Celebrity Authors and Chefs at the Greenburgh Public Library

The Greenburgh Public Library will host a literary feast on the evening of April 12 to raise funds for the library. Designated Books and Cooks the event will bring together fine cuisine and literature. Chefs from local restaurants and notable Westchester authors will be on hand, and attendees will be invited to tour the library as they sample a variety of food and meet local authors.

Books and Cooks is a completely unique event. Chefs from the participating restaurants will be creating dishes inspired by works of literature. For example, the novel Chocolat, by Joanne Harris, might inspire a chocolate fondue, while Under the Tuscan Sun, by Francis Mayes, could prompt a white bean and pasta dish. Participating restaurants will be setting up food stations throughout the library so that attendees can tour the facility as they move from food station to food station. Participating authors will also be located throughout the library and will be discussing their published works and will also be signing copies of their books. Village Books, located in Pleasantville, NY, will be facilitating the sale of the author’s books and a portion of the proceeds from each sale will go to the Greenburgh Public Library Foundation. The Books and Cooks event is a great way to get to know the Greenburgh Public library, enjoy some of the best food in Westchester County, meet some of the County’s finest literary talent and to help raise much needed funding.

The Books and Cooks event has confirmed eleven local restaurants to date, who will each provide a unique culinary experience. Restaurants confirmed include, 42 at the Ritz Carlton (American), Caravela (Brazilian and Portuguese), Dragonfly Café (Coffee and Tea), Gervasi’s (Italian), Great American BBQ (American), Milonga Wine and Tapas (Argentinean and Italian), Morton’s Steakhouse (American), Mughal Palace (South Indian), Rioja (Mediterranean), River City Grill (Eclectic) and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse (American). Additional confirmed restaurants are anticipated.

In addition to the confirmed restaurants, a growing list of local authors has also been confirmed for the event and include best-selling author Benjamin Cheever who’s novels include The Plagiarist, The Partisan, Famous After Death and The Good Nanny, Herbert Hadad, author of several highly acclaimed essays on the Middle-East as well as his memoir, Finding Immortality: The Making of One American Family. Rev. Bente Hansen, author of The New World of Self-Healing and Messages From Beyond and Marilyn Johnson, author of This Book is Overdue and The Dead Beat are also participating. Rounding out the list of confirmed authors are Simon Schama, who has written many works on history and including The Embarrassment of Riches, Landscape and Memory, Dead Certainties, Rembrandt’s Eyes and Citizens, and Joseph Wallace whose works include non-fiction books about dinosaurs, baseball and many other topics, as well as the soon-to-be-published novel, Diamond Ruby. Additional authors are anticipated to join the event.

The Books and Cooks event does not feature a formal program, but instead will serve to educate those attending about the library and its programs and services through carefully designed materials and displays, in addition to the great food and literary conversation on offer. There will be live music and a Books and Cooks silent auction will be held to compliment the event. The silent auction is expected to include gift certificates for dinners at participating restaurants, baskets of books, travel packages with literary themes and many other exciting items.

“We are excited about Books and Cooks, our first annual fundraising event for the benefit of the Greenburgh Public Library. Now more than ever, it is critical that we provide the necessary funding to insure that our Library remains the focal point of our community”, said Ms. Judy Chriss, Foundation President. "Books and Cooks is a unique event that will simultaneously entertain and educate and at only $99 per person is a terrific value. The Greenburgh Public Library Foundation hopes that our annual fundraising event will become an integral part of insuring that our Library has the funding it needs to continue to offer the top-notch programming and services our community has become accustomed to”.

The timing for the Books and Cooks event is significant. On the heels of well-publicized 2010 budget cuts, the Greenburgh Public Library will benefit tremendously from the funds that are raised through the Greenburgh Public Library Foundation’s efforts and the Books and Cooks event.

“The Greenburgh Public Library has historically provided the Greenburgh community with an outstanding array of services and programming and we have grown into one of the largest and most vital Libraries in Westchester County”, said Eugenie Contrata, Library Director. “But it takes funding to make these services and programs available and continue them at levels that those in our community have come to expect. We’re thrilled with what the Greenburgh Public Library Foundation is doing on behalf of our Library and we know that the Books and Cooks event will be a tremendous success”.

Tickets are now on-sale for $99.00 per person and may be purchased through the Greenburgh Public Library Foundation on their website at www.greenburghlibraryfoundation.org or by calling 914-747-0519. Tickets are tax deductible.

Books and Cooks
The Greenburgh Public Library
Monday April 12, 2010
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tickets: $99.00 Per Person
www.greenburghlibraryfoundation.org
914-747-0519