Read to Grow - Rabbit's Bedtime and Cookbooks, Too

This week marked the tenth anniversary of Read to Grow, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving literacy in Connecticut by starting early - as soon as a baby is born! 

Every mom who gives birth to a child in a participating hospital gets a visit from a Read to Grow volunteer and a goody bag containing a pamphlet detailing the importance of reading to children and a brand-new book, so moms can start reading to their little ones immediately.

It's a terrific organization doing very important work and, to get the word out and to celebrate their anniversary, Read to Grow held ten house parties over the weekend, each attended by an author.  I was not just flattered to be invited to speak at a party, I was delighted, honored and, frankly, very surprised.

As I told the group, when I decided to give up on my doctoral dissertation and go bake cookies in a Greenwich Village restaurant, only my husband was in favor of my move.  My friends thought I was nuts and my mother was pretty sure I was ruining my life.  I understood how she felt:  she was looking forward to saying, "my daughter, the doctor," and, instead, she was stuck with, "my daughter, the underpaid cookie baker who works in a cellar."

Being a chef and writing about chefs and food wasn't sexy or glamorous then - it wasn't even considered interesting.

Happily, a lot has changed, thanks, I think, to the James Beard Foundation, which honors chefs and cookbook authors, and, most definitely, to The Food Network, which makes chefs stars and food compelling.

I took being invited to speak about what Julia Child called "cookbookery" to a literacy group as another way to measure just how far we in the food world have come.

Of course, the best criterion of change is my mom.  She's very proud of me now - so proud that she doesn't even remember not being delighted when I gave up that dissertation!

If you want to learn more about Read to Grow, click here.

Comments

[Julie]

Oh, Dorie. As a career educator in NYC public schools and in the CUNY system, I'm thrilled that you're involved in promoting literacy work. My work path has been the opposite of yours: literacy is my vocation and food/baking my avocation -- and there's nothing more gratifying than when the two meet. I think my next project is to take a leaf out of Alice Waters' and Jamie Oliver's books, and try to reform lunches in NYC public schools. Then we'll see those test scores go up, especially if the moms have been reading to the kids since birth. Anyway, this is just to say thanks for your efforts!

[Dorie]

Estelle, You are completely right, "Those who are doing what they love to do are rich in their hearts and souls." Thank you so very, very much for this wise and lovely comment.

[Estelle]

WHat a wonderful organization, Dorie. I'm glad to know about it. I'm certain that it was a treat to have you come and speak and tell you story of how you came to be the celebrated person you are. I'm certainly grateful for the choice you made as are thousands of others the world over. Food plays such an integral part of peoples lives and the best memories are made at the table sharing good food be it a World Peace Cookie, or a salad of ripe red tomatoes and basil salad. When we love what we do, it somehow doesn't matter where we do it or if it will make us rich. Those who are doing what they love to do are rich in their hearts and souls.. I agree with your mother, you made a good choice.