PVCC’s German Baking Club gets cooking on Zoom
When a person joins a Zoom meeting, it is expected that they will be met by their peers in their bedrooms, living rooms, and other at-home workspaces. It is not every day you join a meeting with a group of people in their kitchens — some quaint and homely, others tidy and professional — each kitchen a glimpse into its owner’s life. This semester, the German Baking Club welcomes members of any skill level to learn to bake German dishes at home in their own kitchens.
On Thursday, Feb. 11, the German Baking Club held their second ever meeting over Zoom. The recipe of the month was Lebkuchen, a gingerbread-like dessert with a lemon glaze that can be made as a cake or a cookie. Most participants chose to make cookies, though each batch came out different than the next. Some baked the dough in a flat sheet, some hand-cut the dough into shapes, and some used shaped cookie cutters.
“Personally, I recommend cat cookie cutters. Those are my favorite,” said German Baking Club President Skylar Trainum.
The German Baking Club, previously known as just the German Club, only recently began holding meetings over Zoom.
“We were the German club, but no one was really interested in that, so now we’re the german baking club,” said Sadie Harper, the club’s vice president. Virtual schooling helped to facilitate this shift of the club’s focus towards baking; this way, attendees can bake along in their own kitchens.
This month’s meeting, which lasted just under 2 hours, had a total of 9 attendees. The atmosphere was friendly and welcoming — questions and conversation were encouraged, and topics ranged from visiting Germany and past baking experiences to upcoming movies and plans after graduation. The club is open to inexperienced bakers as well as those who do not want to bake along. It is a learning experience, even for the hosts.
“I’m making mistakes already…That’s what life’s about – you gotta screw it up to learn. Though that’s always easiest to tell others than it is to believe yourself,” said Trainum.
The club plans to meet again next month — meetings are announced through email, with recipes for that month’s project included. They have also expressed that they are open to recipe suggestions, and are looking into including vegetarian and vegan substitutes with their recipes. As for future recipes, the club already has some ideas.
“I hope to make a black forest cake someday,” said Trainum. “Though that may be a little ambitious.”
For those interested in relaxing, socializing, and learning more about German food and culture, the German Baking Club presents an excellent opportunity. For more information on the German Baking Club, email Club President Skylar Trainum at grt2014@email.vccs.edu or Vice President Sadie Harper at sh251202@email.vccs.edu.
