Cooking by the Book

Next Event on March 3, 2009

Last year I was fortunate to receive an invitation to one of the Cooking by the Book fundraisers for the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University (CDCCU). It ain't cheap, but it's definitely worth consideration if the $220 tab is within your budget. (A portion goes to the CDCCU.)

Cooking by the Book is a cooking event held at an unusual apartment downtown. I was especially impressed by the large professional kitchen and, uh, the shower, but here you'll have to settle for a picture of a bookshelf that includes Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic by Dr. Peter Green and Rory Jones.



















But we weren't at this event to read. Before the cooking began, we were able to get to know each other over drinks, which explains the presence of the bottle to the right of the bookcase. Then we split up into teams to prepare different parts of a meal.

The theme to our feast had to do with twos. I shared quinoa duty, which involved getting some scallion-cutting practice and learning different ways to pack two colors of quinoa into a "mold" so they could be presented as one. Here you can see the packed quinoa.



















And here, on a finished plate, you can see the quinoa arranged into a kind of Oreo—oh, I mean Mi-Del chocolate sandwich cookie—formation.



















And here's the yin-yangy soup! (There were no googly eyes, but it was still yummy.)



















This event isn't just about the food—it's also about the schmooze. I enjoyed meeting other gluten-free people and those who love and support them. Some of us even reunited for lunch at Lilli and Loo!

The next Cooking by the Book is scheduled for 6:30pm on Tuesday, March 3, 2009. To find out more about attending, contact Cynthia Beckman by Monday, February 23, 2009.

EXTRA Here is Sloane "Allergic Girl" Miller's description of a 2007 Cooking by the Book event.

Photo: David Marc Fischer

COOKING BOWLING DANCING FUNDRAISING!

Suddenly there are at least three very different fundraising events coming up for the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University (CDCCU). Here they are, in chronological order.

Monday, February 4, 2008 (6:30–9:30 pm)
Cooking by the Book
13 Worth Street, New York, NY
Culinary team building, dinner, drinks
Registration: $220
RSVP by Monday, January 28 to Cynthia Beckman (cb2280 at columbia.edu)
Mail a check payable to Trustees of Columbia University to

Cynthia Beckman
Director of Development/Administrator
Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University
Harkness Pavilion
180 Fort Washington Avenue
Suite 934
New York, NY 10032

Wednesday, March 5, 2008 (5:45 pm/curtain 7:00 pm)
Paul Taylor Dance Company with Foods by George
New York City Center
West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, New York, NY
Reception, silent auction, dance performance, dessert
$35/65/120 tickets ordered by mentioning code CDC at box office or through CityTix at 212-581-1212
Sponsored by The CeliacChicks


Sunday, March 9, 2008 (1:00-4:00 pm)
Bowling Bash
AMF Syosset Lanes
111 Eileen Way, Syosset, NY
Unlimited bowling, silent auction, refreshments
Adults and Teens $40, Children (12 and under) $25
Registration requested; for more info, contact Randi Albertelli at rsquared31 at optonline.net

HOLIDAY COOKING CLASS

On Monday, December 3, 2007, from 6:30 pm until 9:30 pm, the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University (CDCCU) will host a gluten-free holiday cooking class at Cooking by the Book (13 Worth Street, New York, NY).

The event includes a talk from Dr. Peter Green plus a Wine and Hors d'Oeuvres Reception, a Three-Course Gluten-Free Meal with Seasonal Wines, Professional Cooking Instruction, Personalized Aprons, and Gluten-Free Recipes. Cooking by the Book and its director, Suzen O'Rourke, were involved in the celiac disease episode of Keeping Kids Healthy that aired in the metropolitan area over the weekend.

Tickets costs $220 per person, with a percentage going to The Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. To register, contact Cynthia Beckman at 212-342-4529 or cb2280@columbia.edu.

ADDENDUM (November 28, 2007) Thanks to Ben on the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup Group message board, I see that The New York Times says the dishes will include a chocolate roulade with mocha-whipped cream filling and that $55 of the cost goes to the CDCCU.