Jan. 15, 2014: The book 97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Jane Ziegelman was chosen by the directors of Eastchester's three libraries as the book to kick off Eastchester's 350th anniversary year in 2014.

The book traces the story of how five different immigrant groups brought their food passions to New York and managed the challenges of producing family food. The foods we first offered newcomers at Ellis Island and how these families survived in New York City are startling details of how far we've advanced.

And what better way to explore 97 Orchard, an "edible social history," than through the lens of John Mariani, longtime Eastchester resident and nationally renowned food authority.

Scheduled to air on Cablevision's government access channels 19, 74, and 75 and FiOS channels 40, 47, and 26 throughout January, the interview with Mariani was conducted by former town clerk Patty Dohrenwend, a member of the steering committee of Eastchester 350th Anniversary, Inc. Please consult the following viewing guides for the date and time of the show: http://www.eastchester.org/government_access_viewing_guide.html, http://tuckahoetv.org, or http://bronxvilletv.com/.

During the show, John Mariani recalls our immigrant heritage, which can be traced to folks like those who populated 97 Orchard. Mariani points out that the historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. emphasized the lasting importance of the foods these immigrants brought to America and the enormous contribution that the foods have made to our culture.

Mariani recalls his own family's recipes from Italy served at home and the absence of good ethnic cuisine in his and Dohrenwend's childhood in 1950s Eastchester, Tuckahoe, and Bronxville.

Mariani also cites exceptional restaurants at that time whose reputations rivaled those of any in New York City. In addition to being a "walk down memory lane," the cable show underscores the emergence of excellent cuisine throughout America in the last 40 years and that the "melting bowl" of food is alive and well in the various restaurants in today's Eastchester.

Mariani and Dohrenwend encourage local listeners to obtain a copy of 97 Orchard before Ms. Ziegelman's lecture on Sunday, January 26, at 3:00 pm, at Concordia College's Sommer Center. The local libraries, book clubs, and the steering committee of Eastchester 350th Anniversary, Inc. have been promoting the book since the fall, but it is not too late to borrow a copy from your library, reserve one online through the Westchester Library System, or purchase the paperback version at Womrath Bookshop in Bronxville. Copies will also be available for purchase and signing by the author at the lecture during the reception that will follow.

The reading project's goal is to involve residents from high school students to seniors, from those who love cooking to those who simply love eating. With the book as a touchstone, the librarians envision many possibilities for community engagement: discussion groups, ethnic eating experiences, recipe sharing, cooking lessons, and trips to 97 Orchard Street (home of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum) and Ellis Island.

As one example, the Friends of the Bronxville Public Library will present Poetry and Legacy, a reading of poems about the immigrant experience in America on Sunday, April 6, at 3:00 pm. This will be augmented by a poetry contest focused on the same theme and open to students in grades K to 12 who live or attend school in Bronxville.

As the cable show previews, reading the book and hearing from its author promise to be a fitting opening act to Eastchester's 2014 celebration of the town's 350th anniversary.

Pictured here:  Cover of 97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Jane Ziegelman.

Photo courtesy Linda Doherty, Co-Chair, Steering Committee, Eastchester 350th Anniversary, Inc.