table without recipe

 

concept plan -to be discussed

A joyful experiment in cooking, connection, and culinary improvisation
by Horst – retired chef and founder of

 “Fun at the Table”

The Idea

Welcome to The Table without Recipe — a place where cooking meets curiosity, and where spontaneity is the only rule, we actually try to follow.
It’s not a chefs table, a restaurant, not a cooking class, and definitely not a competition.
It’s a relaxed, playful gathering where food lovers meet, cook, eat, and laugh — without the pressure of perfection or the burden of a recipe book.

Session Format: How It Works (or Doesn't Work)

There are many ways to set the table — midweek or weekend, lunch or dinner, 3 hours or 6.
For our pilot phase, let’s start simple:
Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Now, before anyone panics — no, you don’t have to show up at 10 sharp or stay till 4.
This is The Table without Recipe, not a German train timetable.
Flexibility is the main ingredient — come when you can, leave when you must.

There’s no agenda, no “minutes of the meeting,” and no need to pretend you’re busy stirring something. Just bring your curiosity (and maybe an ingredient).

Booking a Seat

Since our kitchen has room for about 10–12 people per session (and we might have up to 25 interested members), we’ll use a simple pre-booking system.
Each person can — but doesn’t have to — bring one ingredient.

The first few people to book in online can list what they’re bringing, visible to everyone.
Over time, our ingredient list might look a bit like this:

Member	Ingredient Type	Ingredient
1	Meat	Diced beef
2	Meat	Steaks
3	Fish	Kingfish
4	Fish	Barramundi
5	Vegetable	Broccoli
6	Vegetable	Mushrooms
7	Vegetable	Asparagus
8	Salad	Lettuce
9	Salad	Chinese cabbage
10	Fruit	Apples
11	Fruit	Pears

 

Of course, the pantry staples — butter, milk, eggs, flour, etc. — will always be on hand, ready for spontaneous genius or glorious failure.

Yes, it might look chaotic. But that’s the fun!
Creativity thrives in a little chaos. After all, that’s why we call it The Table without Recipe, not The Table With Spreadsheet.

What Happens at the Table?

Picture a relaxed, chatty tapas bar or a rustic French country bistro.
You wander in, have a cuppa or a sip of wine, and every so often, someone serves a small plate of whatever just came together in the kitchen — a piece of fish with a dressing, a spoon of beef bourguignon, a German dumpling that refuses to sink, or even just a good soup of the day.

No pressure, no fixed courses.  Just come, sit, eat, talk, drink — and repeat.

Who Does What (and Who Pretends To)

Not everyone has to cook — some will chop, stir, plate, pour, or tell stories.
We’ll build mini teams on the go and help each other out.
And yes, there will be laughter — especially when the soufflé collapses.

Each session will have a Head Chef, just to keep the ship from sinking (or the soup from burning).
Horst will happily mentor — but quietly, from the background, preferably with a glass of Shiraz in hand.

Beyond the Table

Because life is more than food (barely), The Table without Recipe will also inspire other side adventures:

• Walking and cycling groups
• Art and crafting circles
• Canoeing expeditions
• Stamp-collecting societies
  … and, of course, the ancient art of leg-pulling for those who prefer sport of the verbal kind.

Members who have a BBQ setup or a pizza oven at home are warmly invited to host their own sessions — whether it’s 8 people on a deck or 12 around a campfire.
Remember: flexibility is our friend and time is not the enemy.

 

Finances & Practicalities

We’re lucky to start with a pilot kitchen without paying rent.
Horst is covering the initial food cost for the pantry setup and most of the gear — BBQ, gas pizza oven, four-burner stove, pots, pans, plates, glasses, and good vibes included.

We’ll explore options for formalising the setup later — maybe through a community centre, a Men’s Shed, or even our own non-profit group if things grow.
For now, it’s just about getting started — simply, joyfully, and without recipes.

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Final Words

At The Table without Recipe, there’s no right or wrong way — just a shared spirit of play.
We’ll experiment, taste, laugh, and learn.
It’s not about perfect dishes — it’s about delicious moments.

So, bring your curiosity, your sense of humour, and maybe a bottle of wine
the rest we’ll cook up together.

expression of interest place to: tablewithoutrecipe@gmail.com

or call Horst 0412 166 822

Cheers,
Horst
Retired Chef – Founder of Fun at the Table