NYPL Blogs: Food for Thought

Cookie Lit 2021: A Baking + Literature Mashup

NYPL Staff — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 15:58:10 -0500

2021 is drawing to a close, so it's again time for Cookie Lit! December 4 is National Cookie Day and the NYPL staff has been hard at work baking literary-themed cookies to celebrate.

You can scroll through or you can click on the cookie below that you are interested in:

Heart Beet Sugar Cookies; Thumbprints; Carrot Cake Cookies; Vegan, Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cookies; Peppermint Patty Pinwheels; Pecan Sandies with Shell Decorations; Roommate Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies; Elvis's Banana Peanut Cupcakes; Corn Flake Cookies

You can also check out the great cookies from past Cookie Lit posts: 2015, 2016 , 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Heart Beet Sugar Cookies

By Jenny Baum of Jefferson Market Library

Recipe from Vintage Mixer (with the addition of a 1/2 cup of diced dehydrated apples.)

Run run run.

That's what twelve-year-old Annie loves to do. When she's barefoot and running, she can hear her heart beating . . .

thump-THUMP, thump-THUMP.

It's a rhythm that makes sense in a year when everything's shifting: Her mother is pregnant, her grandfather is forgetful, and her best friend, Max, is always moody. Everything is changing, just like the apple Annie's been assigned to draw a hundred times.

Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech masterfully weaves this story in Hearbeat about a young girl beginning to understand the many rhythms of life and how she fits within them. (Publisher summary)

Ingredients:

8 ounces cooked beets
1/2 cup diced dehydrated apples (optional)
2 tablespoons almond butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
2–3 tablespoons almond milk
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

Combine beets, apple (if using), almond butter, sugar, salt, and oil in a food processor and blend until smooth.
In a medium bowl combine both flours and baking powder. Stir into the beet mixture just until flour is incorporated (don't over mix). The dough will be sticky.
Wrap in plastic wrap or cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2–3 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Flour a surface to roll the dough out on. Keep a small bowl of flour nearby to sprinkle the dough as you roll it out to avoid sticking. Divide dough into three parts, placing two in the refrigerator. Roll out a third of the dough to 1/4–1/6 inch thick, flipping and sprinkling with flour as you roll to prevent sticking.
Use a 2-inch heart cookie cutter to cut out the hearts and then place them on the prepared baking sheet 1/2 inch apart. Re-roll out the excess dough.
Bake for 5–6 minutes at 400 degrees. Repeat with the remaining two parts of dough. I baked these in three batches keeping the rest of dough in the refrigerator in between batches.
Cool cookies for 2–3 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to further cool.
Stir together powdered sugar, almond milk and extract and use a fork to drizzle icing over cookies.
Let the icing set for 10 minutes and serve immediately or wait to ice the cookies until right before you serve them.

Thumbprints

By Arieh Ress of Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

“It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.” —Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

In The Sign of Four, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes used fingerprint analysis. The book was published in 1890, but in the real world it wasn't until 1901 that Scotland Yard actually used this forensic method which remains a cornerstone of crime scene investigation.

These cookies from my grandmother's recipes feature a divot in the middle from a carefully placed thumb. This can be filled with the topping of your choice. I went with a simple icing, but any kind of jam or melted chocolate would work as well!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup margarine (or all butter)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks (set aside whites)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups finely chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc.) for rolling

Orange Icing:

powdered sugar
milk
a few drops of corn syrup
3 drops of red food dye

Directions:

Mix butter, margarine, brown and white sugars, then mix in egg yolks and vanilla.
Sift flour with salt and fold into wet ingredients.
Roll into 1-inch balls, dip in slightly beaten egg whites before rolling in finely chopped nuts.
Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 5 minutes at 375 degrees remove from oven and carefully press thumbprint in center.
Bake 8 minutes more.
Cool before dropping frosting, jam or chocolate into the divot made by the thumbprint.

For the icing I mixed powdered sugar and a little milk with a few drops of corn syrup to make it shinier. A drop of red and a drop of yellow food coloring provided the color.

Carrot Cake Cookies

By Jenny Baum of Jefferson Market Library

Recipe from Land O'Lakes

“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they'll take you.” ―Beatrix Potter

I baked these in honor of Peter Rabbit, but they could also work forThe Case of the Missing Carrot Cake by Robin Newman. Kirkus says of this young reader fiction: "When Miss Rabbit leaves her carrot cake (with cream-cheese icing) out to cool and returns later to find only a mess of crumbs, she calls Detective Wilcox and Capt. Griswold. Over 100 animals on Ed's farm means there's a lot of suspects. Tongue firmly in cheek, Wilcox tells the story of this challenging case in clipped tones reminiscent of Dragnet"

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 medium (2 cups) carrots, grated
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Frosting:

4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Green food color, if desired
Orange food color, if desired (I only had red and green food coloring for the frosting, so I mixed a drop of red with yellow turmeric powder to make a shade of orange.)

I only had red and green food coloring for the frosting, so I mixed a drop of red with yellow turmeric powder to make a shade of orange

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine 1 cup butter, sugar, and brown sugar in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.
Add eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla; beat until well mixed.
Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.
Stir in carrots and pecans.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
Bake 11–13 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool completely before icing.
Combine powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter, cream cheese and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in bowl; beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting.
Frost each cooled cookie with 2 teaspoons frosting.
Divide reserved frosting in half. Tint one half green and one half orange. Seal frosting into resealable plastic food bags; snip off corner of bags. Make carrot design on top of each cookie.

Vegan, Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cookies

By Melissa Scheurer of Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

Recipe adapted from Land O'Lakes

"Pieces of her carrot cake were scattered on the floor, and the ants didn't seem to mind that there was a dead body in the middle of their picnic." —Joanne Fluke, Carrot Cake Murder

Looking for a GF, vegan variation of carrot cake cookies? I started with the same Land O' Lakes recipe as Jenny above, but made some substitutions to make it vegan and gluten free!

Ingredients:

1 cup vegan butter sticks (I used Earth Balance brand)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
vegan egg replacer (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)
2 teaspoons vanilla
GF 1-1 baking flour (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 medium (2 cups) carrots, grated
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Frosting Ingredients:

4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup vegan butter sticks (I used Earth Balance brand)
8 oz ricotta alternative (I used Kite Hill brand made with almond milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
green food color, if desired (I used green decorating gel)
orange food color, if desired (I used a mix of yellow and red decorating gel)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F.
Combine 1 cup butter, sugar, and brown sugar in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.
Add eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla; beat until well mixed.
Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.
Stir in carrots and pecans.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
Bake 11–13 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool completely.
Combine powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter, cream cheese and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in bowl; beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting.
Frost each cooled cookie with 2 teaspoons frosting.
Divide reserved frosting in half. Tint one half green and one half orange.
Spoon each tinted frosting into resealable plastic food bags; snip off corners of bags
Make carrot design on top of each cookie, if desired.

Peppermint Patty Pinwheels

By Louise Lareau of the SNFL Children's Center

"Peppermint Patty loves swimming by the lake, sleeping in a cabin, and singing songs by the campfire. She even likes eating 'camp chow.'" –Peppermint Patty Goes to Camp by Charles M. Schulz and adapted by Maggie Testa.

This is a family recipe that is fun to make, pretty to look at, and of course delicious to eat!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/2teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
red food coloring

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the butter and sugar.
Add in the egg yolk, baking powder, salt, and flour.
Divide the dough in half.
Add the vanilla extract to one half.
Add the peppermint extract and the red food coloring to the other half.
Roll out the dough balls, separately, with a rolling pin until approximately the same size.
Place the red dough on top of the plain dough and gently roll into a log.
Cut the dough log into 2 parts and wrapped in wax paper or plastic wrap.
Chill the dough before cutting the dough into slices.
Bake for 10–12 mins. Watch the cookies carefully as the edges brown up very quickly.

I like to hold back 2 teaspoons of flour in case the dough is too dry and crumbly. This recipe comes from Canada and I find that flour in the United States has a different consistency. For a stronger peppermint flavor add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons of peppermint extract.

Pecan Sandies with Shell Decorations

By Jenny Baum of Jefferson Market Library

Recipe from I Can Cook Vegan by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

“If there’s a corner where you plant your heart, it’s always with you.” ― Jenny Colgan, Little Beach Street Bakery

Sunrise By The Sea by Jenny Colgan, the fourth book in the Little Beach Street Bakery series. The shell decorations atop these cookies are white and milk chocolate melted in a double boiler, separately, and swirled in a chocolate shell mold.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup refined coconut oil, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice milk (or favorite non-dairy milk)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, use a fork or electric mixer to beat together the coconut oil and sugar until well combined.
Add the milk and beat again, for another minute or so. Mix in the vanilla.
Add about half the flour, salt, and allspice and mix well.
Add the remaining flour and the pecans and continue to mix until a stiff dough forms.
Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
Form dough into walnut-size balls, flatten gently with your hands, and place on the prepared baking sheets
Bake 16–18 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown. Let cool on sheets for about 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool further.

Roommate Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

By Anne Rouyer of Mulberry Street Library

Recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction

“Having Roderick in my life is like having a fire in the hearth. He warms me even when I can’t see him.” ― Sarina Bowen, Roommate

A baker, moves back to Vermont right at the end of summer and gets a job working in the kitchen of a local coffee shop. One of his co-workers, Kieran, a student/farmer is looking for a roommate. As autumn moves into full color and apples start to fall from trees and the coffee house fills up with the smells of cinnamon and fresh bread, a romance slowly begins to grow between them. This m/m romance had me craving baked goods and freshly pressed apple cider so I thought why not combine the two?! These cookies taste and smell so comforting you’ll want to crawl into them and take a nap. It’s a chewy bite of the best apple cinnamon oatmeal on a cold, frosty, autumn morning you’ve ever had only better!

Ingredients:

2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice (a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom and ginger)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (use a thick applesauce and drain as much of the liquid as you can before adding)
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely diced apple (about 1/2 of a large apple—I used honeycrisp)
optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Icing ingredients

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or apple cider or calvados)
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Whisk the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and apple pie spice (if using) together in a large bowl.
Whisk the butter, applesauce, brown sugar, and white sugar together until combined.
Whisk in the egg and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
Fold in the apples and walnuts. The cookie dough will be thick and sticky.
Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough into balls (about 2 tablespoons of dough each) and place 3 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Slightly flatten the balls with your hands.
Chill the cookies for 15 minutes to 1 hour prior to baking.
Bake for 14–15 minutes or until lightly browned and set on the edges. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet before icing.
To make the icing whisk all of the ingredients together and drizzle over cookies. You’ll have leftover so just drizzle some more or do what I did and eat it with a spoon.

Elvis's Banana Peanut Cupcakes

By Jenny Baum of Jefferson Market Library

Recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

"After a hard day of basic training, you could eat a rattlesnake." —Elvis Presley

Are cupcakes a cookie? Almost. Is Josh's dad Elvis? Almost. Shelley Pearsall interviewed dozens of Elvis impersonators for her hilarious novel, All Shook Up,about the son of a Chicago Elvis!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mashed banana (overripe)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil or 1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup rice milk or 2/3 cup soymilk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Icing ingredients:

1/4 cup margarine, softened
2 tablespoons shortening
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4cups powdered sugar, sifted
1–2 tablespoons soymilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
Mash bananas by hand or in a blender until there are no lumps.
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large bowl and mix well.
In a smaller bowl, whisk oil, milk substitute, vanilla extract, almond extract, and mashed banana together.
use your finger to make a well in the dry ingredients and use it to fold in wet ingredients. Small lumps are fine, do not overmix!
Fill liners 2/3 full and bake 20–22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
With electric mixer, cream together margarine and shortening until smooth.
Add peanut butter and vanilla, beat until very smooth.
Beat in confectioners sugar until mixture is very stiff (you may need extra).
Slowly add in milk substitute, beating continuously until frosting is pale and fluffy.
Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

Corn Flake Cookies

By Arieh Ress of Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

Recipe from Sweetest Menu

"Sitting on a cornflake waiting for the van to come" –"I Am The Walrus" by John Lennon, who enjoyed cornflakes and cream in the Dakota apartment he shared with Yoko Ono.

Rock critic for the Los Angeles Times Robert Hilburn spent decades among the rock elite, not just when they were in the spotlight, but in the quieter moments most do not get to witness. Enjoy these Corn Flake-coated chocolate chip cookies from Sweetest Menu while reading Hilburn's Corn Flakes With John Lennon: And Other Tales From A Rock 'n' Roll Life in a quiet moment of your own!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup caster sugar or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups plain flour or all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups Corn Flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
Use an electric beater to beat butter and sugars together in a large bowl for 1–2 minutes or until pale and creamy.
Add vanilla extract and egg, and beat until combined.
Sift in flour and baking soda and mix to combine.
Add chocolate chips and stir with a spoon or on low.
Place Corn Flakes in a separate bowl and crush them slightly using your hands.
Scoop balls of dough (roughly 1.5 tablespoons each) and then roll them in the Corn Flakes, pressing the Corn Flakes into the cookie dough to coat them thoroughly.
Place cookie dough balls onto your prepared trays, leaving room for the cookies to spread out.
Bake for approximately 12–13 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

That's a wrap on this year's cookies! We are so grateful to all our bakers and we hope you enjoy these recipes.

Please share your CookieLit ideas below and you could see them in next year's edition. If you bake some of these recipes, don't forget to snap a photo and use the hashtag #CookieLit when you post.

See you next year with more books and cookies!

Cooking with Basmattie: Guyanese Flavors in New York

Marianna Vertsman, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 15:46:33 -0400

The New York Public Library’s World Literature Festival celebrates books and writers from around the world and reflects the languages spoken in our communities. Discover what our patrons are reading in different languages, resources the Library offers, free online events, book recommendations, and more.

"Market; Georgetown, Guyana" Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: psnypl_scg_376

Despite a seeming overabundance of international cookbooks, a number of nations simply fall off the culinary world map of the publishing world. Guyana is one such place. Traditional Guyanese cooking is an exciting blend of East Indian, Portuguese, European, African, Chinese and Amerindian culinary heritage. Despite being the original "fusion cuisine," it is rarely documented in print.

