Join award-winning cookbook author, New York Times food columnist, and Serious Eats director J. Kenji López-Alt for an evening of cooking insights, techniques, and foodie exploration.
As the Culinary Director for Serious Eats, Kenji is known and loved for his thoroughly tested and explained recipes and food features. His James Beard Award-winning cookbook, The Food Lab, uses evidence-based testing to show you the best ways to cook things. A former chef and restaurant worker, Kenji is also the author of The Wok, a best-selling children's book, Every Night is Pizza Night, and co-hosts ‘The Recipe with Kenji and Deb,’ a podcast that helps you discover your own perfect recipes with his friend Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen. On YouTube, Kenji’s Cooking Show celebrates that food’s main goal is pleasure and inspires home cooks to take their food where they want it to go! When he’s not cooking or writing, Kenji enjoys spending time with his family, playing music, and exploring Seattle.
Chicago’s Billy Zureikat joins Kenji in conversation. Billy Z is a home cook and baker with a story as unique as the flavors he whips up in his kitchen. After being diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy, sandwiches and pizza became his canvas, including the infamous "Tripping Billy" pizza. Billy has collaborated with more than 90 restaurants to raise $73,000 for Muscular Dystrophy, and he’s just getting started.
This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present (ILP), a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of the Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
Registration closes at 5 pm CST the day of the event.
ILP is committed to inclusion and accessibility. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Closed Captioning are provided by default for all events—no special request is needed.
If a patron needs accommodations not listed, the member library should email illinoislibrariespresent@ila.org.
Conveniently located at the corner of Race and Green in downtown Urbana.
