Spice It Up

Spice It Up is happening at the East 38th Street Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library on Thursday, November 12, from 4 PM to 5 PM. It's a joint session with the Marion County Health Department's Nutrition Services, and it's open to all ages, so you can bring the kids along if you're planning a family afternoon.

The hour is split between two things: a cooking class and a health workshop. The focus is on herbs and spices, and the Nutrition Services team will be talking through the benefits of seasoning with them—how they can add flavor without relying on salt or sugar, and why that matters for your health. It's a practical look at how small changes in the kitchen can make a difference in the long run, and you'll get to see it in action during the cooking part.

The venue itself has a bit of a history in the neighborhood. The first library serving this area opened back in 1957 as the Emerson Branch, housed in a frame house that eventually grew too small for the community. It was replaced in 1962 by a 7,500-square-foot branch on the same site, which stayed in place until 2003. That building made way for the current 16,000-square-foot library, now known as the East 38th Street Branch, where this session will be held.

If you've been looking for a simple way to shake up your cooking, this is a good place to start. It's an hour on a Thursday afternoon, open to all ages, at the East 38th Street Branch on November 12, from 4 PM to 5 PM.