What Thanksgiving Food are You?

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching so food is on many of our minds. We couldn't turn down taking this quiz that would tell us what Thanksgiving food we are. Here's the link if you'd also like to find out: 

http://www.zimbio.com/quiz/hDU9S3XwRmg/What+Thanksgiving+Food+Are+You

If all this talk about food makes you hunger and you'd like to do some cooking, you'll find links at the bottom of the page to some cookbooks that you can can check out.

 

Tirzah, Dawn, Jill, Sam

 
Randolph, Hannah, Devin

Krista, Amanda, Kristen, Gwen, Mason

Katherine, Jake, Evan, Megan J.

Emily

 

Mary

 

Sally

 

 
Kaylee, Lisa

 

As an added bonus, here are some fantastic cookbooks to help you create delicious Thanksgiving meal:


The Neelys' celebration cookbook : down-home meals for every occasion by Pat Neely and Gina Neely 

Vegan holiday kitchen : more than 200 delicious, festive recipes for special occasions by Nava Atlas

Perfect pies by Martha Day 

Betty Crocker complete Thanksgiving cookbook : all you need to cook a foolproof dinner by Betty Crocker

Fine cooking Thanksgiving cookbook : recipes for turkey and all the trimmings from the editors of Fine cooking magazine

Home for the holidays cookbook by Susan Carlisle Payne 

 

Do You Love The Great British Baking Show? Here Are Some Cookbooks For You!

Posted by patron and guest blogger Alana T.

Like many Americans, my heart has been captured by the BBC/PBS series, The Great British Baking Show.  I love the cooking, the cheerful contestants and the supportive, friendly competition.  After watching a few seasons, I still had questions about many of the "bakes;" for example, what is a hot water crust?  Food traditions and terms are different on the other side of the pond, and it is taken for granted that everyone knows what a traybake or a sponge is (i.e. bar cookies and cakes). I figured that, based on the success of the show, there must be an accompanying cookbook, and therein I would find my answers.  Well, the Brits are different, so no book till last year.  The two expert bakers of the show, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood (yes, their real names!) have also each produced a cookbook. I found another recent book on British cooking that covers traditional recipes, and have included it in this review.

The Great British Bakeoff: Big Book of Baking was written for a British audience, so there are terms and types of foods that will be unfamiliar to the reader.  The book contains recipes from show contestants and a few from the each of the hosts. Unlike many American baking books, there are a lot of savory baked goods. One note of caution: the book uses the metric system, so you have to do a little math to get ingredients ready. I tried the Farthing Biscuits (butter crackers), Cheese, Ham & Chive Tart and the Irish Brack (a quick bread flavored with black tea and dried fruits). Everything was pretty darn good. This cookbook is recommended to fans of the show and general baking enthusiasts.

If you are familiar with the TV show, you know about the segment in each episode where contestants are given a list of ingredients and brief instructions. It is up to each baker to successfully interpret and finish the recipes.  Baking with Mary Berry follows the format of the show; the author assumes you have a certain level of skill and knowledge. There are photos of most finished items, a few for general methods, but little discussion of history or context. I was driving blind when I tried Welsh Cakes (thin, sweet biscuits cooked on a stovetop) and a Bakewell Tart (kind of like a shoofly pie). Both turned out well, however I don' t recommend this cookbook. Overall, the selection of recipes wasn't very interesting and I didn't learn anything about British baking from this book.  

Paul Hollywoods' book (British Baking) is a step above the previous two. The author grew up working at his Dad's bakery and has decades of experience.  He pours his knowledge and love of cooking into his book, and it shows. Recipes are organized by region, each of which gets its own introductory culinary history lesson. Individual recipes have thorough descriptions, and for those requiring unique or unusual methodology, an extended series of how-to photographs. The diversity of baked goods is impressive, from large loaves of bread to tiny fairy cakes. There are plenty of sweet things throughout, but also a healthy dose of savories, including meat pies. Well, maybe not healthy... most call for sausage, ham, bacon, cheese and lard, or a dangerous combination thereof.

