My friend Kristy Weyhrich once gave me “The Best Recipe” cookbook from the editors of Cooks Illustrated. Nothing flashy, but I consider it to be the final word when I’m making chocolate chip cookies or looking to try a new technique for an old favorite.

I don’t yet own a waffle iron, but all that’s gotta change with this recipe! Who will talk to me about the pros and cons of the types of waffle irons? Those hearts sure are pretty.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. You could consider making up a stack of little postcards explaining the dinner co-op idea, attached to copies of our Compatibility Survey. Host an informational gathering on a weeknight at your house and get people to bring their completed surveys. Who knows, you might be able to transform your ‘hood.

I’ve been cooking in a dinner co-op for five years straight. It is a huge time saver and the best way to ensure you’re getting great quality homemade food on the weeknights without wearing yourself out. There are thousands of people around the country cooking this way. It’s been fun with the publication of “Dinner At Your Door” to see them all coming out of the woodwork.

It has been amazing what the kids do eat. There’s a bit in the book from our pediatrician, who points to studies that show kids who’ve been exposed to a wide variety of foods at a young age (even if they initially reject them) are more likely to adopt those foods as adults.

Re: our community, many dinner co-ops I know originally spun out of my book club. However, lots of people are co-op compatible and never really hang out together socially. Look for the family with the killer vegetable garden, great taste in wine, or someone who brings fresh-baked bread to the neighborhood potluck! There are at least 30 dinner co-ops operating in our little neighborhood in the Pacific Northwest.