I was lucky to be introduced to the exciting flavors of Guyanese cuisine by an accomplished and patient chef. My colleague Basmittie Sewcharran has been bringing her lunch to the New York Public Library for over 30 years. She enjoys growing her own vegetables and is fond of incorporating American ingredients into traditional Guyanese cooking. A frequent beneficiary of her culinary skills, I am delighted to record and share some of her favorite dishes with our readers.

Guyana's signature national dish is pepperpot. A Christmas staple, this rich and spicy stew requires one very special sauce. Made from a root of a local cassava plant, authentic cassareep is a key ingredient of this festive dish. Visually similar to yucca, cassava belongs to a different plant family. Both plants have one dangerous common quality: if not processed correctly they can be quite toxic. The following video does an excellent job of explaining a collaborative process of converting fleshy cassava root into viscous and fragrant cassareep. While some purists insist that this dish must be cooked with beef, on a recent segment of his Uncharted show Chef Gordon Ramsay cooked his pepperpot with chicken.

Basmattie prefers lamb. To feed four to six people, you would require 3 lbs of lamb cubes,1 cup of cassareep, 4 cinnamon sticks, 5 cloves of sugar, 1/2 tsp of allspice, 5 sprigs of thyme, 2 sprigs of basil, 2 oz of brown sugar, wiri wiri peppers, and salt to taste. Marinate your lamb with lime and set it aside for 10 minutes. Season it with salt and pepper, before browning it in a large pot. Transfer lamb to a dish and drain some of the fat. Cook onions and garlic until tender. Return meat to the pot, along with cassareep and all the remaining ingredients. Add a sufficient amount of water to cover the meat and place a lid on the pot. Keep the dish boiling on a gentle simmer for approximately three hours. Serve with crusty white bread.

Wiri wiri peppers are native to Guyana, but can be substituted with scotch bonnet, or a similar fiery relative. Frequently described as " little cherry bombs," these peppers measure between 100 and 300 SHU on a Scoville Heat Unit Measurement Scale. While Basmattie grows her supply of wiri wiri peppers in her garden, I was able to pick up a pint of wiri wiri peppers on a recent trip to Union Square Market. Two whole wiri wiri peppers inflamed my cabbage soup to a barely tolerable level.

In addition to festive pepperpot, Basmattie is very fond of cooking curries. Curries came to Guyana with a large wave of indentured laborers from India. Unlike traditional curries from India ,Guyanese curries omit paprika and tomatoes, but include potatoes and green onions. Garam Masala spice mix is the key ingredient in all of Basmattie's curries. To prepare Basmattie's Chicken Curry, you would need the following ingredients: a whole chicken cut to pieces, 1-1/2 tbsp of curry powder, tbsp of Garam masala, 1/2 tablespoon of roasted cumin, 1/2 tbsp of garlic powder, chopped onion, 2 sprigs of thyme, chopped scallions to taste, and a hot pepper of your choice. Add curry and the rest of the ingredients (except for chicken) into a pan with heated oil. Cook for five minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Adding a small amount of water to the pan will create a paste and avoid burning all the ingredient. Simmer the dish for 20 minutes. Serve with rice and garnish it with chopped scallions.

Many of the slaves brought to Guyana in the 17th century came from Western Africa. The provenance of another popular Guyanese dish can be traced to Ghana. In Twi language metemgee means "plantains make it good." Indeed they do! Metemgee, a nourishing stew of various root vegetables, is cooked in coconut milk. Assorted pieces of salted meat are added to the pot as well. Basmattie cooks a vegetarian version of this highly gratifying comfort dish. To cook a vegetarian metemgee you would need 1 can of coconut milk, 2 potatoes, 2 cassava roots, 2 ripe plantains, 1 yellow onion, 5 gloves of garlic, 1 habanero pepper, 2 teaspoons of thyme, half a package of noodles and salt to taste. In a medium saucepan bring a cup of water and a cup of coconut milk to a gentle simmer. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring everything to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes before adding dumplings to the pot. In five minutes take the dish off the flame. Steam dumplings (referred to as duff), require 2 cups of flour, 1/4 cups of sugar, 1 tbsp of salt, 1 tbsp of baking powder, 1 tbsp of butter at room temperature, and a cup of milk, or water. Combine dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add milk or water and knead mixture into a soft dough. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes. In a large pot bring 6 cups of water to boil. Form dough into golf size balls and drop them into the boiling water. Reduce the heat to medium and steam dumplings for approximately 10 minutes.

As in many other cultures, traditional Guyanese recipes are often learned though communal and family meal preparation. Without direct observation or participation, ingredients are frequently described as "according to taste, " or as "a bit of that" and "a splash of this." I am very grateful to Basmattie for quantifying her recipes for my benefit! If you are interested in learning about Guyana's rich cultural heritage, please refer to the list of titles below.

Books About the History and Culture of Guyana

The Guyana Story: From Earliest Times to Independence by Ismael Odeen

Written by an experienced diplomat, this volumes traces the country's history from thousands of years ago when the first Amerindian groups began to settle on the Guyana territory. It examines the period of early European exploration leading to Dutch colonization, the forcible introduction of African slaves to work on cotton and sugar plantations, the effects of European wars, and the final ceding of the territory to the British who ruled it as their colony until they finally granted it independence in 1966. The book also tells of Indian, Chinese, and Portuguese indentured immigration and shows how the cultural interrelationships among the various ethnic groups introduced newer forms of conflict, but also brought about cooperation in the struggles of the workers for better working and living conditions.

Blood on the River: A Chronicle of Mutiny and Freedom on the Wild Coast by Marjoleine Kars

The story of a massive eighteenth century slave rebellion in the Dutch colony that was to become Guyana, is written in the best traditions of narrative nonfiction. Historian Marjoleine Kars offers a riveting and well-researched tale, including rare first-person eyewithess accounts of African-born slaves.

Caribbean Visionary: A.R. F. Webber and the making of the Guyanese Nation by Selwyn R. Cudjoe

This book traces the life of Albert Raymond Forbes Webber ( 1881-1932), a distinguished Caribbean scholar, statesman, legislator and novelist. Using Webber as a lens, it outlines the Guyanese struggle for justice and equality in an age of colonialism, imperialism, and indentureship. The author examines Webber's emergence from the interior of Guyana to become a major presence in Caribbean politics.

Coolie Woman: The Odyssey of Indenture by Gaiutra Bahadur

In 1903, a young woman sailed from India to Guiana as a "coolie"―the British name for indentured laborers who replaced the newly emancipated slaves on sugar plantations all around the world. Pregnant and traveling alone, this woman, like so many coolies, disappeared into history. In Coolie Woman, her great-granddaughter Gaiutra Bahadur embarks on a journey into the past to find her. Traversing three continents and trawling through countless colonial archives, Bahadur excavates not only her great-grandmother's story but also the repressed history of some quarter of a million other coolie women, shining a light on their complex lives.

Musical Life in Guyana: History and Politics of Controlling Creativity by Vibert C. Cambridge

Musical Life in Guyana is the first in-depth study of Guyanese musical life. It is also a richly detailed description of the social, economic, and political conditions that have encouraged and sometimes discouraged musical and cultural creativity in Guyana. The book contributes to the study of the interactions between the policies and practices by national governments and musical communities in the Caribbean.

New Homelands: Hindu Communities in Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad, South Africa, Fiji and East Africa by Paul Younger

This book is the story of how in six different locations indentured workers from India were able to design Hindu communities for themselves, and how those communities continue to thrive in those post-colonial societies.

Guyana in Fiction

In the Key of Nira Ghani by Natasha Deek

A contemporary, coming-of-age story, about a Guyanese girl who must find the balance between her parents' "Old World" expectations and traditions while pursuing her dream of being a great trumpeter.

The Sly Company of People Who Care by Rahul Bhattacharya

In flight from the tame familiarity of home in Bombay, a twenty-six-year-old cricket journalist chucks his job and arrives in Guyana, a forgotten colonial society of raw, mesmerizing beauty. Amid beautiful, decaying wooden houses in Georgetown, on coastal sugarcane plantations, and in the dark rainforest interior scavenged by diamond hunters, he grows absorbed with the fantastic possibilities of this new place where descendants of the enslaved and indentured have made a new world.

Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!

Summaries adapted from NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.

Mucho Sabor: Taste the Many Flavors of Latin American Cooking

Oscar Vazquez, Office Aide III, Riverside Library — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 15:55:21 -0500

The phrase "Latin America" is an umbrella term that refers to people with various ethnic and heritage backgrounds from more than twenty different countries and commonwealths in the Caribbean, Central and South America. Thanks to centuries of cross-cultural mixing and colonization, Latin American food is a cuisine with Spanish, Portuguese, African and Indigenous influences. Here are some suggested Latin cookbooks by professional chefs and a food blogger to help you get started in making and tasting this diverse cuisine.

Southern Heat: New Southern Cooking Latin Style by Anthony Lamas and Gwen Pratsi

Louisville, Kentucky-based chef Anthony Lamas mixes American Southern flavors with those of his Latin heritage, growing up in a Mexican and Puerto Rican family in Southern California. The award-winning chef shares more than 140 recipes for snacks, side dishes, main entrees, and more.

Here are some examples of his unique dishes: Pork Loin with Chipotle-Orange Bourbon Glaze, Macadamia-Crusted Halibut with Passion Fruit-Habanero Sauce and Flourless Cake with Kahlua Ganache.

Latin American Paleo Cooking: Over 80 Traditional Recipes Made Dairy & Gluten Free by Amanda Torres and Milagros Torres

Amanda Torres, a neuroscientist from Memphis, Tennessee, and her mother-in-law Milagros provide authentic recipes from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Colombia,Venezuela. Amanda's idea of Paleo cooking includes lean meats, fresh fruits, and seeds. Amanda also has a food blog called Curious Coconut.

Here are some of their recipes: Garlic-Lime Fried Shredded Beef, Chicken With Rice, and Green Banana Tamales.

Rustic Mexican: Authentic Flavors for Everyday Cooking by Deborah Schneider

Deborah Schneider is an Executive Chef with SOL Cocina Restaurant Group and a cookbook author. She has authored five books about Mexican food.Rustic cooking is her specialty although she also develops more modern recipes.

A few recipes in the book to try: Blackened Salmon Tacos,Summer Salad of Tomatillos, and Chocolate-Coconut Torta with Nata.

Daisy's Holiday Cooking Delicious Latin Recipes For Effortless Entertainingby Daisy Martinez

Daisy Martinez learned to cook by spending time in the kitchen with her Puerto Rican mother and grandmother.She makes all kinds of food from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Spain, and the Caribbean. In this holiday cooking book the author brings fine food to life with classic and modern dishes.

Highlighted dishes: Rosca de Reyes which is a traditional sweet bread for Epiphany (Día de Los Reyes), and Arroz con Pato (Luscious Duck with Rice).

Fresh & Flavorful Latin Superfoods: 100 Simple, Delicious, and Energizing Recipes for Total Health by Leticia Moreinos Schwartz

Cookbook author Leticia Moreinos Schwartz has a passion for her native Brazilian cuisine. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, her passion for food began at a very early age. In this cookbook, she aims to show that healthy eating can be delicious and an importanttool to use for improving your health and life.

Here are some sample recipes from the book: Yucca Latkes, Gluten-free Guava Paste Thumbprint Cookies, and Hearty Black Bean Soup.

Latin Grilling: Recipes to Share, from Patagonian Asado to Yucatecan Barbecue and More by Lourdes Castro

With 90 recipes, Castro uses this book to highlight the diversity of Latin American cooking and flavors. Aimed at home cooks, the book includes tips and techniques for grilling and country-by-country party plans and menus that go way beyond the Mexican and Tex-Mex food you may be used to.

The following recipes I found delicious to enjoy with your family:& Grilled Chorizo Skewers with Crusty Bread (Choripan), Grilled Provolone Cheeses(Provoleta)and lastly is Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes with Cajeta Buttercream.

Chinese New Year Books | 農曆新年書籍 | 农历新年书籍

Michelle Lee, Young Adult Librarian, Riverside Library — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 13:56:46 -0500

(In English)

This upcoming Lunar New Year on February 12 will be different from so many others in years past. Due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, all of the traditional ways of celebrating the holiday — gathering together for family reunion dinners, visiting temples and churches, meeting up with friends and organizing/attending parades and shows — cannot happen because of health and safety reasons.

The New York Public Library is here to help patrons of all ages and families with their alternative, physically and socially-distant Lunar New Year home celebrations with this suggested reading list of holiday picture books and cookbooks in Chinese / 新年書單 / 新年书单. We've also made a list of free virtual holiday events from a local library and other New York City arts organizations.

The next year will be the Year of the Ox / Bull / Cow. The zodiac sign is characterized as hard working, resilient and strong. We hope the Chinese New Year / the Spring Festival holiday brings good health, good safety and good fortune.

Please also visit our Lunar New Year celebration page with links to more NYPL Events and Resources.