Fidget Pie (ham, apple and onion) was a perfect fall dinner. The Sussux Churdles (petite liver and bacon tarts) were superb. The stunner was the Pond Pudding. First an explanation: Americans aren't familiar with British pudding. You're probably thinking of a milk-based, custardy thing. Over there, a pudding is barely sweet, usually steamed, and almost always served with a fruit sauce. The texture is somewhat like a soft, moist quick-bread /pie crust combo. I tried a few recipes and none were keepers... except Pond Pudding. Who would think to make a pastry-like crust, line a bowl with it, plop in a whole lemon, a stick of butter and some brown sugar, then steam the whole ensemble? An amazing British cook, that's who! To serve, you unmold the pudding, then cut into it, revealing the softened lemon as the rich sauce pours out. Visually stunning and really, really delicious. I recommend this book to bakers who want to increase their repertoire and those interested in British cooking.

I've saved the best for last. The Ploughman's Lunch and the Miser's Feast by Brian Yarvin was written by an American who loves British B&B's, High Tea and all forms of the cuisine. This is a full cookbook and includes essays on food-related topics. The author begins with Full Breakfast and moves through every category of food and culinary influence. All the recipes I tried were straightforward and tasty: Scotch Woodcock (sausage wrapped, deep fried boiled eggs), Galantine of Chicken (an elegant poultry meatloaf), Salmon Broth (actually a stew) and Staffordshire Oatcakes (oat crepes with cheese). Here at last was the explanation of and recipe for a hot water crust. I tried it and fell in love.  Everyone should know how to make this crust.  It is more forgiving and easier to work than our standard cold pastry. Sturdier than the cold versions, it is a perfect crust for the meat pies that the British favor. This is also the best crust for hand pies, like pasties (recipes included).

If you are interested in British cooking, this is the book for you. There are newer books covering the restaurant scene in London and various well-known chefs, but I recommend The Ploughman's Lunch instead. This is everyday cooking with simple ingredients and straight-forward methods. There are enough interesting new recipes in the baking sections to keep a baker happy, and all the iconic foods in the other books are included here. After trying a selection of these recipes, you won't think British food is tasteless or uncreative.

Celebrate Pi Day with Pie!

Posted by Staff

Pi Day is coming up on March 14th and joining in on this celebration of mathematics by baking (and eating) pie is both fun and delicious. One of the fun parts of baking for many of us is looking through recipes and pictures in cookbooks.  Here are some cookbooks that are available in our library system that are sure to get you baking!

Teeny's Tour of Pie: A Cookbook by Teeny Lamothe

Teeny Lamothe is a young woman on a mission—and the mission is pie. Charming, passionate, determined, Teeny traveled America to work with the country's best bakers and learn their techniques, tricks, and wisdom. Now she shares the fruits of her apprenticeship—the crumbs and crusts of her crusade—in Teeny’s Tour of Pie, a delectable journey into total pie immersion. 

Here are more than 55 pies, sweet and savory, plus a complete crust primer, and all of it seasoned throughout with Teeny’s humor and inspiration.

James McNair's Pie Cookbook by James McNair

French chefs are the masters of tortes and other pastries, and Italians make the world's best ice creams, but no one surpasses American cooks when it comes to making pies. Whether the flaky crust is filled with sweet summer berries, tart apples, chocolate custard, or coconut cream, almost everyone will choose a well-made pie over any other dessert.

James McNair now presents his easy, step-by-step procedures for making the perfect crust, along with thirty-five recipes for tantalizing pie fillings. 

Totally Pies Cookbook by Helene Siegel, Karen Gillingham
It’s the ever popular, never humble pie. Fabulously flaky, famously festive, filled with every flavor from key lime to coconut, raspberry to rhubarb, peach to pear to plum to pumpkin, pies never fail to please. Some have crumbly crusts, some are topped with nuts, some are served piping hot, some scream for ice cream on top. Whether sweet or savory, warm or chilled, we promise you’ll wanna eat ’em, not throw ’em.

Farm Journal's Complete Pie Cookbook by Farm Journal
The best dessert and main-dish pies in the country. Includes 700 recipes. Some of the recipes include Country Blueberry Pies, Custard Pies, Popcorn Ice Cream Pie, Frosted Ice Cream Pie, Brownie Pie, Apricot Pie a la Mode, North Pole Cherry Pie, Pumpkin Pie Alaska. The recipes in this cookbook were submitted by farm wives in the 1960's so you'll be delighted to find unusual recipes as well as the traditional.

Bites From the Bookworms: July 2014

Posted by Alana T., Sara S., Anne W. & Jill S.

Librarians love to eat and love cookbooks!  Following is list of some recent publications, along with a few older favorites.  For more great cookbooks, visit our previous posts or jump over to our Pinterest board.

