We Are What We Eat is on view from Monday, April 1–Friday, August 30, 2024 on the Third Floor of Parkway Central Library in the Dietrich Gallery. "Food is more than just fuel to sustain our bodies; it's an important part of our cultural and social identity." The Free Library's newest exhibition… continue reading We Are What We Eat: An Exhibition from Special Collections
By written by Administrator April 1, 2024 1
The Free Library's newest exhibition from the Special Collections Division, We Are What We Eat , explores the intersection of food, community, and identity. On view in the Dietrich Gallery on the Third Floor of Parkway Central Library until August 30, 2024, We Are What We Eat examines culinary heritage through… continue reading We Are What We Eat: Recipes and Resources
By written by Administrator April 1, 2024 1
A Kwanzaa Keepsake by Dr. Jessica B. Harris, author of High on the Hog , is an invitation to honor, connect, create, and cook. Besides the cooking, it may move you to gather family recipes to pass down as gifts, collect food to donate to those in need, or hand-make cards and gifts for your people. A Kwanzaa Keepsake has recipes… continue reading A Kwanzaa Keepsake: Celebrating with New Traditions and Feasts
By written by Aurora S. December 11, 2023
Juanita Vega DeJoseph is the Assistant Department Head in the Art & Literature Department and someone who enjoys cooking and creating. We are so grateful to Juanita for sharing her process of making sofrito, a recipe that has much meaning to her. In the following video, we are invited into a conversation between Juanita and… continue reading Making Sofrito with Juanita and Family!
By written by Shayna M. August 1, 2022 3
Fresh herbs add flavor and nutrition to meals, they are beautiful when added to dishes, and many of them have unique fragrances. They are like tiny greens ! Maybe fresh herbs will inspire poems, cooking, or preserving like they do for Sunshine, Tonii, and Erik! Or perhaps the idea of fresh herbs invites container gardening, making observations… continue reading Keep it Fresh with Fresh Herbs!
By written by Shayna M. June 9, 2022 1
What art projects can you think of that involve layers? What recipes have you tasted that include layers of ingredients? Leanna and Tonii share two ideas for layering, while creating art and recipes in the following video. These ideas might be ones that you want to try or they might inspire different ideas of your own! Tonii's Layered… continue reading Nourishing Literacy | Let's Layer: Art and Cooking!
By written by Shayna M. December 10, 2021
Teens recently joined the Field Teen Center and Nourishing Literacy teams for a SWEET Make and Take project! Candy buttons are small dots of colorful sugar candy attached to a strip of paper. It was surprising and cool how simple they were to make from scratch! Materials Parchment or wax paper Writing paper Permanant marker Small bowls… continue reading Nourishing Literacy | Create Your Own Candy Buttons!
By written by Shayna M. October 26, 2021
Since October 14 is National Dessert Day , I thought I'd take a trip down memory lane, all the way back to the spring of 2020 when I started stress-baking... Coronavirus was still a new term and staying in the house was a foreign notion for many of us to grasp. The news cycle was driving me insane and I needed to find a way to put… continue reading National Dessert Day
By written by Kamilah C. October 14, 2021
What shapes, sizes, and colors are the leafy greens that you enjoy eating, or would like to try? The following recipe uses the leaves and the stems of the vegetable. Try eating these greens over noodles or rice. What are some of your favorite greens? Sauteed Chinese Broccoli Stovetop Recipe, No Sharp Tools Needed 20 Minutes 4 Servings… continue reading Nourishing Literacy | We Are Green Machines!
By written by Shayna M. October 4, 2021
Books and Cooks, a collaboration between the Parkway Central Library Children’s Department and the Culinary Literacy Center’s Nourishing Literacy team, offers an afterschool series of story read-alouds, cooking ideas, wellness prompts, and creative art activities for school-aged youth, inspired by the theme of natural wonders.… continue reading Nourishing Literacy | Books and Cooks: Strong Rocks
By written by Shayna M. September 17, 2021
The Nourishing Literacy team and friends have created color-coded spice blends for our Rainbow Pantry. What colorful spices do you enjoy using? Black Spice Blend Toni created a black spice blend that she recommends using to create flavorful crackers from scratch . This spice blend would also work well added to a crust for fish or… continue reading Nourishing Literacy | The Rainbow Pantry: Spice Blends!
