A Top Chef visits CADL

Chef Stephanie Izard, the fourth season winner of the hit Bravo TV show, Top Chef  stopped by the Okemos and Holt-Delhi libraries to spill some of her culinary secrets this past weekend. Not only were the attendees treated to  the famous chef’s secrets, they were also given the opportunity to taste!

With the generous help of Lansing Community College’s culinary students and the Lansing Center, Stephanie whipped up two mouth watering dishes; a soba noodle and shrimp salad and a skirt steak salad dotted with garbanzo beans, fennel, oranges and topped with a tangy chive and greek yogurt dressing.

Validating her title as Fan Favorite, Chef Stephanie was both charasmatic and entertaining while perparing the dishes. She graciously answered questions about the show, being sequestered for five weeks during filming and the nerve-racking eliminations. She also answered questions about her Michigan ties (Stephanie is a University of Michigan graduate), favorite foods and of course – ingredients.  

Stephanie explained that one of her favorite ingredients is salt, adding that it can bring out the flavor in just about anything. She delighted the crowds with anecedotes from the book she’s currently reading, Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky.

On our way out, Stephanie gifted us with the tastiest muffins. She kindly posed for pictures, chatted with fans and signed autographs for all who asked. Check out more photo’s from the two events at CADL’s Flickr.

Top Chef: The Cookbook  available at CADL.

History Detective

Art historian and co-host on PBS’s History Detectivess, Elyse Luray gave verbal antique appraisals last Saturday at the Stockbridge and Haslett libraries. 

Elyse was assisted by local expert Glen Rairigh, owner of Americana Auctions and a participant in appraisal programs for the Phillip Morris Companies.

Check out our Flickr photostream for more pictures.

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If you enjoy history, make sure to join Valerie van Heest when she presents Beneath the Inland Seas. Valerie will talk about the thousands of ships that rest on the bottom of Michigan’s Great Lakes.

Leslie Library
Wednesday, March 18 at 10 am

Mason Library
Tuesday, March 24 at 6:30 pm

Spring 2009 Time Well Spent

The Spring 2009 Time Well Spent is now available. Inside you’ll find Information on library events, programs, contests, and more. You can pick up a copy at any of the 13 libraries or check it out at http://www.cadl.org/news/spring-programs.