‘Food Brings People Together’

ASHBY — When the Ashby Free Public Library experienced a flood, director Heather Brodie Perry had an idea: she would write a cookbook.

At the time, the library was hosting programs that encouraged healthy eating, including sharing vegetable recipes through the North Central Community Foundation’s Harvest Ashby Health grant and a long-running Family Cooking Club.

With a gluten-free director, several gluten-free trustees, and gluten-free library kids, the library had become a hub of recipe-sharing and creative cooking.

“A cookbook felt like a natural next step,” Perry said. My book ‘Food Brings People Together’ collects recipes from the community alongside stories of the moments when food brought people closer.”

Perry hoped that the cookbook could raise a small amount of money to support building repairs at the library.

“Ashby has created several cookbooks in the past, many of which are still available at the library,” said Perry. “Thanks to modern print-on-demand services, producing this latest cookbook required virtually no financial outlay.”

Residents and former Ashby friends can purchase the book to enjoy a taste of their hometown while supporting a good cause.

Perry describes the cookbook as part recipe collection, part guidebook for small libraries looking to engage their communities.

She shares stories of learning on the job as a new library director in Ashby, finding ways to make things work – “sometimes with little more than imagination and community spirit,” she added.

Part cookbook, part “little engine that could,” “Food Brings People Together” is a celebration of the power of food – and the power of community.

“It is my hope that it brings people together, supports a small library, and creates memories that last a lifetime,” Perry said with a smile.

For more information, or to purchase the cookbook, please visit amazon.com or ashbylibrary.org.