Now is a wonderful time to curl up with a book, and cook some comfort food!

“7 Ways” (2020)

641.555 OL

Jamie Oliver brings us another wonderfully practical cookbook. This book is intended to give you new ideas for ingredients you are already familiar with. In fact, you can likely cook something from this book without a trip to the store! All recipes are created with ease in mind. Some are quick cook; while others are easy prep with slow cooker options.

“Cool Beans” (2020)

641.65 YO

Touted as “The ultimate guide to cooking with the world’s most versatile plant-based protein” author, Joe Yonan, presents us with an impressive 125 bean recipes. Recipes are vegetarian (with vegan substitutions listed) and include ingredients that are easy to source. Bean recipes cover everything from Hummus to Ice Cream. I have so many post-it notes in this book, that I might just end up buying it for my home collection.

“Pie Camp: The Skills You Need to Make Any Pie You Want” (2020)

641.8652 MC

Kate McDermott, author of Art of the Pie has created the mother of all pie manuals. McDermott covers every aspect of pie creation starting with needed pie tools and ending with extras like candied toppings. What I love about this book is that every baker can find inspiration in it. If you’ve never made a pie, McDermott walks you through the basic process of getting that first successful bake. For more advanced bakers, you’ll find interested new recipes and techniques for more complicated bakes. Additionally, the master recipes include gluten free options for both roll-out and press-in crusts.

“The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food” (2020)

641.5929 SA

Author Marcus Samuelsson invites us “To come together at one table to raise each other up.” This beautifully vibrant book is a love letter to Black American food and the people creating it. Each chapter features a dozen or more Black cooks and experts, as they share their stories and personal histories as well as delicious recipes. Ingredients will take a bit more sourcing, but the true joy in this book is the stories and narratives shared.

Did you know that the library has a book club especially for people who love to cook? The book group is called Tasty Reads and it meets monthly from September-May. The March meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 9 at noon via Zoom. We’ll be discussing “My Life in France” by Julia Child and the movie “Julie and Julia.”

For more information on Tasty Reads, visit www.pwpl.info and look for the events calendar.

— Andrea Ingmire,

Library Director