Last week, we completed our first Virtual Edible Alphabet English 4-week course and it was a great success!

Twenty participants from around the world (Burundi, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Italy, Iran, Ivory Coast, Japan, Pakistan, Syria, and Taiwan) joined us on a video call to cook, practice English, and connect with the library community during these challenging times of separation and social distancing. We were even able to arrange free and contactless grocery pick-up for 15 participants! Chef Shayla and I had a wonderful time connecting with and learning from class participants and are looking forward to more virtual classes this fall.
Register today—please spread the word to any adult English language learners you think might be interested in this opportunity.

I'm excited to share with you a cooking lesson from two long-time Edible Alphabet English class participants: Sara and Sholeh! Sara and Sholeh met in an Edible Alphabet class in 2018 and have since become close friends, coworkers, and neighbors. They completed a community chef training program provided by Healthy Communities last year. In this video, they provide step-by-step instructions for making kotlets, a delicious and hearty Persian beef-and-potato dish that can be served warm or cold. I made the dish with a meatless substitute and it turned out fantastic!

If you are interested in further expanding your knowledge of Persian cooking, we have e-cookbooks available for download from our catalog. You can also pick up a physical cookbook on Persian cuisine from one of our neighborhood libraries that is offering contactless material pick-up.