在2月12日到來的農曆新年將與過去的許多新年有所不同。由於全球 COVID-19 大流行，所有慶祝節日的傳統方式由於健康和安全的原因而無法進行 - 例如聚在一起參加家庭團圓飯，參拜寺廟和教堂，與朋友見面，規劃或參加遊行和表演。

紐約公共圖書館在這裡為各個年齡段的讀者提供可以在保持社交距離下而進行的其他選擇 - 一些有關過年的圖畫書和食譜書單，我們圖書館和其他紐約市藝術組織提供的一些免費網上活動。

明年將是牛年。它的特點是勤奮，富有彈性和堅強。我們希望農曆新年/春節假期能帶來健康，安全和運氣。

在2月12日到来的农历新年将与过去的许多新年有所不同。由于全球 COVID-19 大流行，所有庆祝节日的传统方式由于健康和安全的原因而无法进行 - 例如聚在一起参加家庭团圆饭，参拜寺庙和教堂，与朋友见面，规划或参加游行和表演。

纽约公共图书馆在这里为各个年龄段的读者提供可以在保持社交距离下而进行的其他选择 - 一些有关过年的图画书和食谱书单，我们图书馆和其他纽约市艺术组织提供的一些免费网上活动。

明年将是牛年。它的特点是勤奋，富有弹性和坚强。我们希望农历新年/春节假期能带来健康，安全和运气。

另請訪問我們的農曆新年慶祝活動頁面，其中包含指向更多NYPL活動和資源的鏈接。

Chatham Square Library, 33 East Broadway

Lunar New Year Celebration - Chinese Papercut Workshop | 農曆新年剪紙 | 农历新年剪纸 , Wednesday, Feb. 10, 4-5 p.m., https://on.nypl.org/2YhpbTm

Lunar New Year Celebration - Music from China | 農曆新年音樂會 | 农历新年音乐会 , Wednesday, Feb. 13, noon, https://on.nypl.org/2NEgUa0

Museum of the Chinese in America

Lunar New Year Virtual Family Festival | 農曆新年虛擬家庭節 | 农历新年虚拟家庭节 , Feb. 11 - 19, various times, https://bit.ly/3q5uOAt

The Metropolitian Museum of Art

Virtual Lunar New Year Festival: The Year of the Ox | 虛擬農曆新年節：牛年 | 虚拟农历新年节：牛年, Saturday. Feb. 13, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. https://bit.ly/3sZ5xJI

Flushing Town Hall

Lunar New Year Chinese Bazaar | 農曆新年義賣市場 | 农历新年义卖市场, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2 p.m. https://bit.ly/3qQYykf

兒童新年書 |儿童新年书

Chinese New Year Colors = Chun jie de yan se = 春节的颜色 by Rich Lo

The Animals of the Chinese New Year =中国农历新年动物生肖= Zhong guo nong li xin nian dong wu sheng xiao, by Jen Sookfong Lee, translation by Kileasa Wong

Hui jia = Home for Chinese New Year : A Story told in English and Chinese. 回家 = Home for Chinese New Year : A Story told in English and Chinese / by Wei Jie and Xu Can ; translated by Yijin Wert

Nian = Nian, the new year monster. 年 = Nian, the new year monster / 著文熊亮 ; 绘图熊亮. 年 = Nian, the new year monster / 著文熊亮 ; 绘图熊亮 Xiong, Kim, 熊亮,

Zao wang ye = The Kitchen God. 灶王爷 = The Kitchen God / 著文熊亮 ; 绘图熊亮马玉. 灶王爷 = The Kitchen God / 著文熊亮 ; 绘图熊亮马玉 . Xiong, Kim, 熊亮.

Zhu gu li de kua nian yuan wang = Pig Guli's New Year's Wish / Wang Wenhua; Chen Wanling's picture. Pig's New Year's Wish / Wang Wenhua; Chen Wanling's picture. 豬古力的跨年願望 / 王文華文 ; 陳完玲圖. 豬古力的跨年願望 / 王文華文 ; 陳完玲圖 . Wang, Wenhua. 王文華.

Nian gao de gu shi = The story of nian gao / text: Kou Tian; photo: Yang Shilin; editor in chief: Zhao Zhenwan. The story of nian gao / text: Kou Tian; photo: Yang Shilin; editor: Zhao Zhenwan. 年糕的故事 / 文: 寇天 ; 图: 杨士林 ; 主编: 赵镇琬. 年糕的故事 / 文: 寇天 ; 图: 杨士林 ; 主编: 赵镇琬 . Kou, Tian, author. 寇天, author.

你属什么? (What's your Chinese Zodiac?)

農曆新年美食書 |农历新年美食书

Guo nian luo! huan xi tuan yuan zuo nian cai = 過年囉! 歡喜團圓做年菜 / 程安琪作. 過年囉! 歡喜團圓做年菜 / 程安琪作 = Happy New Year! Happy reunion to make New Year dishes / Cheng, Anqi, author. 程安琪, author.

She jian shang de xin nian = A bite of China celebrating the Chinese New Year / Chen Xiaoqing deng zhu. 舌尖上的新年 = A bite of China celebrating the Chinese New Year / 陈晓卿等著

Zhongguo nian jie yan xi : da shi jiao zuo chuang xin nian jie cai. 中国年节筵席 : 大师教做创新年节菜 / 潘东潮, 贺习耀主编. 中国年节筵席 : 大师教做创新年节菜 / 潘东潮, 贺习耀主编. Chinese New Year Feast: Master teaches creative New Year dishes / Pan Dongchao, Editor-in-Chief He Xiyao

Si shi wu wei ru kou : shi wu, ren he zi ran de guan xi = 四时五味入口 : 食物人和自然的关系 / 徐李佳, 任志莉著 ; 王克摄影. 四时五味入口 : 食物人和自然的关系 / 徐李佳, 任志莉著 ; 王克摄影 = Four Seasons and Five Flavours: The Relationship between Food, Man and Nature / by Xu Lijia, Ren Zhili; Photography by Wang Ke / Xu, Lijia, author. 徐李佳, author.

Chun fa, xia chang, qiu shou, dong cang, 240 dao yang sheng yin shi / Jian kang da jiang tang bian wei hui. 春發, 夏長, 秋收, 冬藏, 240道養生飮食 / 健康大講堂編委會. Spring hair, summer long, autumn harvest, winter storage, 240 health foods / Health Lecture Hall Editorial Board.

中菜經典 50 強 = 50 greatest hits in Cantonese home cooking / 趙素玲著. 中菜經典 50 強 = 50 greatest hits in Cantonese home cooking / 趙素玲著 Zhao, Suling, author. 趙素玲, author.

Shang hai xi fu de jia chang he yan ke cai = Shanghai wife's home cooking and banquet dishes / by Cheng Anqi = 上海媳婦的家常和宴客菜 / 程安琪著上海媳婦的家常和宴客菜 / 程安琪著 Cheng, Anqi, author. 程安琪, author.

Books and Virtual Library Events to Ring in the Year of the Ox/Bull/Cow | 新年快樂 | 새해 복 많이 받으세요 | Chúc Mừng Năm Mới

Michelle Lee, Young Adult Librarian, Riverside Library — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 13:48:34 -0500

The Summer Palace, Beijing, bronze ox statue overlooking Kunming Lake. NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 4043724.

(用中文)

This upcoming Lunar New Year on February 12 will be different from so many others in years past. Due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, all of the traditional ways of celebrating the holiday—gathering together for family reunion dinners, visiting temples and churches, meeting up with friends, and organizing/attending parades and shows—will have to be put on pause as a health precaution and for safety reasons.

We have holiday-related picture books, novels, comics, craft books and cookbooks in English, Chinese / 新年書/ 新年书, Korean / 새해 책, and Spanish/ Libros del Año Nuevo Lunar en Español. We've also compiled a list of several free virtual holiday events from our local libraries and other New York City arts organizations.

The next year will be the Year of the Ox/ Bull/Cow. The zodiac sign is characterized as hard-working, resilient, and strong. So whether you or your family plan to celebrate the Chinese New Year/the Spring Festival/春節; the Korean New Year/Seollal/설날; Vietnamese New Year/Tết Nguyên Đán; Tibetan New Year/Losar/ལོ་གསར་; or Mongolian New Year/ White Moon / TsagaanSar/Цагаан сар, we hope the holiday brings good health, good safety, and good fortune.

Please also visit our Lunar New Year celebration page with links to more NYPL Events and Resources.

Lunar New Year Virtual Library Events

Manhattan

Riverside Library, 127 Amsterdam Ave

Lunar New Year Teen & Tween Chat & Craft, Monday, Feb. 8, 3:30- 4:30 p.m., https://on.nypl.org/3sXbRS8

Chatham Square Library, 33 East Broadway

Lunar New Year Celebration - Chinese Papercut Workshop | 農曆新年剪紙, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 4-5 p.m., https://on.nypl.org/2YhpbTm

Lunar New Year Celebration - Music from China | 農曆新年音樂會, Wednesday, Feb. 13, noon, https://on.nypl.org/2NEgUa0

The Bronx

Jerome Park Library, 118 Eames Place

Virtual Art with Books: Chinese New Year!, Friday, Feb. 12, 3:3:-4:30 p.m., https://on.nypl.org/39CGbd5

Throgs Neck Library, 3025 Cross Bronx Expressway

YA Chinese New Year! Friday, Feb. 12, 3-4 p.m., https://on.nypl.org/2Yh5dbu

Other Lunar New Year Cultural Center Virtual Events

Rubin Museum, Losar Virtual Family Day, Sunday, Feb. 7, 1-4 p.m., https://bit.ly/39kVY05

Museum of the Chinese in America, Lunar New Year Virtual Family Festival, Thursday Feb. 11 to Friday, Feb. 19, various times, https://bit.ly/3q5uOAt

Lewis Latimer House Museum, Lunar New Year STEAM Sculpture Workshop, Thursday, Feb. 11, 3:30-4:30 p.m., https://bit.ly/3cd2mIL

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Virtual Lunar New Year Festival: The Year of the Ox, Saturday. Feb. 13, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. https://bit.ly/3sZ5xJI

Flushing Town Hall, Lunar New Year Chinese Bazaar, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2 p.m. https://bit.ly/3qQYykf

Lunar New Year Books in English, Chinese, Korean and Spanish | 新年書 | 新年书 | 새해 책 | Libros del Año Nuevo Lunar en Español

Picture Books and Novels for Children, Educators and Families

The Animals of the Chinese New Year =中国农历新年动物生肖= Zhong guo nong li xin nian dong wu sheng xiao, by Jen Sookfong Lee, translation by Kileasa Wong

A simple tale about the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac race is paired with adorable photos of diverse babies and toddlers in this bilingual Chinese and English board book. The audio e-book read-along portion, however, is only available in English.

Chinese New Year Colors = Chun jie de yan se = 春节的颜色 by Rich Lo

Learn the Chinese and English names of all the colors of the rainbow in this picture book. The Mandarin pronunciation of the calligraphy characters are spelled out in English, too. All of the lovely illustrations - which include a lantern, fish decorations, and a lion dancer - are significant to the holiday and their symbolism is explained in the back pages.

Nian = Nian, the new year monster. 年 = Nian, the new year monster / 著文熊亮 ; 绘图熊亮. 年 = Nian, the new year monster / 著文熊亮 ; 绘图熊亮 Xiong, Kim, 熊亮,

Zao wang ye = The Kitchen God. 灶王爷 = The Kitchen God / 著文熊亮 ; 绘图熊亮马玉. 灶王爷 = The Kitchen God / 著文熊亮 ; 绘图熊亮马玉 . Xiong, Kim, 熊亮.

你属什么? (What's your Chinese Zodiac?)

Year of the Ox, by Oliver Chin, illustrated by Jeremiah Alcorn

The ox takes center stage in this tale about friendship. It is part of an ongoing picture book series that covers all 12 Chinese zodiac animals.

¡Es el Año Nuevo Chino! by Richard Sebra

Ten Mice for Tết, by Pegi Deitz Shea and Cynthia Weill, illustrated by Tô Ngọc Trang ; embroidery by Phạm Vîét Đinh

Let's get ready for Tết and practice counting with a family of mice in this lively picture book.

New Year's Clothes for New Year's Day, by Hyun-Joo Bae

Sŏlbim : yŏja ai koun ot / Pae Hyŏn-ju kŭl, kŭrim
설빔 : 여자아이고운옷 / 배현주글·그림

Sŏlbim : Namja ai mŏtchin ot / Pae Hyŏn-ju kŭl, kŭrim
설빔 : 남자아이멋진옷 / 배현주글·그림

In this picture, we follow a little girl as she gets dressed from head to toe in special, colorful clothes for the Korean New Year or Seollal. Information in the back explains traditional holiday celebrations and provides a detailed breakdown of the symbolism of every article of clothing and accessory. The Korean language version has two books —one for a boy and one for a girl.

Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year, by Lyla Lee

It's a transitional time for eight-year-old Mindy Kim as she adjusts to the loss of her mother and a big move from California to Florida with her father. Mindy adapts to celebrating the Lunar New Year in her new home by sharing her Korean holiday traditions with her new classmates and friends.

Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen, by Debbie Michiko Florence

The Japanese New Year/正月/Shōgatsu or Oshōgatsu, was traditionally celebrated during the Lunar New Year, but the holiday now follows the Gregorian/ Western calendar. Here's a novel for children and families who want to find out more about the celebration.

Making mochi—rice cake—by hand the old-fashioned way is hard work, but eight-year-old Jasmine Toguchi wants to help her family continue the tradition in their Los Angeles home. The question is - will her relatives let her break the centuries-old superstition that girls and women cannot use the rice pounding mallet?

The Dragon Warrior and The Fallen Hero by Katie Zhao

This two-book middle grade mythology action series follows twelve- year-old Faryn Liu and her brother, Alex, as they battle demons and go on quests in various American Chinatowns.

The Twelve and The Treasures of the Twelve series by Cindy Lin

In this fantasy adventure series inspired by the Chinese zodiac animals, a girl named Usagi (rabbit in Japanese) must go to Jade Mountain with other mystical warriors to save her younger sister, Uma (tranquility or splendor in Sanskrit), from the Dragonguard. In the second book, Usagi has to find hidden ancient treasurers.

The Zodiac Legacy novels and comics by Stan Lee and Stuart Moore, novel art by Andie Tong, comics art by P.H. Marcondes

In this middle grade action/adventure novel and comic book series, superpowers connected to the 12 Chinese zodiac animals are unleashed around the world. Chinese American teenager Steven Lee has to unlock the powers of the tiger, find the other zodiac team members and fight various mercenaries and villains.

Books for Teens and Adults

Manga

Fruits Basket, by Natsuki Takaya

This much-beloved romance/fantasy manga series follows orphaned high school student Tohru Honda as she befriends and lives with the wealthy and mysterious Sohma family, whose 13 members are cursed and turn into different Chinese zodiac animals whenever they touch people of the opposite sex. This recent 12-volume collector's edition reprint covers Tohru's adventures as she learns more about the family and she tries to break the curse.

Fruits Basket Another, by Natsuki Takaya

In this three-volume follow-up to the original Fruits Basket, shy, reclusive high school girl Sawa Mitomi meets the next generation of Sohma boys. Over the course of their friendship, Sawa gains more self esteem and she uncovers hidden family secrets.

