Cooking is a necessity - everyone needs to eat - but baking is different. No one needs a chocolaty cake or a delectable sweet to survive. That is, until that moment when a chocolate cake is exactly what you need to survive.
Alice Hutchinson, owner of the equally delectable Byrd's Books in Bethel, agrees, so every year on the popular independent book shop's birthday, Alice serves cake...more accurately, cakes. On Sunday, December 15th at 4:00pm to 6:00pm, join Alice in celebrating Byrd’s Books' 8th birthday as she welcomes author Samantha Seneviratne to discuss and sign her new book, The Joys of Baking: Recipes and Stories for a Sweet Life, and to sample goodies created from the book's recipes by local baking enthusiasts. You, too, can choose to bake for the event from the book.
If you do, you will receive a $20.00 gift certificate to Byrd’s Books when you bring your goodie to Byrd's Books birthday party, where the author -and you! - will get the chance to sample everyone's efforts. Boxes will be available for taking home the fruits of your baking efforts. Boxes can be purchased for a $10 fee, and in the holiday spirit, the proceeds will be directly donated to DAWS, Bethel's local no-kill shelter.
Whether with Chocolate Cardamom Swirl Babka, Apricot Frangipane Phyllo Tart, or Coffee Creme Bundt Cake, here's an opportunity to really express your kitchen karma. To order a copy of The Joys of Baking and to register to attend Byrd's Books birthday party, visit https://conta.cc/2XMGWZw Byrd's Books is located at 178 Greenwood Avenue, adjacent to The Toy Store and the nearby landmarked Opera House, across the street from the Bethel Public Library.
Author Samantha Seneviratne believes that every baking project begins with a spark - a desire, a craving, a memory, or a feeling - and through baking, that spark is made real. Inspired by the gumption and charm of the classic, bestselling cookbook
The Joy of Cooking, her cookbook focuses on the joys that make up everyday life, while providing recipes paired with touching, humorous, and thoughtful essays and beautiful photos throughout. A Brooklynite, Samantha is the author of
The New Sugar and Spice, nominated for a 2016 James Beard Award, and
Gluten-Free for Good. A frequent contributor to the
New York Times and Food52, her blog
Love, Cake was a finalist at the 2015 Saveur Awards.
"Sam's generously personal stories and the collection of recipes she braids into them encourage us to bake, to pay attention as we stir and knead, and to reap each of the many pleasures she describes," writes Dorie Greenspan, award-winninng author of Everyday Dorie and Dorie's Cookies.
Byrd's Books' holiday catalog, providing easy shopping by category, is now available on line by visiting ByrdsBooks.com Holiday hours at Byrd's Books are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Thursday, 10:00am to 8:00pm. On-street parking lines Greenwood Avenue, and municipal parking is available at the Bethel Public Library across the street and at the "Old Train Station" which is where Broken Symmetry now resides. There are private lots nearby as well. For more information, visit ByrdsBooks.com or call (203) 730 BYRD (2973).