The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook: Revolutionary Techniques and Groundbreaking Recipes by America's Test Kitchen.  The book that teaches you to make good pasta, pie crust, cookies and other yummy food from scratch.

Pati's Mexican Table: The Secrets of Real Mexican Home Cooking by Pati Junich.  Try the Mexican style pasta - it's sure to please everyone!



10 Dollar Dinners by Melissa D'arabian.  Delicious recipes that are not to complicated.  She won the Food network show and has her own series now.  Her husband is French and a lot of her recipes have a French flair without being too difficult.


The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving: Over Delicious Recipes to Use Year Round by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard.  A good resource for beginning cooks wanting to try recipes without being bogged down by gallons of jelly or hours over a pot of boiling water.  There are also some great recipes for fresh condiments.  The "Blender Ketchup" is amazing, super easy and REALLY good - I cut the recipe in half and keep it unprocessed in the fridge for about a month.

Perfect Pies: The Best Sweet and Savory Recipes From America's Pie-Baking Champion by Amy Stuart.  Summer is pie season in our house and there are some winning recipes here.  The Twisted Citrus Blackberry Pie (on the cover) is amazing!

660 Curries: The Gateway to Indian Cooking by Raghavan Iyer.  A tremendous diversity of curries are presented, with something for everyone.  There is also a thorough listing of bread, rice and noodle recipes.  My favorites?  Stewed Cauliflower (cauliflower with a coconut cinnamon sauce), homemade rice noodles and any of the chickpea dumplings.

America I AM: Pass It Down Cookbook by Jeff Henderson.  As much a discussion about the importance of food in African-American families as it is a cookbook, this is a enticing read. My favorite is quick and delicious: Chef Jeff's Collard Green Soup with Smoked Turkey.  The secret ingredient?  A smoked turkey leg.

The Jamlady Cookbook by Beverly Ellen Schoonmaker Alfeld.  When its time to make any kind of jelly or jam and I want something a bit different, this is my go-to cookbook.  If you want something straightforward, all the classics are here.  But, if you want to try something a bit different, there are many options from which to choose.  Summer is all about tomatoes and there is a generous selection of recipes for this abundant fruit.  When temperatures are cooling and you have too many unripe tomatoes in the garden, I recommend trying the Green Tomato Preserves.

Download our Staff Cookbook - Free!

Posted by staff
We've added a PDF version of our staff cookbook to our website and it is available to anyone, free of charge.  Our goal was to have it available as a free download on Amazon for the holidays, but it is surprisingly tricky and difficult to offer a free Kindle download.  We're working on it!  So for those of you with Kindles or Nooks, we apologize, but we will have this gem available as soon as we can in both EPUB and Kindle versions - for free. Thanks for your patience.

Coming Soon! The Edwardsville Public Library Cookbook

Posted by Staff

The Edwardsville Library Staff are jumping onto the e-book revolution by publishing a cookbook!  We've compiled our favorite recipes, both from cookbooks and family members, and we're sharing them with you.  The cookbook will be published in two formats, Kindle and E-Pub, so matter what type of e-reader or app you have, you can try a recipe or two.  We will also have a PDF version available for a short time on our website.   All versions will be available as free downloads.

While you wait for publication (next week), try this no-fail, super easy recipe shared by Joyce D.  It is staff tested and approved, not to mention highly recommended!

Applesauce Cake

Adapted from a 1970s version of the Good Housekeeping cookbook

Makes 12 servings.

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 15-ounce jar applesauce (1 ½ cups)

1 ¼ cups sugar

2/3 cup shortening

1/3 cup milk

2 eggs

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground cloves

1 cup dark seedless raisins

½ cup California walnuts, chopped

Confectioners’ sugar, optional

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 13” by 9” baking pan (bundt pans work well, too).

2.  Into large bowl, measure all ingredients except raisins, nuts and confectioners’ sugar; with mixer at low speed, beat until well mixed, constantly scraping bowl with rubber spatula.  Beat at high speed 3 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl.  Stir in raisins and nuts.

3.  Pour batter into pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan on wire rack. 

4.  If you like, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Roasting That Bird...

A famous food related holiday is coming up.  Are you ready?  If you're not going to make the giant bird, perhaps a roast chicken will fit the bill.  Following are two great staff recommendations:

Alana T.: Roast Split Chicken With a Mustard Crust from Jacques Pepin: Fast Food My Way.  Super fast and super good!  All you need is mashed potatoes and dinner is done.