Chinese Astrology Books

The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes, 40th anniversary edition, by Theodora Lau and Laura Lau, calligraphy and illustrations by Kenneth Lau

Chinese astrology is a centuries-old practice that many people take very serious. Use this book to find out more about this ancient tradition. The information covered in this book includes profiles for all of the Lunar zodiac signs going back to 1924 and suggestions for handling relationships, finances and work.

What's Your Chinese Love Sign? by Neil Somerville

The Lunar New Year falls just two days before Valentine's Day this year. Why not take a look at your astrological sign profile and check out your love compatibility with this e-book?

Craft Books

Origami for Children: 35 Easy-to-Follow Step-by-Step Projects, by Mari Ono and Roshin Ono

Make a paper cow, a heart, a candy box and other animals and party favors with this simple origami craft book.

Origami para niños : libro y paquete de papel de origami con 35 proyectos, Mari Ono y Roshin Ono ; traducción, Geraldo di Masso Sabolo

Haz un dragón del Año Nuevo Chino = Make a Chinese New Year Dragon, by Conni Medina

Japanese Paper Flowers: Elegant Kirigami Blossoms, Bouquets, Wreaths and More, by Hiromi Yamazaki

Brighten up your house with some cut paper flowers or make a gift for a loved one. Flower crafts suitable for the Lunar New Year include plum blossoms and peonies.

Mythological Creatures and the Chinese Zodiac Origami, by John Montroll

Advanced origami fans can test their paper-folding skills and make all 12 animals from the Chinese zodiac and other mythological creatures such as the unicorn, flying horse and centaur.

Cookbooks and Food Books

Korean Home Cooking: Classic and Modern Recipes, by Sohui Kim with Rachel Wharton

New York chef Kim shows readers how to make tasty Korean side dishes, soups, stews and main dishes with this cookbook. Traditional Seollal recipes include tteok-mandu guk/ rice cake dumpling soup, japchae/glass noodles, kalbi/short rib and shikhye/ sweet rice drink.

Japanese Home Cooking: Simple Meals, Authentic Flavors, by Sonoko Sakai ; photographs by Rick Poon ; illustrations by Juliette Bellocq

This detailed book on Japanese cuisine lets readers replicate many traditional dishes at home. Recipes for the New Year include handmade soba noodles and sweet and savory ways to prepare mochi (like o-zoni - New Year's good luck soup).

Vietnamese Home Cooking, by Charles Phan

Notable San Francisco chef Phan shares simple Vietnamese recipes for soups, street food and other main dishes to make at home. Festive recipes to make for the Lunar New Year include lotus-leaf wrapped sticky rice, spring rolls and braised pork.

Chinese Soul Food: A Friendly Guide to Homemade Dumplings, Stir-fries, Soups and More and Vegetarian Chinese Soul Food: Deliciously Doable Ways to Cook Greens, Tofu and Other Plant-Based Ingredients, by Hsiao-Ching Chou

In this cookbook series, food writer Chou offers a mix of various home-style Northern Chinese dishes alongside more Americanized recipes for family meals. Celebratory recipes for the Lunar New Year in the first book include ginger-onion whole steamed fish, stir-fried rice cake and long life noodles. The second book contains recipes inspired by Buddhist temple vegetarian cuisine.

She jian shang de xin nian = A bite of China celebrating the Chinese New Year / Chen Xiaoqing deng zhu. 舌尖上的新年 = A bite of China celebrating the Chinese New Year / 陈晓卿等著

For more reading recommendations:

Books And Library Events to Ring in the Year of the Mouse by Michelle Lee

Recommendations for the Lunar New Year! by Amanda Pagan

Chinese New Year Memories by Sue Yee

Let Them Eat Cake!

Marianna Vertsman, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 09:31:22 -0500

Galette de Rois
Photo courtesy Marianna Vertsman

Throughout Europe and Latin America, the beginning of a new year is marked by the ancient tradition of celebrating the feast of Epiphany with a delicious, baked pastry. A variety of Twelfth Night or King's Day cakes are baked to celebrate the bringing of gifts by the Magi to the Christ child, 12 days after his birth.

France, Spain, England, Greece, Portugal, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the city of New Orleans all have their own unique versions of such cakes.

King and Queen, NYPL Digital Collection, Image 825434

Elements of crowning a random commoner can be traced back to ancient history, such as the tradition of appointing a king for a single day in Pagan Europe in observance of Winter Solstice.

Of such holidays, the well-known and often misunderstood Roman festival of Saturnalia, traditionally held on December 17, is commonly portrayed as a festival of license and transgression. Saturnalia was infamous for its unrestrained revelry—even the statue of Saturn, bound for the rest of the year, was unwrapped for the festivities .

This holiday's wild customs were extended to all members of society, as the mock king for the day presided over amusements of drinking and gambling—and his outrageous commands had to be obeyed by all. Deceptive appearances were in order, as people would enjoy exchanging worthless gifts with one another.

By the fourth century, traditional Roman customs were transferred to new holidays of the season. On the present-day Irish holiday of Nollaig na mBan, also known as Little Christmas or Women's Christmas, men do all the housework while women enjoy being pampered in regal fashion.

Rosca de Reyes
Photo courtesy Marianna Vertsman

Modern-day Celebrations

Current Epiphany celebrations around the world traditionally fall on January 6. In Mexico, Three Kings Day involves a festive family meal commemorating the visit of the three Kings to the newborn Jesus Christ. The traditional King's Day cake, Rosca de Reyes, is an oval, sweet bread decorated with colorful candied fruit and icing, and hiding an item you do not wish to find in your slice of cake—a tiny plastic figurine of baby Jesus. If you do find it, you're responsible for hosting the holiday of El Día de la Candelaria, or Candlemas Day.

A similar custom is observed in New Orleans and throughout parts of the Gulf Coast. From Epiphany through Mardi Gras, local bakeries produce colorful iced brioches using the traditional colors of Mardi Gras, with each purple, green, and yellow cake containing a plastic baby or trinket.

The Portuguese also make a version of King's Day cake, Bolo Rei, a ring-shaped cake mixed with port, stuffed with candied fruit, and made available throughout the Christmas season. In Portugal, the finder of a bean hidden within has to provide the next year's cake. The almond concealed within the rounds of Swiss and German sweet rolls known as Dreikönigskuchen confers kingship on the lucky finder.

The beloved French family custom of feasting on a King's Day cake is steeped in traditional rituals. The cake, the famed Galette de Rois, is a round flaky pastry filled with frangipane, a cream made from sweet almonds, butter, and eggs. Always sold with a crown, Galette de Rois contains a fève, a tiny porcelain figurine representing the nativity, a tradition since the 18th century.

With its own museum and annual collectors' fairs in Paris and Blain, fève has gradually become a treasured collectible, and an artisanal pottery fabric maker in Clamecy is the only remaining manufacturer of the valuable china tokens. Once a family is ready to cut into the Galette de Rois, the youngest family member must crawl under the table and decide how the cake is to be distributed. The lucky fève recipient is then crowned king or a queen for the day.

Taking Part in New York City

A number of French bakeries here in New York City usually offer this treat through the end of January. Financier, Maison Kayser and Cannelle all deserve recognition for their superb quality, flawless presentation, and porcelain fèves.

New York City also has its own well-established Three King's Day traditions including the communal celebration of the annual Three King's Day Parade that's been held by El Museo del Barrio for the past four decades. (While this year's parade was cancelled due to inclement weather, the tradition is scheduled to resume next year.) The parade begins at 106th Street and Lexington Avenue, and features camels, floats, and thousands of participants. Most revelers wear a crown and will probably eat their own traditional version of a King's Day cake.

If you need a cake recipe for your own private celebration, take a look at the following titles related to various international baking traditons. Please feel free to share your favorite recipe or a treasured family custom in the comments below.

The Art of French Baking by Ginette Mathiot

The Art of French Pastry by Jacquy Pfeiffer with Martha Rose Shulman

Danish Cooking and Baking Traditions by Arthur L. Meye

Baking Chez Moi: Recipes from my Paris home to Your Home Anywhere by Dorie Greenspan

Pâtisserie Gluten Free: The Art of French Pastry: Cookies, Tarts, Cakes and Puff Pastries by Patricia Austin

New Orleans Chef's Table : Extraordinary Recipes from the French Quarter to the Garden District by Lorin Gaudin

Dulce: Desserts in the Latin-American Tradition by Joseluis Flores and Laura Zimmerman Maye

Spain: The Cookbook by Simone and Inés Ortega

Pastry: A Master Class for Everyone, in 150 photos and 50 recipes by Richard Bertinet

Un año de dulces by Alma Obregón

Pastelería / recetas de Marianne Magnier-Moreno

BakeClass by Anneka Manning

Have Your Cake and Eat It by Mich Turner

Cake, I Love You by Jill O'Connor

Baker's Royale: 75 Twists on All Your Favorite Sweets by Naomi Robinson

Lomelino's Pies: A Sweet Celebration of Pies, Galettes, and Tarts by Linda Lomelino

Curing the Winter Blues: Graphic Novels and Cookies

Samantha Simoes, Specialist II, School Outreach — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 13:16:44 -0500

What is one to do when s/he has the winter blues? Read graphic novels and bake cookies, of course! Whether your interest is only to read stand-alone books or to finish a series once you’ve started, here is a collaborative list of books and treats to get you through the season.

Graphic Novels

Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Three, Vol. 1 by Tom Taylor

Superman is finally content; he is married to the love of his life and they have a baby on the way. Until it is taken from him, making him into the villain we all knew he could be. This series includes all members of the DC universe as they all take either Batman or Superman's side in the fight.

Best paired with: double dark chocolate chip cookies

Descender Vol. 1: Tin Stars by Jeff Lemire

Young Robot boy TIM-21, a human companion robot, and his companions struggle to stay alive in a universe where all androids have been outlawed and bounty hunters working to scrap their parts and eliminate all robots lurk on every planet.

Best paired with: ginger apricot vanilla cookies

Mystery Girl Vol. 1 by Paul Tobin

Trine Hampstead knows everything. She can tell you where to find your keys. She can tell you if your significant other is cheating on you. She can even tell you the coordinates of where to find your dog's missing toy. Although she may have knowledge of things many may kill her for, she can’t recall the mystery of how she acquired these powers.

Bested paired with: white chocolate cappuccino cookies

Young Adult Graphic Novels

Lumberjanes Vol. 1: Beware The Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson

The perfect antidote to anyone craving summer. At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem: three-eyed foxes, killer snow monsters, secret caves, creatures that live around the camp. Luckily, the gals of the Roanoke cabin are determined to have an awesome summer, and nothing will stand in their way.

Best paired with: s'mores

Papergirls Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan

Read this alone because Brian K. Vaughan never seems to disappoint, and paired with Cliff Chiang’s beautiful illustrations, this new series is not to be missed. In the early hours of Halloween of 1988, four teen girls go about their paper route when they realized that something strange and possibly alien may have invaded their town.

Best paired with: birthday cake snowballs

Gotham Academy Vol. 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy by Becky Cloonan and Brian Fletcher

Welcome to Gotham Academy, the most prestigious school in Gotham City. Here you will follow protagonist Olive Sliverlock, an exceptional student who, after this past summer, has a bad case of amnesi, an even worse attitude and a new unexplained fear of bats.

Olive and her friends uncover the mysteries of the school and some of them are more terrifying than they imagined.

Best paired with: lemon-glazed candied-ginger cookies

Children’s Graphic Novels

Princeless Vol.1: Save Yourself by Jeremy Whitley

Adrienne Ashe never wanted to be a princess. She hates elaborate dinners, is uncomfortable in fancy complex dresses, and has never wanted to wait on someone else to save her.

However, on the night of her 16th birthday, her parents, the King and Queen, send her into a deep slumber and lock her away in a tower guarded by a dragon to await the rescue of some prince. Little do the King and Queen know she has befriended the dragon guarding her and intends to save herself.

Best paired with: chocolate chipotle cookies

Compass South by Hope Larson

A fast-paced adventure that follows twins Cleopatra and Alexander as they go on a journey with the bad black book gang in hopes to find their father. Little do they know, they may be in for more than they bargained for.

Best paired with: oatmeal cherry walnut cookies

Snow White by Matt Phelan

Tired of reading books in series? This one is for you! Told primarily through beautiful black and white illustrations, the classic story of Snow White (in this story she is Samantha White) that takes place during the 1920’s in New York City. The evil stepmother is actually Ziegfeld star with the mafia out tracking poor Snow White.

Best paired with: glazed apple cookies

Happy National Cookie (Lit) Day!

Elizabeth Waters, AskNYPL — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 09:00:58 -0500

If you think of baked goods and literature, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Proust’s madeleine? Bilbo’s seed cake? Last year, we decided to get creative and bake cookies with a literary twist for National Cookie Day on December 4. We had so much fun baking and eating the cookies that we thought we'd do another round of #CookieLit this year. We hope you’ll enjoy these literary cookies and share your own #CookieLit ideas.

For a fun bit of "cookie lit" check out Cookie Monster's homage to "This Is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams on Twitter. Happy National Cookie (Lit) Day!

Thanks to all the bakers at Mid-Manhattan Library, thanks to Billy Parrot for cookie lit ideas, and many thanks to Arieh Ress for the fabulous cookie lit photos!

Want to bake your own? Check out our Cookie Lit 2016 Recipes.

Ghost Chili Chocolate Chip Cookies baked by Ari Ress

“A book is a loaded gun in the house next door...Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man?”—Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

These ghost pepper chocolate chip cookies look like the traditional favorites, but they finish with a pleasurable burn. The original recipe included red food dye as a heat warning, but Ari opted for a more natural look.

Farm Animal Sugar Cookies baked by Jessica Cline

“Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers.” —George Orwell, Animal Farm

Horses, sheep, and PIGS! We think all of these iced animal cookies are equally cute, but you might decide that some animal cookies are cuter than others.

