TRUCKEE, Calif. — In an effort to blend Latinx culture more into the Truckee community, the Nevada County Library released the Latino Cookbook Project through the Truckee Library. The publication of this cookbook was celebrated in early February, and includes 26 Latin-inspired recipes from 20 local contributors. 

“We constantly look for ways to bring the Latinx community into the library and get more participation regularly from this community,” Xenia Dieter, Nevada County Library technician said. “A coworker and I were brainstorming different ways to bring the Latinx community into the library more.”

During Latinx Heritage Month, which runs every year from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, Dieter and a coworker thought of the idea of sharing recipes among the local Truckee community.

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“Sharing food and recipes we felt is always approachable and fun to talk about,” Dieter said. “Thus, the idea of bringing a local cookbook to the Truckee Library was born.”

While celebrating Latinx Heritage Month in 2022, the Truckee Library opened its doors on two separate occasions for local community members to show up, meet others, and contribute recipes to the cookbook. However, only two people showed up between both events that the library hosted. 

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With the desire to bring the Latino Cookbook Project to fruition, the Truckee Library looked to other local organizations in the community; and in their search, formed a collaborative relationship with Sierra Community House. Dieter began to attend meetings, and talk with local community members to inform them of the Latino Cookbook Project. 

“We have a wonderful relationship with Sierra Community House,” Dieter said. “The Sierra Community House has a strong relationship with the local Latinx community in Truckee, so it made sense to reach out and form a relationship with them.” 

The Truckee Library’s relationship with Sierra Community House was just the beginning, and the library also formed a collaborative connection with the KidZone Museum. 

“We also work very closely with the KidZone Museum, they were instrumental in getting more participation from the community,” Dieter said. “We didn’t have a lot of in-person participation, but we did have most of the recipes that are in the cookbook come in from both of these pillars’ outreach to the Truckee community. We’re very grateful for them and their help with bringing this cookbook together.”

Sierra Community House members, the KidZone Museum, and local community members submitted recipes to be used in the Truckee Library’s Latino Cookbook, resulting in 26 Latin-inspired recipes from 20 different contributors in the Truckee community. The cookbook is arranged in sections of appetizers, drinks, main courses, and desserts.

“Among the 26 recipes, there are three different recipes for pozolé, there’s a recipe for molé, and even drink recipes for favorites like horchata,” Dieter said. “Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a beginner, there’s a recipe in here for everyone to enjoy.”

The Truckee Library celebrated the publication of the Latino Cookbook Project on Feb. 3, and during the celebration, gave each of the contributors to the cookbook their own personal, published copy. 

Currently, there are six copies of the Latino Cookbook that are available for the local community to use and check out through the Truckee Library catalog. The cookbook is not for sale, but can be checked out directly through the Truckee Library. 

“During the celebration, all of our contributors autographed the copies that are in the library for public use,” Dieter said.

When bringing the Latino Cookbook Project to publication, the Truckee Library avidly worked with a “meeting our neighbors” approach, providing more exposure to the local Latinx community by sharing favorite recipes directly through community members. 

“The intention was to bring in the Latinx community, which is a significant part of Truckee and North Lake Tahoe’s population,” Dieter said. “It’s wonderful to have more projects like this weaved into the fabric of our community, and get more participation in the library. We do so much work with outreach and put on a variety of programs that can speak to all the different communities and cultures within Truckee.” 

Looking forward, the Truckee Library is eager to bring more projects to the local community that further blend, connect, and resonate with the various cultures in the area. 

“We’re trying to actively do more to try and connect with this community,” Dieter said. “This [project] was very successful and we look forward to bringing more of these sorts of projects to the Truckee community to continue to bridge the gap and make more connections.” 

To check out a copy of the Truckee Library’s Latino Cookbook, community members can visit the Truckee Library at 10031 Levon Ave. 

For more information on the library, call 530-582-7846.

Madison Schultz is a reporter for the Tahoe Daily Tribune and Sierra Sun.