“Midwest Baking with Shauna Sever,” December 13

Tuesday, December 13, 7 p.m.

Presented by the Rock Island and Moline Public Libraries

In a special Illinois Libraries Present event designed for the holiday season, acclaimed cookbook author and television and radio personality Shauna Sever will be sharing her love of food and baking - as well as providing tips to make your holiday gatherings delicious - in the virtual program Midwest Baking with Shauna Sever, hosted by the Rock Island and Moline Public Libraries on December 13.

As a writer, Sever’s work is best defined by several baking-centric cookbooks. Her fourth, Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland, was named one of the Best Baking Cookbooks of 2019 by the New York Times. She has also contributed food stories, recipes, and expert tips for numerous outlets including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Food52, Bon Appetit, The Kitchn, Family Circle, Real Simple, Midwest Living, Fine Cooking, Food & Wine, Bake from Scratch, O Magazine, and many more.

Although Sever began developing and writing recipes when she launched her award-winning baking blog Piece of Cake in 2007, her career actually began in broadcast journalism, and branched out into a former life as an entertainment-news host and reporter. Though she now talks about pie instead of Hollywood, she uses the same skill set for her regular television appearances, which include the TODAY Show and Food Network, and on-camera branded content. Sever also sits behind the microphone as a contributor for the beloved and long-running public radio show The Splendid Table, for which she was nominated for an IACP award in 2017.

After more than 12 years of California living, Shauna, her husband, and their two sweet-toothed kids returned to her hometown of Chicago, where she now bakes, writes, and is always on the hunt for great old-school Midwestern bakeries. She covets vintage bakeware, bowls that nest, cookbooks old and new, hot coffee and cold cocktails, laughing so hard that no sound comes out, and singing loudly to classic rock.

This Rock Island and Moline Public Library 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 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.

Midwest Baking with Shauna Sever will be presented via webinar on December 13, participation in the 7 p.m. virtual program is free, and more information is available by calling (309)732-7323 and visiting RockIslandLibrary.org, and calling (309)524-2470 and visiting MolineLibrary.com.