George Sand Dollars baked by Liz Baldwin

“Life resembles a novel more often than novels resemble life.” —George Sand, Métella

These crisp sugar cookie sand dollars topped with almond slivers resemble the original quite closely. George Sand wrote that “the truth is too simple: one must always get there by a complicated route.” Clearly, there were no reliable cookie mixes in the 19th century. Liz used one as the base for these beauties.

Canadian Maple Cookies baked by Jessica Jackson

““It’s just life. You can’t beat life.”—Alice Munro, “The Bear Came Over the Mountain”

There is so much great Canadian literature to enjoy, and like Canadians, it is incredibly diverse. But these simple cookies made with real maple syrup are the perfect accompaniment to any Canadian book you choose!

Lemon Honey Chamomile Cookies baked by Susen Shi

“It seemed like a nice neighborhood to have bad habits in.”—Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep

We love Philip Marlowe’s drinking and smoking on page and screen, but in real life, you might sleep better if you partake of these sleepytime inspired cookies with some herbal tea as you enjoy the exploits of Chandler’s great hardboiled hero.

Hermits baked by Elizabeth Waters

“This is my letter to the world / That never wrote to me.” —Emily Dickinson

Perhaps Massachusetts poet Emily Dickinson enjoyed these classic spicy New England bar cookies while reading or writing in seclusion. We think these hearty hermit bars would cheer the day of any literary recluse, real or fictional. (Note to Miss Havisham: Hermits keep longer than wedding cake.)

Apple Drop Cookies baked by Melissa Scheurer

“But John Chapman told us he didnt eat meat cause he couldnt stand for somethin livin to be killed jest to keep him alive.” —Tracy Chevalier, At the Edge of the Orchard

We think John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed, would love these apple drop cookies Melissa baked with fruit she picked at a local orchard.

Caribbean Coconut Mango Cookies baked by Alison Quammie

“What's poetry, if it's worth its salt,/ but a phrase men can pass from hand to mouth?” —Derek Walcott, “Forest of Europe”

This delicately simple recipe, and ever so refreshing, lures one into the archipelago of lush green Caribbean isles. Enjoy these cookies while listening to a podcast of Nobel laureate Derek Walcott speaking about Hemingway and the Caribbean at LIVE from the NYPL, or while reading your favorite Caribbean author.

Beet Chocolate Chip Cookies baked by Elizabeth Waters

“I saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and I could do anything I wanted.” —Jack Kerouac, Dharma Bums

We recommend these unorthodox chocolate chip cookies made with healthy fresh beets to accompany a reading of On the Road, Howl, and other beat classics. We’re not sure that any cookies are a good pairing with Naked Lunch, however, unless maybe they all are... East Villager Alan Ginsberg would probably have liked the borscht I made with the leftover beets.

Any more literary cookies to suggest? We'd love to see them! If you're looking for recipe ideas, check out a cookie cookbook. The lit part is up to you. If anyone has a great cookie recipe with 22 ingredients to pair with Joseph Heller's Catch-22, do share.

Please comment below, share your #CookieLit ideas on our Facebook page, tweet them to us @midmanhattanlib, or tag us in your Instagram photos @MidManhattanLibrary.

Don't forget to use the hashtag #CookieLit when you do!

Recipes from the Reluctant Camper

Lauren Lampasone, Senior Librarian, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 13:26:56 -0400

Car camping, from the "The Pageant of America" Collection. Image ID: 101826

Summer is in full swing. Maybe you've taken a cruise, a roadtrip, a European jaunt or a trip to the beach, but summer would not be complete without a night spent with only a thin layer of nylon separating you from the starry sky and the cool night air... am I right?

No?! Well to be honest, I haven't always felt that way. I am a reluctant camper. If you are too, all you need is a patient (and preferably more camping-experienced) friend or family member and maybe a few books from the library to get you started.

Camping Gadgets. Image ID: 1135454

Cooking and enjoying food is probably my favorite hobby, so it is exciting for me to have the opportunity to expand my repertoire to the fire pit once in a while. On my last trip I was really happy to have found Campfire Cookery: Adventuresome Recipes & Other Curiosities for the Great Outdoors. While the writing style is a little twee, the suggested meals go way beyond the standard hot dog and marshmallow fare. I ended up making lemon curd (for breakfast with English muffins) and garlic aïoli (for smothering some flame broiled sardines in a baguette) based on recipes in the book.

To be clear, I prepared most of these recipes before I left for the great outdoors. They all keep wonderfully in a cooler for a few days; maybe I will try something more adventurous next time.

Lemon Curd

(adapted from Campfire Cookery by Sarah Huck and Jaimee Young)

1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1/4 C sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup lemon juice (from those 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)

Whisk egg and yolk, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Whisk in the lemon juice and drop in the butter pieces. Put the saucepan over low heat and stir constantly with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon. Keep stirring until it is thick enough to pile up when pushed to the side, 10-15 minutes. Don't let it get hot enough to bubble, if it does take it off the heat and stir vigorously.

When it's nice and thickened, push it through a sieve into a bowl containing the lemon zest. Stir it all together. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming; once it cools transfer it to a jar and chill in the fridge for a few hours.

(Note: This is halved from what is in the book, and there are also tangerine and grapefruit variations available there.)

Bast's Grilled Sardines & Lemon Aïoli Tartine

(adapted from Campfire Cookery by Sarah Huck and Jaimee Young)

1 egg yolk at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice at room temp
1/2 cup olive oil at room temp
1 chopped garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon (or 1/2 lemon's worth) lemon zest
pinch of kosher salt

Whisk together the yolk, salt, and lemon juice; drizzle in a steady thread of oil. If you've made mayonnaise before you know not to add the oil too fast and to stir like crazy. Your arm should end up hurting really bad. Or you can use a food processor and drizzle the oil in through the top. Your call. It's either more dishes to clean or tired arm muscles, as I've discovered. Anyway, continue until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture is thick. Mix in the zest, garlic and salt. Cover and send to the fridge.

You can use fresh sardines (get the book to read the instructions on that) or just use canned (when you're really hungry after a long day of hiking I don't think it matters). Heat them up on a piece of foil on the grill top over the fire. Toast the bread too. Put it all together with the aïoli and enjoy—even your mayonnaise-hating friend will love it. Sardines are brain food!

I don't know why, but browsing the energy bar aisle in the grocery store always makes me tired and depressed. So I decided to make my own granola bars (from How to Cook Everything) for hiking with leftover granola (from Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys: Recipes, Strategies, and Survival Techniques.) They turned out very sweet but also powerful enough to get me up a small mountain and back.

No-Bake Granola Bars

(adapted from Mark Bittman's recipe, see below)

1 1/2 cups dried fruit (I used apricots and dates and a few prunes)
1/4 cup neutral oil, like grapeseed
3 cups granola (next time I'll use less, they were a bit crumbly)

Put the dried fruit and oil in a food processor and purée until smooth, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides if necessary. (Add small amounts of water if the fruit is dried out and not processing.) Transfer to a small pot and bring to a boil. Put the granola in a large bowl and combine with the fruit mixture; stir until the granola is well coated. Press into an 8- or 9-inch square pan and let cool in the fridge. Cut into squares or rectangles and separate with that press-and-seal type plastic wrap.

For variations on this, including versions without fruit or with nut butter, see How to Cook Everything or the full recipe on nytimes.com.

Hiking and Camping

Camping in Comfort: A Guide to Roughing It with Ease and Style by Lynn Haney
A guide to outdoor gear that actually makes a reluctant camper excited about all the STUFF she can acquire to be more comfy! But the emphasis here is really on making the right decisions based on your needs and camping comfort level. It includes information on tents, sleeping gear, clothing, and cooking supplies. It also offers details on public and private campgrounds, luxury camping resorts, backpacking, bicycle camping, kayak camping, and RV camping, so it is great for experienced campers and newbies alike.

Under the Stars: How America Fell in Love With Camping By Dan White (2016)
The Green Guide To Low-Impact Hiking And Camping by Laura and Guy Waterman; foreword by Bill McKibben (2016)
Fifty Places To Camp Before You Die: Camping Experts Share The World's Greatest Destinations by Chris Santella; foreword by Mike Harrelson (2016)
Basic Illustrated Camping by Cliff Jacobson; illustrations by Lon Levin (2015)
Hiking The Road To Ruins: Daytrips And Camping Adventures To Iron Mines, Old Military Sites, And Things Abandoned In The New York City Area—And Beyond by David A. Steinberg (2015)
Camping's Top Secrets: A Lexicon Of Expert Camping Tips by Cliff Jacobson (2013)
Best Tent Camping, New York State: Your Car-camping Guide To Scenic Beauty, The Sounds Of Nature, And An Escape From Civilization by Catharine Starmer, Aaron Starmer, Timothy Starmer (2013)
Camping New York: A Comprehensive Guide To Public Tent And RV Campgrounds by Ben Keene (2013)

Cooking Outdoors

The Scout's Outdoor Cookbook by Christine & Tim Conners
This book was written by and for scouts, as in, girl and boy scouts and their leaders. But even scouting drop-outs like me can use it to learn about cooking techniques and times, and how to best cook for a crowd when you do not have any of the conveniences of an indoor kitchen. "Each recipe includes number of servings, a difficulty rating, a list of required equipment, and a handy icon to let the reader see the cooking method (dutch oven, skillet, etc.) at a glance." Very handy.

The Complete Book Of Outdoor Cookery by James Beard and Helen Evans Brown (2015)
The Picnic: Recipes And Inspiration From Basket To Blanket by Marnie Hanel, Andrea Slonecker, and Jen Stevenson (2014)
Campfire Cookery: Adventuresome Recipes & Other Curiosities for the Great Outdoors by Sarah Huck (2011)
The New Trailside Cookbook: 100 Delicious Recipes For The Camp Chef by Kevin Callan & Margaret Howard (2013)
Cooking The Dutch Oven Way by by Woody Woodruff (2013)
The Wilderness Guide To Dutch Oven Cooking by Kate Rowinski; photography by Jim Rowinski (2012)
NOLS Cookery edited by Claudia Pearson; illustrations by Mike Clelland (2012)
Food Safety While Hiking, Camping & Boating (2011)
The Curmudgeon's Book of Skillet Cooking: More Than 101 Easy Recipes for Jackleg Cooks, One-Armed Chefs, and Practical Housewives by A. D. Livingston (2011)
Campfire Cuisine: Gourmet Recipes for the Great Outdoors by Robin Donovan (2006)
Backpack Gourmet: Good Hot Grub You Can Make at Home, Dehydrate, and Pack For Quick, Easy, and Healthy Eating On The Trail by Linda Frederick Yaffe (2002)
The Portable Baker: Baking on Boat and Trail by Jean Spangenberg (1997)

For more inspiration as far as places to head out to, check out Kerri Wallace's posts on hiking spots near NYC and the Finger Lakes, and Sherri Liberman's postcard from Maine. Where do you like to camp? More importantly, what do you like to cook there?

Related subject headings:

Camping out, Lake George, N.Y. Image ID: G91F121_033F

A Super Bowl of Snacks: Books for Making Football Food

Lauren Lampasone, Senior Librarian, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 17:33:04 -0500

Chips, nachos, guacamole, Chex Mix, hot wings, potato skins, cheese dip, bean dip, 6-foot subs, sloppy joes, chili dogs... should I go on?

Some people are there for the game, some people for the commercials, but the rest of us are really just there for the food. The library is here to inspire in many ways, including the production of game day snacks. Huddle your team together, and hut hut hike! these into your mouth.

Betty Crocker 20 Best Snack Mix Recipes

It's not a party without party mix. Salty or sweet, it's going to be crunchy and delicious. You'll never bother with store-bought again. (Available as an e-book)

Chips by Chris Bryant

How to make homemade chips from fruits, cheese, meat, tortillas, and vegetables by drying, frying, and baking. Your friends will be very impressed!

Classic Snacks Made From Scratch: 70 Homemade Versions Of Your Favorite Brand-name Treats by Casey Barber

French Onion Dip, Funyuns, Cheez-its, Pizza Rolls, and Klondike Bars all sound like pretty standard game-day treats, but what if you could make them yourself? This book will tell you all the proprietary snack secrets.

Fan Fare: A Playbook Of Great Recipes For Tailgating Or Watching The Game At Home by Debbie Moose

"All fervent sports fans know, the day truly is won or lost in the tailgate." Don't be a loser. Serve a solid meal to your fans and they will sport your colors all year long. Maybe offer a bowl of soup, beans or chili? (Available as an e-book)

Football Food by Kellie Lawless and Maili Brocke

Over 200 easy-to-prepare recipes, from filling comfort foods to snacks to beverages that go "beyond beer." Our copy is in the research collection and not available to check out, but we know the lengths you will go to in researching your fantasy team. Why not put the same effort into meal planning?

Football Party Recipes: Delicious Ideas For The Big Event by Katrina Jorgensen

Get the next generation in on the game. It's never too early to strap on the cleats and the appropriate kitchen headgear (ski goggles are great for chopping onions). Get the kids excited about cooking for friends and family, and excited about cleaning up too. (Baby steps.) From Sports Illustrated Kids.

Inspired Bites: Unexpected Ideas For Entertaining From Pinch Food Design by TJ Girard and Bob Spiegel with Casey Barber

If your idea of a great sports event involves molecular gastronomy, this is the cookbook for you. Pass the deconstructed Buffalo wings! (Available as an e-book)

Martha Stewart's Appetizers: 200 Recipes For Dips, Spreads, Snacks, Small Plates, And Other Delicious Hors D'oeuvres, Plus 30 Cocktails

Martha can do it all, and appetizers are no exception. Bite-sized foods are not only adorable, they are an important game-day strategy to circumvent any double-dippers who might have invited themselves over. (Available as an e-book)

Pimento Cheese, The Cookbook: 50 Recipes From Snacks To Main Dishes Inspired by The Classic Southern Favorite by Perre Coleman Magness

The definitive tome on this distinctively southern stuff. But I suppose your decision to serve it might be based on your team affiliation this year. Whatever happens: Carolina wins the spicy cheese game.

