Combine your passion for food with your love of books at Teton County Library’s first annual Edible Book Festival. This free event will take place at the library on Thursday, April 25. This is an opportunity for the community to bond over food and books, and also meet the new library directory, Dawn Jenkin.
History
Edible Book Festivals are held around the globe, usually around April 1. These events cohesively celebrate the culture of books and the culinary arts. Since its start in the year 2000, the event has been celebrated around the world during the month of April. On the official site of the International Edible Book Festival, it is said to celebrate, “the birthday of French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, noted for his book Physiologie du goût, a witty meditation on food.” Regardless, take this opportunity to combine two arts.
The fine print
Two rules encapsulate this event. The first: every entry must be edible. Second: the creation must relate to a book. Here’s where the creativity comes in. Relating to a book doesn’t necessarily mean it has to look like a book. It certainly can, or it can be inspired by a book’s subject, an author, a book title, character, etc. The options are as limitless as your imagination. When deciding what edible components to incorporate, you can get equally creative. Cake, bread, crackers, fruit, vegetables, candy and more will qualify as edible. Consider, however, that the piece must be able to sit for judging for an hour or two without “melting, turning bad or getting scary.”
Prizes will be awarded for multiple categories. These include People’s Choice, Funniest or Punniest, Best Savoury Entry and Best Sweet Entry. You don’t have to be a professional chef or encyclopedia expert to enjoy this fun and entertaining event.
Schedule
3:30-4:30 p.m.: Participants can drop off their entries in the Ordway Auditorium of the library.
4:30-5:30 p.m.: Judging, photography and public viewing will take place.
5:30-6:30 p.m.: Welcome speech, judges’ commentary, awards and edible entry consumption.
Registration is not required to participate, but it helps the organizers plan the event. The registration form may be found here.