Two fundraising events featuring Mr. Bayless will be held on Saturday, October 23rd at Giovanni’s Restaurant, 610 N. Bell School Road. Proceeds will benefit Rockford Public Library and Rockford Public Library Foundation.

Rick Bayless Cooks!
4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Join us for a cooking demonstration and tasting with Rick Bayless, winner of the 2009 Top Chef award. Mr. Bayless will demonstrate three items from his cookbooks and restaurants’ menus, and guests receive a sample tasting of each item. Many of his cookbooks will be available for purchase. A cash bar will be provided.

Rick Bayless Live!
7:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Enjoy a five course gourmet dinner and program! The dinner menu is based on recipes from Mr. Bayless’ restaurants and cookbooks. Rick will speak about his travels, his passion for cooking, the Frontera Farmer Foundation and other topics.

About Rick Bayless
Renowned Chef Rick Bayless and winner of the 2009 Top Chef Master Award, is the owner and chef of three top restaurants in Chicago: Frontera Grill, Topolabampa, and XOCO. Rick recently opened his newest restaurant in Los Angeles CA, the Red O. He is the author of several books, has traveled extensively, and has invested over $600,000 with local farm families through the Frontera Farmer Foundation. His PBS show “Mexico-One Plate at a Time” is in its fifth season. Most recently, on May 19th, he was a guest chef at the White House.

Kids in the Kitchen
Saturday, October 23
12 noon – 4:00 p.m.
East Branch Program Room
In conjunction with Junior League of Rockford’s “8 Gifts to the Community” 2010-2011 community service initiative which celebrates Junior League of Rockford’s 80th anniversary, Junior League of Rockford, Inc. will present its Kids in the Kitchen event to provide helpful information and fun activities to educate families on healthy eating and fitness habits. This FREE event is open to the entire community, and families with children 10 and under are encouraged to attend. Learn how to prepare healthy snacks for your family, enjoy some interactive fitness activities, and have lots of fun! For more information, visit www.jlrockford.org or call 815.399.4518. This event is sponsored in part by the Lello Family Foundation.