BY RYAN O’CONNOR
When Baker Free Library children’s librarian Jennifer Ericsson saw Katie Wilton at a recent bookstore promotion she decided then and there that the up-and-coming author and chef was due for a visit to Bow.
“I told myself, ‘I’ve got to get her to come to the library. I think the kids would really enjoy her. She’s got a lot of energy,’” said Ericsson.
“She’s just very friendly and approachable.”
Wilton hopes to be a Rachel Ray-type personality for teens and tweens, but for now, she is dedicating much of her time toward touring New England towns to teach the craft of cooking, including, at Ericsson’s request, a recent visit to Bow.
Wilton is the author of “You’re the Cook! A guide to mixing it up in the kitchen,” which offers children, ages 9 and older, creative and easy ways, along with step-by-step photos, to cook favorites such as quesadillas, French toast, macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup and much more.
Wilton started her career as a sixth-grade language arts teacher before deciding to combine her two passions, cooking and education, to create one ideal job.
“I started Cooking with Katie with a goal to teach middle school children how to cook with the belief that by teaching those basic culinary skills, you can really build confidence in this age group,” she said.
“I’ve been doing hands-on cooking classes in all kinds of community and after-school programs, and one of the things parents kept asking me is, ‘Do you recommend a cookbook specifically designed for this group?’ There’s quite a few out there, but none really for middle school grades in particular, so I decided I needed to put one together came up with some really fun recipes I’ve been using in my classes.”
Though 14 publishing houses turned her down, Wilton remained undeterred and self-published her first book roughly one year ago, which has already sold more than 5,000 copies.
Wilton now travels around Massachusetts and neighboring states, teaching her craft to older children and teenagers and has become somewhat of a regional icon.
“I’ve been doing author signings at Barnes and Noble and using a lot of other avenues, but I’ve really found that library programs are fabulous because I’m able to reach different kids from different communities and I’m able to teach them hands-on. Now they can take what they’ve learned and do it from home,” said Wilton.
“I talk about where food comes from and then how to cook with it, which is really important because I want them to be creative and I want them to come up with their own recipes, and the only way to do that is to really know about the food properties so you know how to work with them.”
The next step, said Wilton, is a television series, a concept she has already submitted to the Food Network.
“They said I’m not famous enough, but I said, ‘How am I suppose to become famous unless you give me a break,” she said.
So for now, Wilton will continue traveling around northern New England, promoting her name, and, in the mean time, teaching young teenagers a valuable skill.
In fact, the demand for Wilton’s first program at the Baker Free Library was so great that she was invited back for seconds.
“We had so many kids sign up that we had to offer it again next month because there wasn’t enough space,” said Ericsson. “It’s wonderful because we’re very new at offering programing for the middle school/high school age group and there is definitely a market for it.”
Wilton will return on Wednesday, July 25, at 4:30 p.m.
For more information, contact the library at 224-7113.