Taste and see what Omaha has to offer at library culinary conference

Omaha has a lively food scene. It seems like there’s always a new venture popping up in the city - a new place to try. Yet, there are also Omaha staples that have stood the test of time and become entwined in our personal stories and family traditions. Each creates the unique flavor of Omaha. Omaha Public Library invites you to explore its city’s culinary course at the second annual Read It & Eat Culinary Conference on Saturday, Nov. 3, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., W. Dale Clark Main Library, 215 S. 15th St., 4th Floor. This event is free and open to the public.

11 a.m. – Greeting from Lois Friedman, an Omaha native and community volunteer. Friedman helped to launch Omaha Meals on Wheels, hosted "Taste of the Town" on KIWR-FM, taught cooking classes, reviewed cookbooks for various publications and conducted cookbook lectures at Canyon Ranch.

11:15 a.m. – History of Omaha restaurant menus discussion panel. Join former restaurateurs, Omaha food enthusiasts, and historians as they discuss the dramatic changes in the city’s menus over the past 50 years. Panelists knowledgeable about the evolution of Omaha’s restaurants, food and kitchens will discuss how the changes reflect society and how we look at food. Menus will be on display. 

Noon-12:30 p.m. – Lunch and a cookbook exchange. Participants are encouraged to bring a cookbook from their personal collection and trade it for another. Refreshments will be served.

12:30 p.m. – Isa Chandra Moskowitz from the Post Punk Kitchen (theppk.com) will conduct a vegan cooking demonstration using readily available and inexpensive ingredients.

1:15 p.m. – Christy Pooschke, creator of GroceryGeek (grocerygeek.com), will present “Eating Outside the Box.” She will share how to avoid hidden toxins at the grocery store, save money on healthy foods, save time while sustaining a natural diet, and create delicious recipes for the entire family.

2 p.m. – Carrie McKenzie, chef and author of Savour Cuisine (savour-cuisine.com), will conduct a “Taste Beautiful Foods” demo. “Cooking is creating. It is blending, combining and selecting ingredients that complement one another or contrast in a way that wakes up all the senses. It alerts the mind and mouth that something wonderful is taking place, and to take note,” said McKenzie.   

Visit omahalibrary.org for information about additional programs offered at Omaha Public Library’s 12 metro locations.