club creates a sense of togetherness within their community.
Each community meal has about 18 to 20 people in attendance. The first to sign up get to go.