In honor of the 250th Anniversary of our nation’s Declaration of Independence, the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries and it’s presenting partners invite you to OUR table to honor and celebrate our history, our heritage, and our culture via the power of cuisine.
FOOD AND THE SOUL OF AMERICA will offer one and all a chance to reconnect to the traditions and collected legacies brought to us by our food and drink (and the folks with whom we share it).
Featuring nationally known experts, authors, and television personalities, the keynote speaker series will be complemented by dozens of movies, genealogy classes, recipe digitization events, exhibits, and more at all branches of the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries.
Each author’s books will be for sale at their events, with opportunities to meet and get autographs from the speakers after each program.
As we honor America’s 250th anniversary through stories of food, culture, and the traditions that shaped our country, we wanted to add something personal to the table. So we turned to our own team — the librarians, clerks, drivers, programmers, and support staff who greet you at the door, recommend your next great read, and keep our branches humming every day. We asked them to share the recipes that matter to them: the dishes that show up at family reunions, the comfort foods that get made on autopilot, the desserts that never make it to the next day, and the meals that instantly spark a memory.
The result is this cookbook: a warm, spirited collection that feels a little like a potluck and a little like a family storybook. Every recipe offers a small window into someone’s life — a beloved grandmother’s secret ingredient, a holiday tradition that refuses to fade, or a weeknight dish perfected after countless experiments. You’ll find foods that travel across generations and ones discovered by chance, dishes with deep roots, and ones that just make us smile.
Most of all, this cookbook reflects the heart of the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries. We believe food, much like stories, brings people together. It preserves history, invites conversation, and reminds us of what matters most: community.
We hope you enjoy exploring these recipes as much as we enjoyed sharing them. Pull up a chair, try something new, and taste the stories that make our library family who we are.