Library Programming: Cookbook Demonstrations

Today we held another Cookbook cooking demonstration in the library during Bronco Time. BT is a 30(ish) minute window in the middle of the day three days a week when students can choose what activities they want to do so long as they don't have a D or F in any of their classes (if they do, they get to attend mandatory tutoring). Every Bronco Time in the LMC we do something library-related, usually book related. We plan the sessions a couple months in advance, which gives us time to promote them around school and through social media.  Today we highlighted cookbooks. 

We have a fairly consistent branding look for the library. Each session gets its own single-page billboard, which goes out on social media, printed copies are posted around school and in the LMC, digital copies go on giant TVs that play around school, and they occasionally make it onto our website (I don't always get them updated on the Web). Bottom line, we're competing for students to come in during Bronco Time and we like to keep the word out.

Today's session was cookbooks. Our goal is to not only highlight that we've got a lot of cookbooks available for students to check out and learn to cook for themselves (and their friends and family), but also to draw kids we might not otherwise see into the library with free food.  We do have a number of students who are eyeing jobs in the culinary world, and while we are always happy to see them during these demonstrations, our target audience here is the student who hasn't really cooked much at all.

With Valentine's Day just a few days away, we played off that theme -- with menu items ranging from "Blondies" to "Jerk" chicken wings. The biggest rule: the recipe had to come from a cookbook or eMagazine a student can check out today (or tomorrow, or the next day...). With that in mind, here's what we made along with a few pictures along the way. The chefs were the two librarians and our clerk, and we paid for ingredients out of our own pockets. Needless to say, we didn't make Filet Mignon (nor could we, without a kitchen near the LMC).

Fresh strawberries! Fortunately our local Hy-Vee had a sale on pints of fresh strawberries. 

With the goal being simple, I made a three-step Chocolate Dipped Strawberries recipe (wash & dry the strawberries, dip in chocolate almond bark, then drizzle white chocolate).

The three of us made the recipes at home. I had the benefit of a high schooler looking to become a chef who made several of the recipes, including 7-Up Pound Cakes in the shape of a winter cottage and a sand castle.

For display purposes, we wanted to highlight the name of the recipe, the cookbook or magazine we got it from, and the key ingredients (in case of allergies). To step up the presentation, I used my iPad to snap a picture of a red glittery heart from our storage cabinet.

I took this file into Photoshop, rotated it, and did a few quick text tricks to create a placemat for each recipe. I printed each one in color on 8.5 x 11 and put them near the dish, with the cookbook nearby.

 

We also took the originals and combined half of the hearts for a promo pic for social media. Other recipes that we made that aren't on this tweet were: Spinach Yogurt Dip, Black Bean Layer Dip, Chex Mix Squares, White Chocolate Raspberry Clusters, Caramel Corn, and apple crisp.

We have an in-the-round desk that is typically roped off from student use as it awaits demolition and removal, but it's a perfect setting for some of our programming this year before it goes away.  

At last, students showed up and listened to our short presentation patiently while eyeing the food. For the presentation, we very briefly talked about food safety and then described each recipe and where to get it. About 100 students showed up to sample, and within minutes of saying 'dive in,' most of the food was gone. 

All gone but a few celery sticks! Notice the student laying down reading on the bacon couch at the top left of the photo.