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"Tasting History" author Max Miller. Photo credit: Riker Brothers

Kick Off the New Season of One Book One Community

The East Baton Rouge Parish Library’s season of exciting (and delicious) programming begins with a kickoff party on March 8

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Mark your calendars! The East Baton Rouge Parish Library’s One Book One Community initiative is launching a season of exciting (and delicious) programming with a kickoff party on March 8. Come to the Main Library at Goodwood from 5 pm–7 pm, and come hungry. 

The community read this year is Max Miller’s Tasting History: Explore the Past Through 4,000 Years of Recipes—a historical journey that immerses readers in worlds long past and around the globe, from ancient Babylon to the 20th century United States, and all via the tastebuds.

To kick off this epic culinary journey, the East Baton Rouge Library’s kickoff party will feature a spread of some of Louisiana’s own culturally significant dishes. Think Alligator Balls, Fresh Garlic Green Beans, Honey Jalapeño Chicken Bites, and more—all fresh from the kitchens of local caterer, Odom’s Kitchen. The library’s going homegrown on the music front, too, with live performances by up-and-coming Zydeco star Randall “RJ” Jackson and his band Zydeco Smoove. 

Emphasizing the union between literature and cuisine, the library will simultaneously present its popular Edible Book Festival as part of Kickoff festivities. Held since the spring of 2022, the Edible Book Festival is an annual celebration of literature, cuisine, and bad puns. Participants are encouraged to choose a book and create an edible representation of its title or a wordplay on its title. Some past examples include a violently plated battle royale between green peas and chickpeas (War and Peas), a house built of cheese (The Magic Cheese House), and a tableau of four women shaped out of skittles (Skittle Women). Guests can vote for their favorites in categories including Best in Show, Wittiest Wordplay, Least Appetizing, and more. To submit, participants need only bring their creations to the library that day between 4 pm and 4:30 pm for display at the Kickoff Party. 

Guests can also expect appearances by local celebrities, exhibits by community organizations, children’s activities, giveaways, and more. And all for free! 

Learn more about the Kickoff Party, and other plans for this year’s One Book One Community programming at ReadOneBook.org.