Miss Robbie Montgomery, star of the Oprah Winfrey Network hit “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” made an early morning special appearance yesterday at the Central Library in Downtown St. Louis.
Montgomery took time from her busy schedule to meet with culinary students from the Clyde C. Miller Career Academy and Beaumont High School. Scanning the auditorium, she was delighted to see so many students in chef’s jackets and encouraged them to follow through with their dreams.
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build your own door and kick it in,” Montgomery said. “This is your dream. Nobody believes in you, like you do.
The event kicked off the St. Louis Public Library’s first-ever Food for Thought: A Month of Culinary Event, inspired by the Library’s culinary collection marking its 25th anniversary this year.
Staying true to Food for Thought’s pastry theme, she said desserts are her favorite part of the meal and admitted a fondness of her mother’s homemade “ice-box lemon pie” as a child. Prior to the event, students were asked to submit a favorite family recipe and explain why it was special to them.
After reviewing each recipe submission, Montgomery said it was hard narrowing her selection down to the top three. Jonice Langford, 17, of Clyde C. Miller, won first place with her corn casserole recipe.
“I made this yesterday at the restaurant and we enjoyed it,” Montgomery told Langford.
Montgomery will again appear at Central Library this Saturday, March 8 from 2-4:30 p.m. to discuss her philosophy on life, experience as a successful entrepreneur, and starring in a hit TV show (which returns to the OWN Network for a new season on March 15) followed by a Q & A session and meet and greet. The event is free and open to the public.
For a complete listing of Food for Thought programs and events, visit slpl.org.