Salty Snacks: Make Your Own Chips, Crisps, Crackers, Pretzels, Dips, And Other Savory Bites by Cynthia Nims; Photography by Jennifer Martiné

If you have a salty tooth, you know the importance of salted crunchy snacks at parties and gatherings. Consider that if you make chips and crackers yourself, you can adjust the seasoning to your liking. You can make a concerted effort to decrease your sodium consumption... or you can turn these up to eleven. (Available as an e-book)

The Southern Tailgating Cookbook: A Game-day Guide For Lovers Of Food, Football, And The South by Taylor Mathis

This book has traditional southern recipes for serving before and during sports games. Again, not taking sides. I'll just leave this here.

The Sriracha Cookbook: 50 "Rooster Sauce" Recipes That Pack a Punch and The Veggie-lover's Sriracha Cookbook: 50 Vegan "Rooster Sauce" Recipes That Pack a Punch by Randy Clemens; Photography by Leo Gong

To taste it is to love it. You could just put Sriracha on everything, or you could take some more nuanced pointers from either one of these books. (Available as an e-book)

The Tailgating Cookbook: Recipes For The Big Game by Bob Sloan

Recipes and how-tos as well as tailgating etiquette. (Available as an e-book)

The Wholesome Junk Food Cookbook: More Than 100 Healthy Recipes For Everyday Snacking by Laura Trice

Snacking doesn't have to be bad for you. Why not offer granola and smoothies at your party?

What Can I Bring? Cookbook by Anne Byrn

Potluck party? Know just what to bring and how to bring it (and heat it up again), with this book. Your host or hostess will thank you. (Available as an e-book)

Which snacks are you cheering for this year? Please share in the comments.

Around the World in 80 Cookbooks

Marianna Vertsman, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 11:55:18 -0500

The idea for this list of cookbooks arranged by a country was inspired by an event that takes place at a local elementary public school. During an annual International Night students, teachers and administrators celebrate diverse student body by serving dishes prepared by student's parents . For a number of years , I was a participant, occasionally cooking and always sampling scrumptious and exotic dishes from Hungary, Morocco, Ireland, Malta, Albania, Nigeria , and a great number of other countries.

If you are bored with cooking the same few dishes , or wish to challenge yourself, you can use this list of cookbooks from twenty five countries.

The presence or absence of a particular country is determined by current availably of reading materials that can be borrowed . While I would have loved to include cookbooks from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Russia, Hungary, Australia, Dominican Republic, Columbia, Argentina and South Africa, and a few other countries, the following list will keep any aspiring cook occupied, until such books became easily available. For an excellent guide to regional cuisine and general food and travel titles please see the The Ticketless Traveler: Food and Cooking Edition.

Spain

Spain: Recipes and Traditions from the Verdant Hills of the Basque Country to the Coastal Waters of Andalusia / Jeff Koehler

The Cuisines Of Spain: Exploring Regional Home Cooking / Teresa Barrenechea

Tapas: Sensational Small Plates From Spain / by Joyce Goldstein

Portugal, Azores, Madeira

Authentic Portuguese cooking: 185 classic Mediterranean-style recipes of the Azores, Madeira and continental Portugal

The New Portuguese Table: Exciting Flavors from Europe's Western Coast / David Leite ; photographs by Nuno

Greece

Ikaria: Lessons On Food, Life, And Longevity From The Greek Island Where People Forget To Die / Diane Kochilas

The Islands Of Greece: Recipes From Across The Greek Seas / Rebecca Seal

Kokkari: Contemporary Greek Flavors / by Erik Cosselmon and Janet Fletcher

The Philosopher's Kitchen: Recipes From Ancient Greece And Rome For The Modern Cook / Francine Segan

Italy

Nigellissima: Easy Italian-inspired Recipes / Nigella Lawson

Saveur Italian Comfort Food / the editors of Saveur ; editor-in-chief, Adam Sachs

Lidia's Mastering The Art Of Italian Cuisine: Everything You Need To Know To Be A Great Italian Cook / Lidia Mattichio Bastianich

Patsy's Italian Family Cookbook / Sal J. Scognamillo

Sweden

Traditional Swedish cooking / Caroline Hofberg ; translation by Monika Romare

Swedish Breads and Pastries / Jan Hedh ; photography by Klas Andersson

Under The Walnut Tree / Anna Bergenström, Fanny Bergenström ; translated by Susanne Lomander

Iceland

North: The New Nordic Cuisine of Iceland / Gunnar Karl Gíslason and Jody Eddy

France

La Bonne Cuisine De Madame E. Saint-ange: The Original Companion For French Home Cooking

French Comfort Food / Hillary Davis ; photographs by Steven Rothfeld

Bistronomy: Recipes From The Best New Paris Bistros / Jane Sigal

In A French Kitchen: Tales And Traditions Of Everyday Home Cooking In France / Susan Herrmann Loomis

Great Britain

Jamie Oliver's Great Britain / photography by "Lord" David Loftus

Taste: The Story of Britain Through Its Cooking / Kate Colquhoun

Roast: A Very British Cookbook / Marcus Verberne

Tom Kerridge's Proper Pub Food / by Tom Kerridge

Cooking With The Two Fat Ladies / by Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright

Ireland

Irish Country Cooking: More Than 100 Recipes for Today's Table / the Irish Countrywomen's Association

Clodagh's Irish Kitchen / Clodagh McKenna

Kevin Dundon's Modern Irish Food: More Than 100 Recipes for Easy Comfort Food

India

Easy Indian Cookbook: The Step-by-step Guide To Deliciously Easy Indian Food At Home / Manju Malh

Vegan Indian Cooking: 140 Simple And Healthy Vegan Recipes / Anupy Singla

Vegetarian India: A Journey Through The Best Of Indian Home Cooking / Madhur Jaffrey

Made In India: Recipes From An Indian Family Kitchen / Meera Sodha

Peru

Lima the cookbook: Peruvian Home Cooking / Virgilio Martinez & Luciana Bianch

The Fire of Peru: Recipes and Stories from My Peruvian Kitchen / Ricardo Zarate & Jenn Garbee

The Everything Peruvian Cookbook / Morena Cuadra and Morena Escardó

Primicias de Cocina Peruana / Rodolfo Hinostroza

Jamaica

Lucinda's Authentic Jamaican Kitchen / Lucinda Scala Quinn

Jerk from Jamaica: Barbecue Caribbean Style / Helen Willinsky

Puerto Rico

Cocina Tropical: The Classic & Contemporary Flavors Of Puerto Rico / Jose Santaella

Puerto Rican Cuisine In America: Nuyorican And Bodega Recipes / Oswald Rivera

Puerto Rico, Sabor Criollo / Wilo Benet

Cuba

The Cuban Table: A Celebration Of Food, Flavors, And History / Ana Sofia Pelaez

A Taste Of Old Cuba: More Than 150 Recipes For Delicious, Authentic, And Traditional Dishes Highlighted With Reflections And Reminiscenses / Maria Josefa Lluria de O'Higgins

A Taste Of Cuba / Beatriz Llamas

Mexico

Cantina: Recipes from a Mexican Kitchen / Paul Wilson

The Best Mexican Recipes: Kitchen-Tested Recipes Put the Real Flavors of Mexico Within Reach / by the editors at America's Test Kitchen

The Art of Mexican Cooking: Traditional Mexican Cooking for Aficionados / Diana Kennedy

Brazil

Brazilian Food / by Thiago Castanho & Luciana Bianchi

The Brazilian Kitchen: 100 Classic And Contemporary Recipes For The Home Cook / Leticia Moreinos Schwartz

Cooking the Brazilian Way: Culturally Authentic Foods Including Low-Fat and Vegetarian Recipes / by Alison Behnke and Karin L. Duro

Morocco

Morocco: A Culinary Journey With Recipes From The Spice-scented Markets Of Marrakech To The Date-filled Oasis Of Zagora

Mourad: New Moroccan / Mourad Lahlou ; With Susie Heller, Steve Siegelman, And Amy Vogler

Postcards From Marrakesh: Recipes From The Heart Of Morocco / Andy Harris ; photography by David Loftus

A Month In Marrakesh: Recipes From The Heart Of Morocco / text by Andy Harris

Lebanon

Rose Water And Orange Blossoms: Fresh & Classic Recipes From My Lebanese Kitchen / by Maureen Abood

The Lebanese Kitchen / Salma Hage

Turkey

Essential Turkish Cuisine / Engin Akin ; photography by Helen Cathcart

Turkey: More Than 100 Recipes With Tales From The Road / Leanne Kitchen

Senegal

Senegal: Modern Senegalese Recipes From The Source To The Bowl /Pierre Thiam

Yolele! Recipes From The Heart Of Senegal / by Pierre Thiam ; photography by Adam Bartos

Korea

Maangchi's Real Korean Cooking: Authentic Dishes For The Home Cook / Maangchi with Lauren Chattman

The Kimchi Chronicles: Korean Cooking For An American Kitchen / Marja Vongerichten

The Korean Table: From Barbecue To Bibimbap: 100 Easy-to-prepare Recipes / Taekyung Chung and Debra Samuels

Japan

Donabe: Classic And Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking / Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle Connaughton

Japanese Soul Cooking: Ramen, Tonkatsu, Tempura, And More From The Streets And Kitchens Of Tokyo And Beyond / Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat

Hiroko's American Kitchen: Cooking With Japanese Flavors / Hiroko Shimbo

Thailand

True Thai: Real Flavors for Every Table / Hong Thaimee

Nong's Thai Kitchen: 84 Classic Recipes That are Quick, Healthy and Delicious / Nongkran Daks

New Thai Food: Recipes for Home / Martin Boetz

Simple Thai Food: Classic Recipes From the Thai Home Kitchen / Leela Punyaratabandhu

Vietnam

The Banh Mi Handbook: Recipes For Crazy-delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches / Andrea Quynhgiao Nguyen

The Slanted Door: Modern Vietnamese Food / Charles Phan with Janny Hu

Eating Vịêt Nam: Dispatches From A Blue Plastic Table / Graham Holliday

China

Phoenix Claws And Jade Trees: Essential Techniques Of Authentic Chinese Cooking / Kian Lam Kho

Chinatown Kitchen: From Noodles To Nuoc Cham: Delicious Dishes From Southeast Asian Ingredients / Lizzie Mabbott

Every Grain Of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking / Fuchsia Dunlop

The Food Of Taiwan: Recipes From The Beautiful Island / Cathy Erway ; photography by Pete Lee

Happy National Popcorn Day!

NYPL Staff — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 10:23:18 -0500

January 19 is National Popcorn Day! Celebrate with these recipes ranging from the basic to the advanced. Whether you prefer savory, sweet, spicy or some other combination, you can make these at home or head to one of the great popcorn spots New York City has to offer.

Make it

Let’s start off easy: This basic recipe will serve as the basis for the rest.

Basic popcorn on the stove

3 Tbsp high smoke point oil such as coconut, peanut, or canola oil
1/3 cup of high quality popcorn kernels
1 3-quart covered saucepan or pot
1 Tbsp or more (to taste) of butter (optional)
Salt or other topping to taste

Heat oil in a 3-quart saucepan or pot on medium high heat, tilting it until oil coats entire bottom of pot.
Add 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into hot oil and cover pot.
When the kernels pop, add rest of popcorn in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds.
Return pot to heat. Popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once popping starts in earnest, gently shake pot back and forth over the burner.

When you heat the oil to popping temperature first and then add the popcorn, the oil temperature actually drops a bit. Giving it 30 seconds off the heat gives the kernels a chance to heat up to the temperature of the oil. Soon after being returned to the heat the popcorn should pop quickly.

Tips: If you keep the pot-lid slightly askew it will allow steam to vent and you’ll get crispier, fluffier popcorn. There are stove-top popcorn poppers that work quite well, usually with a hand crank that turns a stirring mechanism inside the pot. You may use the above recipe in these as well, though you may reduce some of the oil if you do.

Ari’s Firecorn

I’ve been making this for over a decade, usually using a hot sauce named Endor phin Rush, but lately experimenting with others. It will work with any hot sauce though I recommend not using sauces that are highly liquid and vinegary.

The recipe is the same as above, but during that 30 seconds off the heat add a few drops of the hot sauce of your choice, slap the lid on (it will splatter, so be careful!) and shake it up. I use very hot sauces so it only takes a few drops and doesn’t change the basic formula of the recipe. Torchbearer’s sauce The Rapture works very well and has an excellent flavor.

Popcorn Balls

If you want to add another dimension to your popcorn game, try this simple recipe for popcorn balls:

What you’ll need:

9 cups plain popped popcorn
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

What to do:

Coat a large glass bowl with butter, vegetable oil, or cooking spray and place popcorn in the bowl.
Place sugar, corn syrup, water, vinegar, and salt in a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Place over high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Bring to a boil, cook until mixture registers 260°F on a candy/fat thermometer, about 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla until melted and smooth.
Immediately drizzle sugar mixture over popcorn while stirring continuously with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom of the bowl. Popcorn should be thoroughly coated and cool enough to handle after about 3 minutes of stirring.
Using buttered or oiled hands, tightly press mixture into 3-inch rounds. Place on waxed or parchment paper to cool, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Like spicy, sweet, salty and crunchy snacks? Try the recipe above with some Firecorn! Add extra hot sauce since butter cancels out a bit of the capsicum.

Munch & Read

Want more tasty popcorn fun in your life? Check these books out from the New York Public Library!

Popcorn Plants by Kathleen V. Kudlinski

Want to know more about popcorn? This book will tell you all you want to know, from planting to popping!

Eat Your Science Homework: Recipes for Inquiring Minds by Ann McCallum

Science and cooking come together in this fascinating and fun cookbook! Check out their Atomic popcorn Balls.

Popped culture: a social history of popcorn in America by Andrew F. Smith - Reference Item

Learn more about the aspects of popcorn culture, from the early history to producing and marketing, to popularity over time.

Popcorn: poems by James Stevenson

Grab the kids and a big bowl of popcorn and settle down to this book of fun poetry.

Buy it

Though not the "Popcorn Capital of the World” (that honor is claimed by Ridgeway, Illinois; Valpaaiso, Indiana; Van Buren, Indiana; Schaller, Iowa; Marion, Ohio; and North Loup, Nebraska... talk about competition!) New York has some pretty decent popcorn locales to check out. Here's a short list of some gourmet popcorn sellers in NYC.