By written by Shayna M. August 11, 2021
Beans bring a lot to the table! Taste, color, and flavor are among their positive qualities. They add nutrition to meals, containing protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These burgers in the following recipe can be eaten on a bun, on bread, in a tortilla, or wrapped in a lettuce leaf. What seasonings and toppings do you like to put on your… continue reading Nourishing Literacy | How Have You Bean?
By written by Shayna M. August 6, 2021
Tomatoes are available in different sizes and colors—canned, dried, powdered, juiced, sauced, or fresh—and can be found in many different recipes and preparations. The tomatoes in the following dish are smashed with hands, without the use of any sharp tools. If preferred, a knife could be used to chop the tomatoes into small pieces.… continue reading Nourishing Literacy | Talking About Tomatoes!
By written by Shayna M. July 30, 2021
Broccoli is a delicious, nutritious flower! With its different textures, vibrant green color, and good flavor, broccoli can ignite ideas both in and out of the kitchen. Blanching is a way to quickly cook vegetables in hot water. This technique makes vegetables colorful and tender, while still keeping them crisp. Broccoli is a great vegetable to… continue reading Nourishing Literacy | Broccoli Has Flower Power!
By written by Shayna M. July 23, 2021
Inspired by June’s Pride month and our LGBTQIA+ community members, we are celebrating the Rainbow Pantry again! Check out previous blog posts for more ideas on keeping and using colorful kitchen staples. This round, we are exploring ways to create our own cabinet, fridge, and freezer pantry items from scratch! Red A few strawberries will… continue reading Nourishing Literacy | The Rainbow Pantry... from Scratch!
By written by Shayna M. July 8, 2021 2
Becca at Whitman Library This week we are making Cinnamon Apple Cake ! I was inspired by our first recipe and blog post for Apple Yogurt Cake , but I was not content. I wanted it moister and needed to try another recipe to get me there. I found it in this recipe for a Cinnamon Apple Cake from the blog Sweetest Menu by Jessica Holmes. I… continue reading Baking with Becca: Cooking Outside the Box... Cinnamon Apple Cake
By written by Rebecca M. May 26, 2021 1
by Kait P. with meaningful contributions by Chrissy D. It's Alright to Cry! Have you ever wondered why onions make you cry? When was the last time you shed some tears while just trying to make dinner? Onions contain a chemical called syn-Propanethial S-oxide that can turn to gas and trigger tears! You can try to prevent… continue reading Nourishing Literacy | Cooking with Onions: Multi-Layered!
By written by Shayna M. May 12, 2021
Thank you to Nourishing Literacy (NL) team member Carolyn for writing this blog post! In addition to sharing her experience and findings, Carolyn has included some of the activities and approaches that we use in NL. The NL team enjoys providing interactive food info and ideas that spark curiosity and are inclusive to all ages and skills. Leafy… continue reading Nourishing Literacy | Greens Across Tables
By written by Shayna M. April 13, 2021 4
Baking with Becca began at Whitman Library , nestled between 2nd and 3rd Streets on Snyder Avenue in South Philly. When COVID hit, we had to take a long break. I continued to grow and learn to strengthen this class and to steel myself during an uncertain time. I know we all did the same for what seemed like an eternity, but here we are slowly… continue reading Baking with Becca: Cooking Outside the Box
By written by Rebecca M. April 8, 2021 1
Ruth Jones Graves, a dietitian, educator, author, and business owner, was born on June 17, 1903, in East Walpole, Massachusetts. She is credited with inventing the very first chocolate chip cookie, which began as Toll House Cookies. Educated at Framingham State Normal School, now known as Framingham State University, Graves gained an… continue reading Women's History Month | Ruth Wakefield and the Toll House Cookie Empire
By written by Naquawna L. March 30, 2021