Pam O.:  Lemon Chicken with Croutons from Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten.  Really flavorful chicken and the onions that roast with the chicken are really good.  I use sourdough wheat bread (from the farmer's market) for the croutons.

Do you have some leftovers after the big day?  Some more staff suggestions for what to do with the extras...

Karen K. makes Turkey and Rice Casserole from Thanksgiving Dinner by Anthony Dias Blue and Kathryn K. Blue.

Joanie S. makes classic Potato Pancakes from Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer.





Alana T. suggests Chicken (or Turkey) Croquettes from Little Foods of the Mediterranean by Clifford A Wright.  These tasty nuggets take some time to make, but kids love to help and I always freeze an extra batch.  They make a perfect snack anytime.

Happy and Healthy Eating to Our Readers!  We'll be back on December 3rd.

Bites From the Bookworms: September Picks

Sara S.: Simply Gluten Free Magazine.  My new favorite cookbook is a magazine!  It focuses on healthy meals rather than sweets and high calorie recipes and has articles and tips on healthy living.








Alana T.: The Best Slow and Easy Recipes.  From the editors of Cook's Illustrated, these recipes are super fast and super easy.  My favorite was an adaptation of Beef Burgundy that gave Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon a run for its money.

Karen K.: The Green Smoothie Bible by Kristine Miles.  Easy to read and full of yummy recipes.   Helps to get all the necessary greens and herbs in your diet through daily smoothies.








The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook edited by Sara Roahen and John T. Edge.  Just how does one make boiled peanuts and spicy turnip greens?  This compilation of recipes from southern cooks brings back many southern meal memories and I can't wait to make some pickled watermelon rind next summer.

Amanda E.: The Food Lover's Healthy Habits Cookbook by Cooking Light.  Lots of good recipes and tips on making food changes.

Pam O.: Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast: 250 Easy, Delicious Recipes For Any Time of Day.  Easy recipes + fresh ingredients = yum!  My next recipe will be Chicken with tomatoes, olives and cilantro.

Bites From the Bookworms: Cookbooks Inspired by TV Shows Part 3

Posted by Alana T.

In this last post about video inspired cooking, we visit some of the best, recent cookbooks.

The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook by J. Gelman and P. Zheutlin.  An exhaustive introduction to 1960s beverages, party food and overall social atmosphere of the times.  Included with recipes are ties to specific episodes and descriptions of important restaurants.  If you grew up in the 60s or have a fondness for that time period, these dishes are spot-on.  Recipes range from Turkey Tetrazini to Macaroni Salad to Cheese Fondue.  This is the perfect cookbook for planning a themed party or kicking back with a tasty cocktail.

The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook: From Lady Mary's Crab Canapes to Mrs. Patmore's Christmas Pudding by Emily Baines.  My favorite part of this cookbook are the short paragraphs about food customs of the Edwardian era.  In fact, I could do without most of the recipes and be happy reading about etiquette.  The recipes are arranged by courses, so you can choose from the selections to recreate your own 7-13 course meal.  There are a lot of rich and fancy foods (as you might expect) and I felt the everyday dishes (for downstairs staff) were neglected.  Each recipe is tied to a character or scene and the language is a bit melodramatic; however the recipes seem pretty tasty. Recommended for cooks who like elegant, fancy foods.

A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook by Chelsea Monroe-Castle and Sariann Lehrer.  The forward to this cookbook is written by G.R.R. Martin (the author of the Game of Thrones novels) and he writes about the importance of food in setting mood throughout his books - authenticity is very important to him.   The authors of this cookbook clearly have similar feelings about food and have researched and presented an admirable selection of dishes.  Although the recipes are arranged by geographic region from the novels, they are based on historical Roman, Medieval and Elizabethan examples.  Original recipes are provided (often with odd language and ingredients) along with an easy to understand translation and a second interpretation for modern palates and techniques.  This book would be an excellent introduction to authentic historical cooking, but don't be scared away by that - these recipes are amazing.  Hands down, this was my favorite cookbook of the lot.

Bites From the Bookworms: Cookbooks Inspired by TV & Movies Part 2

Posted by Alana T.

Television shows touch many aspects popular culture.  From fashion to food, what our favorite characters are doing on the small screen often influence our real lives.  It's no surprise then, that some of the most popular TV shows have inspired cookbooks.  There are quite a few out there and I've selected some of the best known for a review on the blog.  Our first post covered cookbooks from TV shows in the 70s and 80s.    This post covers books from two well known HBO series and one book/movie.

