By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
This past Thursday, July 20th, the Westwood Public Library (WPL) hosted their monthly Readers Digest soirée. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Westwood Public Library and includes their very own Cookbook Club indulging in a community potluck. The third Thursday of every month, each member picks a dish from that month’s cookbook and brings it to the library for all to share, discuss, and, of course, digest!
Running this event was reference librarian, Sean O’Donnell, who stated, “Every month we do a new cookbook. We all cook a recipe from the book and bring it in so that we can share and try each other’s cooking and just test out the cookbook to see how it is. Then we will talk about what we thought of it and it’s just a really nice time overall. A lot of libraries like to do this sort of thing. The name may be a little confusing to some but I like the play on words, reader's digest!”
This month’s cookbook was titled, “Eat Cool: Good Food for Hot Days,” written by Vanessa Seder. Some of the recipes included ‘Pasta with Crab, Herbs and Chiles’, ‘Classic Deviled Eggs,’ and ‘Red Gazpacho.’
Upon tasting each dish, Cookbook Club members would crack jokes of some of the hardships that arose while making their dishes. One attendee jokingly revealed, “Always read the recipe even if you think you know it, unlike what I did! If I would have read it, it would have been way easier to make.”
They additionally discussed some tips and tricks for how they could improve their dishes for next time. Sean comedically mentioned, “We all make little alterations to the recipe. Following a recipe always feels like a suggestion to me.”
These types of events are a great way to get community members together and try new things. When it comes to cooking, you certainly do not need to be an expert to enjoy being a part of this club. While this is only the second Readers Digest to happen, Sean is hopeful that as fall approaches, more people will be interested to join.
The Cookbook Club is always looking for new members and is completely free to join. For more information on Readers Digest and/or the Cookbook Club, please visit the Westwood Public Library’s website at www.westwoodlibrary.org.
