Cookbooks Galore!

Reviewed by Kristin

Feeling stuck in your cooking routine?  Feeling a lack of inspiration about finding something to cook during the cold months?  Check out the great selection of cookbooks at your library!  The general area for non-fiction cookery is 641.5, but be sure to search the catalog or ask at the reference desk if you want to find something in particular.

Cook This Now: 120 Easy and Delectable Dishes You Can’t Wait to Make by Melissa Clark presents month by month suggestions to take you through the entire year.  “Fragrant Lentil Rice Soup with Spinach and Crispy Onions” is one of the suggestions in the chilly month of February.  If you’d like to dream ahead to summer, try the “Corn Salad with Tomatoes, Avocados, and Lime Cilantro Dressing.”  The recipes are a little elaborate, but they might just inspire you.

Cooking in the Moment: A Year of Seasonal Recipes by Andrea Reusing is another year-round collection of recipes.  For winter, “Overnight Pot-on-Fire” sounds mighty tasty with beef short ribs, mushrooms, onions, radishes, carrots, and a variety of spices.

Healthy Family Meals by the American Heart Association includes 150 recipes promised to be enjoyed by adults and children alike.  From “Ginger Beef Stir-Fry” with colorful vegetables to baked “Zucchini Boats” to creamy “Chill-Out Sundae Pie”, the pictures are enough to make your mouth water.

If you’re feeling adventurous, check out The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman.  More than 1,000 international recipes are included in this hefty volume.  Try Chinese “Lemon Chicken”, Spanish “Sauteed Piquillo Peppers”, North African “Couscous with Vegetables” or French “Baked Apricots”.  Some recipes are fancy with many intricate steps, and some are simple enough for any ability level.

Rachael Ray’s Book of Ten is a collection of more than 300 recipes gathered in groupings of ten, such as ten recipes for “Family Faves” or “Cheap Dates”.  With entertaining names like “BBQ Sloppy Chicken Pan Pizza” and “Drunken Tuscan Pasta”, there are plenty of tasty options here.

If you love the convenience of a slow cooker, check out the Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good.  With over 1400 recipes, this book includes a wide variety of meals for vegetarians, and meat-lovers alike.  Sections of full color pictures make “Boston Brown Bread”, “Convenient Slow Cooker Lasagna”, and “Hot Fudge Cake” look oh-so-appealing.

Another slow cooker recipe book practically jumped off the shelf to be reviewed:  Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Recipes for Two by Beth Hensperger.  Written for a small slow cooker, these recipes will help you whip up just a couple of servings of “Chipotle Black Bean Vegetable Soup”, “Red Wine Risotto with Mushrooms”, or “Cashew Chicken Lo Mein”, among many others.  Additionally, there is a section of quick side dishes which can be made to accompany the slow cooker main course.

Saving the sweets for last, take a look at Sweet & Skinny: 100 Recipes for Enjoying Life’s Sweeter Side without Tipping the Scales by Marisa Churchill.  With 100 low-fat recipes, including many which have sugar-free variations, these delicacies will satisfy your sweet tooth without breaking the calorie bank.