The Soprano's Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker and Michelle Scicolone.  The text is written as if it were being presented by one of the fictional characters of the show.  There is a lot of discussion about family, food, and culture to go with the recipes.  Many segments tie to specific episodes and there are short segments written by other characters of the show.  Overall, the text is tongue in cheek, but the recipes provide examples of good Italian food.

TrueBlood: Eats, Drinks, and Bites From Bon Temps by Gianna Sobol.  As with the Soprano's cookbook, this one has recipes presented and discussed by characters of the show; the book is an official creation of HBO, the makers of the TV show.  The first section is a lengthy list of cocktails, many based on a TrueBlood mix.  The second and third parts of the book feature recipes inspired by characters, places, or scenes from the TV show.  The majority of menus feature Southern cooking and the recipes are approachable and easy to follow. I can vouch for the tastiness of the Blood and Sand (cocktail) and the Brujo Burger (a veggie burger with bacon!).

The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook by Emily Baines.  This cookbook is targeted towards teens - the main audience of the books.  Along with recipes, there are brief discussions about the meaning of various foods and dishes in the novels.  Many recipes are straightforward, but others call for difficult to find (burdock roots), expensive (pheasant) or wacky (raccoon) ingredients.  Overall, not a realistic cookbook and not a good introduction to cooking for beginners - read it for fun.

Bites From the Bookworms: Cookbooks Inspired by TV Shows Part 1

Posted by Alana T.

Television shows touch many aspects popular culture.  From fashion to food, what our favorite characters are doing on the small screen often influence our real lives.  It's no surprise then, that some of the most popular TV shows have inspired cookbooks.  There are quite a few out there and I've selected some of the best known for a review on the blog.  We'll start by looking at some cookbooks based on shows from the past.

Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook by Ken Beck.  This cookbook reminds me very much of the collections of recipes printed by local social organizations and church groups.  Lots of comfort food!  This is an older cookbook, and focuses on the basic recipes of everyday home cooking.  Overall, a great introduction to tasty cooking everyone in the family will love.

Mary Ann's Gilligan's Island Cookbook by Dawn Wells.  If you watched this show after school as I did, you may have wondered how Mary Ann was able to whip up all that food.  Where did she cook it?  Where did she get the flour for all those coconut pies?  And she was always so cheerful.   Hmmmm.  In any case, this cookbook, written by Ms. Wells who played Mary Ann, compiles an impressive array of family, cast member and staff recipes.  There are themed menus, cast stories and an entire chapter dedicated to coconut creme pies (all very different from one another).

The Little House Cookbook: Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic Stories by Barbara Walker.  Our copy of this book is found in the Youth Library, but don't be fooled and think it's a kid's book or simple in any way.  The text describes the different foods eaten by people in towns and prairie settlements during the 1870s and 80s.  The book goes detail about the reality of food preparation, and its availability and importance in people's lives.  Not only a great cookbook, but a fascinating history of our country's early food culture.  Recommended reading for everyone.

Bites From The Bookworms: Spring 2013

As librarians, we all love to read.  As humans, we all love to eat.  Put the two together and what do you get?  Librarians reading and testing a lot of cookbooks. Sometimes we fall in love with a particular book and use it often (see previous posts on cookbook picks).  Usually though, we find one or two recipes that receive a gold star. Listed below are some of our recent picks.

Joyce D.:  Fix It And Forget It Cookbook: Feasting With Your Slow Cooker by Phillis Good.  Any of the books in this series provide a wide variety of recipes for the slow cooker.

Lisa E.:  Taste of Home: Best Loved Recipes.  If you like Taste of Home Magazine, you may like this book as it contains the best recipes from the last 20 years - all in one spot!

Alana T.:  Bake It Like You Mean It: Gorgeous Cakes From the Inside Out by Gesine Bullock-Prado.  Showstopper cakes with all the (simple) techniques clearly explained and photographed  The recipes are great, but you could adapt the techniques to your own recipes to get similar visual results.

Amanda E.: Comfort Food Makeovers: All Your Favorites Made Lighter by America's Test Kitchen.  Good  photos, easy recipes.  I've made three recipes and they all turned out well.

Judy T.: 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches by Alison Lewis.  Who doesn't love grilled cheese?  There are some great combinations in this book.