Garrett Popcorn
242 West 34th Street
Hailing from Chicago, this company has grown into an international popcorn powerhouse. Many of their flavors incorporate nuts, adding an additional textural element to the corn.

Pop Karma
95 Orchard Street
Their website boast sustainably grown high quality ingredients, but the seasonal flavors are the really impressive thing. Past flavors include imaginative pairings like Bacon Apple Bourbon Caramel, masala and even pickle popcorn!

Brooklyn POPCORN Food Truck pops up tins of crunchy goodness ranging from the sweet (several chocolate offerings along with the more exotic Coconut Caramel), the spicy (Cajun anyone?) and several city inspired mixes as well. Want to see if they are nearby for a quick popcorn fix? Just check their tracking page.

Online: Kettle Corn NYC
In addition to their online shop, Kettle Corn NYC runs stands at NYC street festivals all summer long. Keep an eye on their schedule.

Get Crafty!

As delicious as popcorn is to eat it can also be used to decorate with (popcorn garland anyone?)

Here are two of my favorite ways to use popcorn as a decoration tool.

Use popcorn kernels to fill in empty space for your fall centerpiece.
Unpopped kernels are perfect for stuffing for homemade dolls or beanbags. Draw out your design on a piece of cloth and sew the edges 90% closed. Fill it with popcorn and sew the rest.
The kernels are handy as a medium for holding pencils, pens and makeup brushes. Just fill an empty mason jar or decorated ith unpopped kernels and stick the handles in.
Popcorn Snowmen - Decorate plastic cups or bags like snowmen (or your favorite superheroes) and fill with popped popcorn.

Plus if you're like me and buy or receive gifts in the form of the popcorn tins, don’t throw them away. They make great mini trash cans, storage containers etc.

Have a favorite popcorn topping, recipe or craft?
Try any of these recipes or suggestions?
Let us know in the comments!

Written by Genee Bright and Arieh Ress

Bake Like New York's Best Bakeries!

Melissa DeWild — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:25:03 -0500

Buttery croissants, lusciously frosted cupcakes, chocolate studded brownies, fresh fruit pies, crusty artisan bread...there is so much deliciousness on display in New York City bakery windows. If you've ever thought about trying to replicate these sweet or savory treats, check out the cookbooks from these famous NYC bakeries!

Hungry for more? See also: Cooking New York Restaurant Recipes at home.

15 Smoothie Recipe Books

Lilian Calix — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 11:44:16 -0500

I love a refreshing smoothie. Here are some titles with smoothie recipe recommendations:

Juices & Smoothies: Sensational Recipes To Make In Your Blender
Smoothies: Healthy Shakes & Blends by Tracy Rutherford
Skinny Smoothies: 101 Delicious Drinks That Help You Detox And Lose Weight by Shell Harris and Elizabeth Johnson
Smoothies For Better Health 100 Nutrient-packed Drinks To Boost Your Energy And Supercharge Your Immune System by Ellen Brown
The Green Smoothie Prescription: A Complete Guide To Total Health by Victoria Boutenko

Green Smoothie Retreat: A 7-day Plan To Detox And Revitalize At Home by Victoria Boutenko
The Green Smoothie Bible: 300 Delicious Recipes by Kristine Miles
Green Smoothies For Dummies by Jennifer Thompson
The Complete Idiot's Guide To Green Smoothies by Bo Rinaldi
The Blender Girl Smoothies: 100 Gluten-free, Vegan, & Paleo-friendly Recipes by Tess Masters; photography by Erin Kunkel

Smoothie-licious: Power-packed Smoothies And Juices The Whole Family Will Love by Jenna Helwig
My First Juices & Smoothies: Healthy Recipes Children Will Love by Amanda Cross
Slurpable Smoothies And Drinks by Kari Cornell; photographs by Brie Cohen
Superfood Juices & Smoothies: 100 Delicious And Mega-nutritious Recipes From The World's Most Powerful Superfoods by Tina Leigh
The Healthy Smoothie Bible: Lose Weight, Detoxify, Fight Disease, And Live Long by Farnoosh Brock

Chocolate Lovers, Rejoice: National Brownie Day Is Here

Lauren Weiss, Communications — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 10:32:06 -0500

If you were looking for an excuse to eat copious amounts of chocolate today, I’m happy to say you’ve found it: it’s National Brownie Day! Do you go for the gooey, fudgy kind of brownie, or do your brownies veer more toward a lighter, almost cake-like texture? Do you add chocolate chunks or M&Ms? Do you forego chocolate altogether and go for blondies?

Fat Witch Bakery has been specializing in brownies for years, so they know what they’re talking about. Lucky for you, you don’t have to trek to their bakery in order to enjoy one of their delicious takes on the brownie for yourself. You can check out their cookbook, Fat Witch Brownies, and whip up a batch for yourself! Recipes include banana bread brownie, the breakfast brownie, and their famous traditional brownie, along with a few takes on delicious bar cookies. Every recipe in the book takes under an hour and uses easy-to-find ingredients, so you can get your brownie craving covered quickly.

Here’s a healthy recipe from their website to get you started:

Sweet Potato Brownies

Ingredients

1 cup mashed sweet potato
2 large eggs
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup refined coconut oil, melted
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup coconut flour
⅓ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 ℉.
To make the mashed sweet potatoes, prick 1 large or 2 small potatoes a few places with a fork. Wrap them in foil and roast in a 400 degree oven until soft (usually 45 – 75 minutes). Cool the potatoes. Split open and scoop out the flesh and mash with a fork.
Grease a 9" x 9" baking pan with coconut oil.
Dust the pan with coconut flour and shake out the excess.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the mashed sweet potato and eggs until fairly smooth. Don’t worry about tiny clumps of sweet potato.
Add the maple syrup, vanilla, coconut oil and mix until well combined.
Sift the cocoa, baking powder, salt and coconut flour directly into the sweet potato mixture. Mix until well combined. If desired, stir in the pecans by hand.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan with a silicone spatula.
Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or only with crumbs.
Cool in the pan for at least 1 hour before serving. Makes about 12 to 16 squares, and pairs well with a fruit sorbet!

Looking for more brownie baking inspiration? Try checking out one of these cookbooks from the Library:

Fat Witch Bake Sale
Food52 Baking
Gluten-Free Sweet Treats
The Dessert Bible

Mid-Manhattan Cookie Lit

NYPL Staff — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 10:39:55 -0500

What's better than curling up with a good book? Curling up with a good book and some book related cookies! In honor of National Cookie Day, the staff at Mid-Manhattan Library put together some deliciously literate cookies for your enjoyment! Post your own using the hashtag #CookieLit on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Jam Dot Cookies

The Baker: Elizabeth Waters

Ingredients

1 c. ground oats
1 c. ground almonds
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. coconut oil
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
your favorite jam(s)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grind the oats and almonds into fine meal using a food processor.
Blend the oat flour, wheat flour, almond meal, and salt.
Stir in the coconut oil and maple syrup and mix until evenly distributed. (Doing the final mixing with your hands works best if you are using coconut oil.)
Form small balls of dough, flatten slightly, and make indentations in the centers. Fill the indentations with jam. I like to use two different kinds, usually peach or apricot and a berry, because the contrasting colors look pretty on the plate.
Bake cookies for 18-20 minutes on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper until the edges begin to brown.

Variations

I love these cookies because they're yummy and somewhat nutritious, and vegan friends can enjoy them, too. It's also easy to make them gluten free; just substitute brown rice flour or another gluten free flour for the wheat flour. The texture is quite nice. If you have a coconut hater (like me) around, you can substitute olive oil for the coconut oil. Instead of (or in addition to) the jam, you can press a small square of dark chocolate into the cookie before baking. I've also made them with walnuts instead of almonds. Because walnuts are oilier and less sweet than almonds, using 2-3 tsp less oil and 2-3 tsp more maple syrup seems to work pretty well. I prefer the original almond version, though.

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann

German Chocolate Pecan Cookies

Ingredients

2 sticks butter, softened
1 c. light brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa, such as Hershey's
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch salt
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. shredded sweetened coconut, such as Baker's Angel Flake Coconut
1 c. chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Blend butter, both sugars, vanilla and eggs.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and blend until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and pecans.
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, 12 cookies per sheet, and bake 8 to 10 minutes.
Cool on a baking rack.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Coconut Thumbprints with Sea Salted Caramel

The Baker: Jessica Cline

Ingredients

3 sticks of unsalted, room temperature butter
3/4 c. of sugar
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla
3 1/2 c. of all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp of salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 ounces of sweetened flaked coconut
1 c. of caramel (if using candies, add heavy cream)
large, chunky sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy, then beat in vanilla.
Gradually add flour and 1/2 tsp of salt until combined with butter/sugar mixture.
Dough will be crumbly. Press together in a sheet of plastic wrap, then roll in to 1-2 inch balls.
Dip each ball into beaten egg and roll in coconut. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, and gently press an indention into center with your thumb.
Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and repress thumb indentations. Cool on wire wracks.
If using caramel candies, melt with a few tablespoons of heavy cream over low heat about 5 minutes until mixture is smooth. Spoon caramel into indentations of cookies and sprinkle with sea salt.

The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros

Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies with Mango Icing

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups Toll House semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts

For Icing

1/2 c. butter
1 c. shortening
3/4 c. mango puree
5- 6 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp mango extract (I get mine from Bakto Flavors)
Yellow gel coloring (optional)
1 tsp meringue powder (for stability but this is also optional)

Directions

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE in preheated 375-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.
Let stand for 2 minutes on hot baking sheet; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
To make icing:
In a mixing bowl, add butter and shortening and mix until there are no lumps.
Add mango puree and mango extract and mix until everything is just combined.
Slowly, add powdered sugar and meringue powder and continue mixing until everything is incorporated and you have a smooth mixture.

The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin

Fortune Cookie

Ingredients

2 egg whites, room temperature
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour, sifted
1/4 tsps vanilla extract

Directions

Place 3 inch circular stencil on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Stencil can be purchased or cut from the plastic lid of a coffee can.
Whip the egg whites until stiff. Chill in refrigerator.
Cream the butter, then add the sugar and continue mixing.
Add the flour and blend in, then add the vanilla and blend again.
Add the chilled egg whites and mix on low until well incorporated and the batter is smooth.
With a small offset spatula, spread batter through the stencil. about 6 per cookie sheet.
Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until light golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
Quickly remove the pan from the oven and one at time place a fortune across the center with a bit hanging out. Fold cookie circle in thirds over fortune with flaps only slightly overlapping each other. Turn over and bring opposing sides together and pinch. Allow to cool and harden.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

World Peace Cookies

Ingredients

1 ¼ c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa
½ tsp baking soda
1 stick + 3 tbsp. (11 tbsp. total) unsalted butter
2/3 c. light brown sugar (packed)
¼ c. white sugar
½ tsp. fleur de sal or ¼ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp vanilla
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into bits or generous ¾ c. mini-chips.

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Sift together flour, cocoa and baking soda.
Beat butter until creamy and add sugars, salt and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes.
Slowly add flour mixture and mix about 3 seconds. Do not overbeat! Dough will be crumbly.
Add chocolate and mix only to incorporate.
Turn dough out on work surface, gather together and divide in half.
Shape into logs, about 1 ½ inch diameter
Chill at least 3 hours. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for 2 months. If frozen, don’t defrost before baking, simply bake an extra minute.
With a sharp, thin knife, slice ½ inch thick disks. They may crack, just stick them back together.
Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Bake on center rack 12 minutes. They won’t look done or firm.
Let baking sheet sit on cooling rack & rest until just warm.

These cookies are a bit complicated to make, but are absolutely delicious. It has been said that if everyone ate one of these a day, peace would alight upon the land.

Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn

Red Velvet with SINnamon Icing

The Baker: Arieh Ress

Ingredients

1 box Red Velvet cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c. vegetable oil
For Icing:
1/2 c. melted butter
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
1-1 1/2 lb. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine one (1) box of Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix, two (2) eggs and one-third (1/3) c. vegetable oil using a hand blender or wire whisk.
Form tsp sized balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet or baking pan about one inch (1") apart. Slightly pat down the top of each cookie ball.
Cook for 8-10 minutes (the top of the cookie will crack).
In a small bowl, combine icing ingredients until a smooth, slightly runny icing is formed. Frost warm cookies with warm frosting.

Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell

Pink Lemonade

Ingredients

1 c. butter
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 (6 ounce) can frozen pink-lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and 1 c. sugar. Blend in eggs.
Sift together flour and baking soda in a separate bowl and gradually beat into butter mixture, alternating with 1/2 c. lemonade concentrate.
Drop mixture by rounded teaspoons onto the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly brown. Brush lightly with remaining lemonade, and sprinkle with remaining sugar.

The Doodle Revolution by Sunni Brown and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain

Snickerdoodles

The Baker: Melissa Scheurer

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 package Classic Yellow Cake Mix
2 large eggs
¼ c. vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease baking sheets.
Blend sugar and cinnamon in small bowl; set aside.
Combine cake mix, eggs, oil and 1 tablespoon cinnamon-sugar mixture in large bowl with wooden spoon until blended.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. Place 2-inches apart on prepared pans. If desired, flatten balls with bottom of a glass.
Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until set. Cool cookies 1 minute on pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
Baking Tip: Use a 1 to 1-1/4-inch scoop to form dough into balls. For best results, bake one baking sheet at a time. If baking two sheets together, rotate pans halfway through baking.

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Mexican chocolate cookies

Ingredients

3/4 lb butter
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
4-6 ounces white chocolate

Directions

Cream together butter, sugar and eggs.
In a separate bowl mix remaining dry ingredients.
Gradually combine flour mixture into butter mixture, dough will be thick. Refrigerate for a half hour.
Roll out on floured surface and cut with cookie cutters, bake 10 minutes at 375, cool on racks.
Once cool, arrange all of the cookies on wax paper.
In a double boiler, melt white chocolate, drizzle with a fork over cookies. Let chocolate cool until hard.

