The Culinary Literacy Center at Parkway Central Library

Comfort food in times of grief. Join us as we explore what is served at funerals, wakes, and memorials as loved ones gather together.Dishes served to those in mourning need to sustain a crowd while being delicious, reliable and traditional. This is not the time to try a new recipe or cook up the latest trend. Foods that comfort the bereaved need to be familiar. Chef Valerie Erwin shows how to make two staples perfect for a funeral spread: Red Rice with Turkey Sausage and Tea Cakes.Chef Valerie Erwin cares about social justice in general, and food justice in particular.

Join Jefferson+Einstein & CLC: Healthy eating tips, food demonstrations, and guest speakers to provide information on various health topics.These interactive classes will offer healthy eating tips, food demonstrations, and guest speakers to provide information on various health topics.To get to the Culinary Literacy Center, you will need to use the gold elevators in the Parkway Central Library to access the 4th floor. You can ask staff to direct you if you are unsure of where to go.MyPlate Overview10/8/25Explore the latest USDA nutrition guide. Our guest speaker, John Hoffman BSN, RN,PHRN, NRAEMT, CEN, TNCC, CHSE from the Stop the Bleed program,

Healthy eating tips, food demonstrations, and guest speakers to provide information on various health topicsThese interactive classes will offer healthy eating tips, food demonstrations, and guest speakers to provide information on various health topics. See flyer for more details.To get to the Culinary Literacy Center, you will need to use the gold elevators in the Parkway Central Library to access the 4th floor. You can ask staff to direct you if you are unsure of where to go.Food Safety Session7/17/2025Featured Recipe: Fruit DipLearn about the Fight Bac! Six Steps to Safer Fruits and Vegetables. Our guest speaker, John Hoffman BSN,

Healthy eating tips, food demonstrations, and guest speakers to provide information on various health topicsThese interactive classes will offer healthy eating tips, food demonstrations, and guest speakers to provide information on various health topics. See flyer for more details.To get to the Culinary Literacy Center, you will need to use the gold elevators in the Parkway Central Library to access the 4th floor. You can ask staff to direct you if you are unsure of where to go.Food Safety Session7/17/2025Featured Recipe: Fruit DipLearn about the Fight Bac! Six Steps to Safer Fruits and Vegetables. Our guest speaker, John Hoffman BSN,

In collaboration with the Cherry Blossom Festival, Sachiko, Emi and Terry will show you how to make Wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets.IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS:There are four sessions available. Two will take place on March 22nd, 2025 and two will take place on March 29th, 2025. Please sign up for one session only.Session 1- March 22nd 1pm-2:30pmSession 2-March 22nd 3pm-4:30pmSession 3- March 29th 1pm-2:30pmSession 4- March 29th 3pm-4:30pmRecommended Donation: $30 (ticket price is pay as you wish on a sliding scale)The recommended donation will continue to support Culinary Literacy programs at Free Library of Philadelphia locations.This program is recommended for adults and teens.

Monthly program focusing on a different source of food in Philadelphia be it a market, garden, cooperative, or other source.Where Can You Source Your Food in Philly? Fishtown SeafoodOur March program will focus on Fishtown Seafood. Fishtown Seafood is Philadelphia’s go-to destination for thoughtfully sourced seafood that combines the area’s rich maritime legacy with a modern, eco-friendly twist. Chef Ian Moroney and Sharon Thompson-Schill, co-founders of the local culinary program called Carl, will teach you the basics of shopping for and cooking with the best seafood you can get in the Philadelphia area!Space is limited and priority will be given

Monthly program focusing on a different source of food in Philadelphia be it a market, garden, cooperative, or other source.Where Can You Source Your Food in Philly? Heng Fa Food MarketOur February program will focus on Heng Fa Food Market in Chinatown. Join Chef and Food Justice Activist Valerie Erwin to discover how we can shop at Asian markets for both common grocery items as well as difficult to source ingredients.Space is limited and priority will be given to registered attendees. Tickets will be honored up until 5:20 pm, please arrive by 5:15 pm to guarantee your seat. At 5:20

Monthly program focusing on a different source of food in Philadelphia be it a market, garden, cooperative, or other source.Where Can You Source Your Food in Philly? The Community GrocerOur January program will focus on The Community Grocer. Join Chef Joy Parham for a taste of Black American Cuisine inspired by the West African and West Indian diaspora.Space is limited and priority will be given to registered attendees. Tickets will be honored up until 5:20 pm, please arrive by 5:15 pm to guarantee your seat. At 5:20 pm, we will fill open seats. Please email kitchen@freelibrary.org for more information.

