Students whip up desserts based on novels for UCLA’s fourth annual Edible Book Festival

Even the pink, blue and green balloons attached to an exploding chocolate-syrup-and-strawberry volcano couldn’t distract onlookers from the cake’s taste.

Fourth-year physiological science student Michelle Hong designed her tropical-themed pineapple, strawberry and toasted coconut almond cake, inspired by William Pène du Bois’ novel, “The 21 Balloons,” which triumphed over fellow competitors’ bookish desserts to win the “best tasting” award at UCLA’s fourth annual Edible Book Festival.

Presented Thursday in Powell Library’s East Rotunda room with record-breaking attendance, the international festival enticed nearly 150 “book-tasters” and 13 entries to join in the festivities. Open to everyone as a bystander, taster or participant, the festival encouraged entrants to create a sugary pastry inspired by a book of their choosing. Cookies, cakes and other baked creations were displayed at this year’s event.

Danielle Saloman, committee chair of the festival and teaching and learning services librarian at Powell Library, highlighted the allure of the festival.

“It’s exciting because it’s one of those events during week one where everybody’s running around and trying to figure out their classes. They can stop by and have a little taste and look at all the entries,” Saloman said.

The Edible Book Festival originated as an international event co-created by the late UCLA alumna Judith A. Hoffberg in commemoration of the culture of books and their intellectual offerings. Serving also in remembrance of French gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin and his publication, “The Physiology of Taste,” the festival is always celebrated around his birthday on April 1.

Kelly Miller, director of teaching and learning services and head of Powell Library, said the festival was a great event for community-building.

“I would really love for the library to not only be a quiet place for study and contemplation, but also a place for inspiration and fun,” Miller said. “That’s what I like about these kinds of events, they give me a chance to engage with students and also learn from them. I’m also getting a chance to see what people are reading.”

Entrants not only made sugary treats; they also embraced the “artists’ books” community, a collection of creative minds who express their novel ideas through aesthetic design of the book itself rather than through the words that usually lay within.

Visual arts librarian Robert Gore had an artists’ books section set up at the festival that was devoted to Hoffberg and her work in the field. Gore said that the medium of “artists’ books” was still difficult to define.

“It’s really something that’s in flux. Artists’ books are genre-busting, the sky’s the limit. I think that’s one of the reasons why people are attracted to them,” Gore said.

The desserts entered in the festival were graded and ranked by a panel of three judges and sometimes even the students themselves. The awards included most creative, best tasting, best student entry and people’s choice.

Hannah Bishop-Moser and Kimmie Eng walked away with the “best student entry” award after showing off their pumpkin cake with butter crunches frosting and vegan Mexican wedding cake cookies. Their colorful dessert was inspired by the children’s book “The Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister.

Cakes representing Dr. Seuss’ rhyming stories were not lacking at this year’s festival: There were a total of two entries involving “The Lorax,” one complementing “The Cat in the Hat,” and finally a dessert associated with the well-known “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” in rainbow cupcake form.

University librarian Gary Strong was also in attendance and said that he believed in the intellectual and nutritious potential of the event.

“Part of what we’re trying to do is get people to stop and think about reading, through both traditional and new ways,” Strong said. “There’s nothing like feeding the tummy and the head at the same time.”