The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson

Rum Balls

The Baker: Arieh Ress

Ingredients

3 c. Vanilla Wafers – Crushed Fine
(One box = 2 1/2 Cups)
1 ½ + 1 ½ cups ground nuts
1 ½ c. powdered sugar
3 tbsp. cocoa
3 tbsp. white corn syrup
Approximately ½ c. rum minus 1 tbsp.

Directions

Mix half the ground nuts and all of the other ingredients together.
Form into small balls.
Roll in remaining nuts
Store for 1 week in closed tin before eating.

I used to make these with my mother when I was a little kid. We used an old hand grinder to grind up the wafers and nuts. It was a slow process, but the recipe and grinder were a way to connect with my grandparents: The recipe card was written out in my grandmother's hand, and the grinder came from my grandfather's restaurant supply store. I never knew either of them, but spending a whole day making these cookies carried on a family tradition.

These days I usually use a small blender which makes short work of the grinding. These are some of the easiest cookies to make—taking about 20 minutes—though it does take some patience to actually wait for them to set up.

Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust

Madeleine

Ingredients

2/3 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for molds
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fleur de sel or pinch of fine sea salt
1/3 c. sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm, & unmelted for molds
2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Place sugar and lemon zest a bowl. Rub sugar and lemon zest together until sugar is moist and fragrant. Add eggs and whisk until mixture is pale and thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Whisk in honey and vanilla.
Gently fold in flour mixture in three additions; fold in melted butter until fully incorporated. Stir in milk. Batter should be smooth and shiny. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter; transfer to refrigerator and let chill at least 1 hour. May be chilled for up to 2 days.
Butter and flour a large madeleine pan. Spoon batter into madeleine pan; transfer to refrigerator for 1 hour.
Place a heavy, large baking sheet in oven; preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place madeleine pan on preheated baking sheet and bake 11 to 13 minutes until golden and big bumps on top spring back when touched.
Remove pan from oven and immediately release madeleines from pan by rapping pan on counter. If any stick, use a butter knife or fingers to help release. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Pumpkin Spice

Ingredients

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 tsp rum extract
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Beat butter and sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and rum extract, beating until combined. Combine the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until combined. Wrap the dough in heavy-duty plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a 4-inch pumpkin cookie cutter to cut out the dough and place on the prepared baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are very lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 2 minutes after removing from the oven. Cool completely on wire racks before icing.

A big thank you to all our bakers, and to Lois Moore and Billy Parrott for the concept and brainstorming sessions!

Have more suggestions of book-cookie pairings?

Comment below, share them on our Facebook page, Tweet them to us @MidManhattanLib or tag us in your Instagram photos @MidManhattanLibrary.

Just remember to use the hashtag #CookieLit when you do!

The Electric Pressure Cooker Saves the Holidays!

Nanor Pogosian, Adult Librarian, Pelham Bay Library — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 10:45:46 -0500

Super Cocotte decor SEB-MGR Lyon-IMG 9918 via Wikimedia Commons

Remember when your mom used a pressure cooker on the stove, and you heard it hissing and screeching like a banshee, and thought, is this contraption going to explode? I know I did!

Fast forward 25 years, to my kitchen. I am following in my mom’s footsteps now, but instead of the fear inducing, outdated pot that worked miracles for my mom, I now use an electric pressure cooker, and it has changed my life.

I used to spend hours braising meat, to get that fall off the bone result. Or let my soup pot simmer for over an hour, while I made beef stew or any kind of soup for that matter. What my electric pressure cooker has done for me is saved my time!

Now I make everything in it, from macaroni and cheese to pulled pork. I have made BBQ ribs in it and even mashed potatoes. During the holiday season, it is like having an extra person in the kitchen. It allows me to simultaneously use my oven, stove top, and pressure cooker, so I can make more food in less time. As the holidays approach, I thought I’d share some books, articles, and recipes to help you cook up a storm and take the pressure off you, and onto the food!

Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbooks

Additional Reading

Bates, Marissa Rothkopf. "Gadget Lust: Giving In To The Pressure Cooker." Newsweek Global 162.2 (2014): 94-97. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
Haws, Susan; Hunsaker, Teresa; Proctor, Debra; Serfustini, Ellen; and Allen, Karin, "Brand Comparison for Electric Programmable Pressure Cookers" (2015). All Current Publications. Paper 766.

Recipe for “Pulled Pork”

3-4 lbs Pork Butt, Cut into large chunks
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Cup BBQ Sauce
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 tsp each of Salt, Black pepper, Onion powder, Chili powder, Paprika

Season Pork chunks with spices, set Electric Pressure cooker to “brown” setting, put in vegetable oil and brown pork on all sides, about 5 minutes. Next, pour in chicken stock and vinegar and close lid. Make sure gauge is set to airtight. Enter cooking time at 75 minutes. After it is ready, release the steam and open the lid, pour out any excess liquid, but leave enough to keep the meat moist. Use a fork to pull apart the meat. Next, pour in BBQ sauce and mix will. Serve hot with potato buns and cole slaw.

The Process Behind the Produce: What's In Your Food?

Lauren Lampasone, Senior Librarian, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Fri, 13 Nov 2015 11:07:04 -0500

Food - Focal Exhibit - Man looking at exhibit on chemicals and food. Image ID: 1673317

The Food and Drug Administration is currently requesting comments on use of the term "natural" in food labels. Natural is a slippery term because most packaged food undergoes some degree of processing, and the FDA does not strictly regulate usage of the word. Right now "natural" is allowed to describe foods without added colors, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances. "Natural" does not describe production, processing or manufacturing methods. It probably bears repeating that natural doesn't even necessarily mean "good for you"—there are lots of dangerous toxins that are also all-natural! The FDA is requesting feedback because of Citizen Petitions and private litigation over genetically engineered food and food additives. What gets to be called natural? You have until February 10, 2016 to comment.

Right now I am reading Unprocessed: My City-Dwelling Year of Reclaiming Real Food, one of those "one-year challenge" books where the author tries to radically change his or her lifestyle for a year and then write and sell a book about it. I was skeptical at first—but quickly warmed up to Megan Kimble's completely down-to-earth story of her year trying to avoid processed food, much of which involves trying to define what unprocessed even means. Just like "natural," a lot depends on context and your own level of comfort.

Can she make bread if she grinds her own wheat? Most whole wheat products are the result of the bran and the germ being "put back together again" after being industrially separated, and most flour is rancid by the time it lands on a store shelf. Can she buy salt or is it better to harvest from the sea? Most commercial salt is solution-mined, which is energy-intensive, but cheaper than large scale evaporation ponds. (For more on the topic, see Salt: A World History.) Can she use a microwave or a food processor, can she get it fixed when it breaks, or is it destined for landfill, like so many of our planned obsolescence appliances? Kimble takes each food group from beginning to end and unwraps each chapter deliberately, delicately, much in the way her grandmother consciously savored that daily piece of dark chocolate. Even if you don't decide to unprocess your entire life after reading this book, you might think a little more carefully about when and how you do enjoy processed food.

There are chemicals in our food! There are chemicals in our food? Well of course, everything is made of chemicals. That is science. Some are good for us, some are bad, some are benign, and some we just don't know. Ingredients: A Visual Exploration of 75 Additives & 25 Food Products attempts to demystify all of these chemicals and what they do, why they are there at all. The big takeaway? When you are cooking at home in small quantities, you can use a few fresh ingredients, know exactly what is going in, and eat what you make quickly before it gets stale or goes bad. In commercial food production, everything needs to scale way up, and be produced in enormous batches using industrial machinery. After that, it probably has to sit on a store shelf or your cupboard and somehow still taste REALLY GOOD by the time you get around to eating it. Industrial food additives are good for making all of this happen, for better or worse. Ingredients features incredible photography by Dwight Eschliman, getting you up close to the particles and droplets added to food, and the text by Steve Ettlinger is so addictively, snackably readable... you might wonder just what substance is responsible for that.

The front section goes in depth into each additive, and the back highlights a few processed food favorites and a breakdown of everything in them.

What are mono- and diglycerides?

Ingredients that make you say Mmm mmm good.

Podcast #79: Alice Waters on the Pleasures of the Palate

Tracy O'Neill — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 10:18:14 -0400

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Self-described "restaurantrice, forager, teacher, mother, romantic, purist, rebel" Alice Waters has been one of the most instrumental figures in drawing attention to the Slow Food movement. An advocate of considered eating, she is the owner of the restaurant Chez Panisse and the author of several books, including The Edible Schoolyard and The Art of Simple Food. This week on The New York Public Library Podcast, we're happy to present Alice Waters discussing the pleasures of good food and wine.

Paul Holdengräber, Alice Waters, and Kermit Lynch

According to Waters, the pleasures of the palate aren't just enjoyment for enjoyment's sake; they offer a gateway to creative thinking and evolution:

"I had the pleasure of cooking at Jefferson’s house last year or it was the year before last, but the greatest part about it was that I got to go out into the garden and to pick the lettuces that actually were the varietals that he had planted there, and I washed them and it was just a beautiful, beautiful moment. But I think pleasure is what brings you, you know, it really brings you into ideas, and I think it’s really been important to me that the food at the restaurant be something that tasted really good, and I think it’s the reason people have been coming back, and I’m always looking and asking people what they thought and could we make it this way or could we make it better, and it’s just a work in progress, always, it’s—and people who work in the kitchen, they have to be, you know, really able to take criticism, they can’t be feeling like what we’re saying is about them, it’s only about sort of the process of really learning more and getting better at what you’re doing."

Although primarily known for her work with food, Waters also considers her wine selection carefully. She credits the quality of the wines she loves to the farmers producing the varietals:

"I think it is just like it is for food, that you realize that what variety, what varietal is planted where is terribly important, that how that vine is taken care of and at the right moment is picked and brought to be made into wine and that part of the whole process is probably 85 percent of the making of wine. And I feel that about food, that it has to be the right seed, and the farmer has to take care of it in the right away, and he knows exactly when to pick it or she does and they bring them to the restaurant and if it that’s all done beautifully then it’s so easy to cook. I mean, it’s really 85 percent of it, and when you’re engaged in the process you can help him, you’re learning how to discern the subtleties of farming by tasting and feedback and it’s—you become partners in this and so you couldn’t image the restaurant without Bob Cannard, who’s the farmer. We dedicated the book to him, because he’s so extraordinary."

Variety is hugely important to Waters, and she hopes to see greater agricultural variety in the United States. She pinpointed Iowa as a representative example of homogeneity in American farming:

"Iowa used to be a horticultural state. I mean, we can grow something besides corn there. You know, and it’s that we have not chosen to do that, but we can do that again, and we need to pay the farmers the real price for their food, and we need to support the small farmers who really are taking care of the land. And for me there’s not—it’s just a matter of doing it. We have to do it... you don’t convince the big business, you just have—you buy with intention, you buy from the right people who are doing the right thing. "

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The Ticketless Traveler: Food and Cooking Edition

Lauren Lampasone, Senior Librarian, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 15:04:07 -0400

Whether your desire is to visit a faraway locale for a taste of the local delicacies, or just to shake up your weeknight cooking with some new, unfamiliar spices, there is so much inspiration to be found at the library.

When learning about an unfamiliar place, why not start by trying the country's traditional cuisine or national dish? Have you ever eaten phở, biryani, currywurst, pepperpot, poutine? Have you visited the regions that celebrate these dishes, been to restaurants that serve them in major cities, or tried cooking them yourself at home? Better yet: does your grandma make them for you (and can I come over)?

After reading some of these cookbooks, I know that even if I can't travel to these particular places any time soon, I can content myself with the kinds of recipes that can take me there.

General Food and Travel

The Food Traveler's Handbook: How to Find Cheap, Safe and Delicious Food Anywhere in the World by Jodi Ettenberg
The author has celiac disease but she doesn't let that prevent her from making the most of her travels around the world. This guidebook will build up your confidence, help you locate the best foods while overcoming language and cultural barriers, and avoid foodborne illness too.

An Economist Gets Lunch: New Rules for Everyday Foodies by Tyler Cowen
An almost-too-rational look at the economics of eating. The author provides insights on how to find the best tasting (which can also be the cheapest) food in an unfamiliar community. (Cowen and Ettenberg both suggest chatting up your cab driver.)

Try This: Traveling the Globe Without Leaving the Table by Danyelle Freeman
The author wrote this book "for anyone who's ever looked at a menu and had a question." She walks you through the basics of 14 varied cuisines, providing some history, culture, and trivia behind their flavors, and clues you in on appropriate table settings and manners too.

Eating Out in Five Languages
English, French, German, Italian and Spanish translations of food and drink terms. Useful phrases for those on special diets, and even tells you how to complain in the local tongue.

A Fork in the Road: Tales of Food and Travel by Anik See
All Around the World Cookbook by Sheila Lukins
Around the World in 80 Dinners: The Ultimate Culinary Adventure by Cheryl Alters Jamison
Cindy's Supper Club: Meals from Around the World to Share with Family and Friends by Cindy Pawlcyn
Food Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe
Frommer's 500 Places for Food and Wine Lovers by Holly Hughes
In Her Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Grandmas Around the World by Gabriele Galimberti
Street Food: Exploring the World's Most Authentic Tastes by Tom Kime
Susan Feniger's Street Food: Irresistibly Crispy, Creamy, Crunchy, Spicy, Sticky, Sweet Recipes by Susan Feniger
Ultimate Food Journeys: The World's Best Dishes and Where to Eat Them
The World on a Plate: 40 Cuisines, 100 Recipes, and the Stories Behind Them by Mina Holland
World's Best Street Food by Lonely Planet
What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio
Where Chefs Eat: A Guide to Chefs' Favourite Restaurants by Joe Warwick

Regional Cookbooks

What faraway lands will your kitchen transport you to? The titles below are mainly books you will be able to check out and take home or access online. Yellow markers indicate e-books that are available to download. You can find even more in the noncirculating research materials in the catalog. Follow the subject headings "Cooking, (country)" or "COOKING / Regional & Ethnic / (cuisine)" and let your taste buds be your guide.

Does your favorite regional cookbook need to be added to the map? Leave your suggestions in the comments.