Monthly program focusing on a different source of food in Philadelphia be it a market, garden, cooperative, or other source.Where Can You Source Your Food in Philly? OK Produce at Reading Terminal MarketOur December program will focus on Reading Terminal Market's OK Produce. Join Chef Shayla Felton-Dorsey for a seasonal recipe using root vegetables.Space is limited and priority will be given to registered attendees. Tickets will be honored up until 3:50 pm, please arrive by 3:45 pm to guarantee your seat. At 3:50 pm, we will fill open seats. Please email kitchen@freelibrary.org for more information.

Monthly program focusing on a different source of food in Philadelphia be it a market, garden, cooperative, or other source.Where Can You Source Your Food in Philly? West Phillie Produce!Our November program will focus on West Phillie Produce. Join Chef Joy Parham for a taste of Black American Cuisine inspired by the West African and West Indian diaspora.Space is limited and priority will be given to registered attendees. Tickets will be honored up until 3:50 pm, please arrive by 3:45 pm to guarantee your seat. At 3:50 pm, we will fill open seats. Please email kitchen@freelibrary.org for more information.

Learn accessible, low-preparation baby food recipes focusing on nutrition, cooking techniques, safe storage and cost-effectivenessJoin Philadelphia chef and food educator Shayla Felton-Dorsey to learn accessible, low-preparation baby food recipes with a focus on nutrition, cooking techniques, safe storage and cost-effectiveness.IMPORTANT INFORMATION:Tickets reserve seats until 2:50 pm. After this, participants will be let in on a first come, first serve basis. Please arrive by 2:45 pm to check-in for your seats.Space is Limited! Family Size limited to 4 people max. Additional family members are welcome to check out other resources in the children's department.

Eat fried plantains, revel in the poetry of Melania Luisa Marte, and celebrate the last day National Poetry Month!Marte, a truly proud Afro-Latina, writes to us in English and Spanish about "self-love, nationalism, displacement, generational trauma, and ancestral knowledge."Artist, Yannick Lowery is cooking us fried plantains to go with these nourishing, rich poems, and songs from around the world about—you guessed it—plantains."his collection uproots stereotypes while creating a new joyous vision for Black identity and personhood." Check out Plantains and Our Becoming at the Free Library of Philadelphia.Happy National Poetry Month!

Eat more delicious sweet potato and considering how "any task becomes sacred when we do it mindfully and with care."Chef Tonii is preparing more delicious sweet potatoes! We've had Sweet Potato Stew. Then there was the salad with sweet potato, pistachios, and mint inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine. Come see what's next!Inspired by Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery by bell hooks. hooks encourages us to interrogate and transform every aspect of our lives in the pursuit of self-actualization and collective liberation.We will focus on Chapter 3, Work Makes Life Sweet, where we consider whether our work is

In collaboration with the Cherry Blossom Festival, join us to make wagashi, traditional vegan and gluten-free Japanese sweets.IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS:There are two sessions available. Please sign up for one session only.Session 1- 4pm-5:30pmSession 2- 6pm-7:30pmRecommended Donation: $15 (ticket price is pay as you wish on a sliding scale)The recommended donation will continue to support Culinary Literacy programs at Free Library of Philadelphia locations.This program is recommended for adults and teens. Please note, because of the level of concentration and instruction required to make wagashi, tickets for this program are limited. Please be sure you are able to attend before purchasing a

Reimagine classic soul food dishes for a healthy 2023We invite you to discover new twists, turns, and tastes for your favorite soul food dishes in this free program led by Chef Yuhnis Sydnor from Sugga Mamas Diabetes Prevention and Management. Come celebrate Black History Month with traditional and tantalizing healthy recipe and learn something new about the history of soul food. Participants will gather at a communal table for a healthy cooking demonstration, tasting, and discussion in this partnership between the Frazier Family Coalition and Sugga Mamas. Sugga Mamas Diabetes Prevention and Management is an organization devoted to helping women

Join us as we celebrate Philadelphia's culinary entrepreneurs with a classic dishThanks to the entrepreneurship of colonial Black women, pepper pot soup—a thick stew of beef tripe, vegetables, pepper, and other seasonings—became one of the first street foods in America. Join us for a tasting and discussion between two experts around the significance of the stew in the 19th-century culinary and business landscape. Using the Food Griot's research and Valerie Erwin's culinary expertise, we will discuss how the West African and Caribbean roots of this signature dish have led to different variations and how the entrepreneurial spirit of so-called "Pepper

An exploration of Ukrainian culture through foodWe welcome you to the Culinary Literacy Center stolovaya—a cafeteria-style buffet—featuring classic dishes prepared the Ukrainian way. We celebrate the country's culture and food with the opportunity to taste items you'd find at a traditional Ukrainian table: potato pierogies (varenyky), borscht with pampushky (Ukrainian garlic bread), crepes (blini) with sweet cottage cheese and berries, and beet kvass. In addition to sampling these dishes, participants will receive recipes, discuss how these preparations are unique, and learn about their significance in Ukrainian culture.All dishes served are vegetarian; please notify us of any food restrictions in advance