Ethan Becker decided it’s finally time to let the public in on the family secrets. "I thought it was rather odd growing up how my friends’ parents were always quite curious about what went on our kitchen," he says.
It’s easy to understand the intrigue. Becker is the grandson of Irma S. Rombauer, the original Joy of Cooking author.
Now a Joy author himself, Becker (shown above), along with his wife and family "archivist" Susan, as well as Louisville native and new Joy of Cooking editor Maggie Green, will celebrate the release of the book’s ninth edition and 75th anniversary on Thursday, Nov. 16, at the Louisville Free Public Library (301 York St.) as part of the library’s Authors Series.
The 7 p.m. event will feature a cooking demonstration, and, for the first time ever, Becker will display family heirlooms and Joy artifacts such as drawings from the orginal edition, family photos, a silver tureen from Rombauer’s table, kitchen tools (including a whisk made to Rombauer’s specifications so she could scramble eggs on a plate rather than in a bowl) and examples of her correspondence with Julia Child. The library will host the exhibit through Dec. 3.
For free tickets to this month’s event, call the Louisville Free Public Library at 574-1644. Visit www.lfpl.org for more information.
