A wonderful offering of Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library is the Monday Farmer’s Market (8:00 to 11:30 a.m. on Mondays, May 13 through Oct. 7, 2013) where you can find herbs, garden fresh veggies and fruits, bread, fresh cut flowers and plants, and more (even programs such how to make your own kale chips on June 10, 2013 10-10:30 a.m.!). Stop by to stock up on such items and then visit the Cooking Neighborhood for recipe ideas!

Below are a few recommended cookbooks to spark inspiration on using your fresh finds:

• True Food : seasonal, sustainable, simple, pure by Andrew Weil and Sam Fox, with Michael Stebner
• Cooking in the Moment : a year of seasonal recipes
  by Andrea Reusing
• Cooking From the Farmers’ Market by Jodi Liano and Tash De Serio
• Eating Local: the cookbook inspired by America’s farmers by Sur La Table with Janet Fletcher
• Clean Food: a seasonal guide to eating close to the source, with more than 200 recipes for a healthy and sustainable you by Terry Walters
• Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes: recipes from a modern kitchen garden by Jeanne Thiel Kelley

What have you been cooking lately? Let me know below and give others great ideas for Summer meals!

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Come to the library and listen to home-brewers from the Greater Topeka Hall of Foamers, a local brewing club, as they discuss different aspects of home-brewing. In April we listened as they presented a basic session on how to get started. Plan attending every third Thursday through July to hear about other advanced brewing topics 7-8:30PM in Marvin Auditorium. Come to the presentations even if you are a beginner because as one of the experts said last night you will learn more by connecting with others and learning from each other’s experiences.

Let’s Make Beer: All Grain Brewing
June 20, 2013 7-8:30PM Marvin Auditorium 101B
Combine cooking and crafting by learning how to make your own beer at home as home-brewers discuss the advanced all-grain brewing technique.

Let’s Make Beer: Mead and Beyond
July 18, 2013 7-8:30PM Marvin Auditorium 101C
Combine cooking and crafting to express your individuality and create your own special beers at home. A home-brewer discusses how to create advanced creations, such as meads.

What is your favorite style of beer? Let me know below! In the meantime, find these books at the library to enjoy and expand your experience in the Cooking Neighborhood.

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From 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. on Mondays, May 13 through Oct. 7 you can shop for fresh vegetables, herbs, flowers, bedding plants, eggs, live chickens, and other seasonal produce, and ask questions of the vendors.

The market is an all-ages experience. Kids enjoy a free craft each week, and grownups will enjoy a health or cooking programs the second Monday of the month.

You will also meet librarians who will help you discover the rewards using your library provides, whether it’s a new recipe from more than 750 cookbooks or gardening books on what grows best in Kansas’ soil. Free recipes will available at the library’s information booth at the market.

This year marks the fifth annual Monday Farmers Market @your library®. More vendors are welcome and can secure a spot by calling 785-580-4495.

The Monday Market is a Capital City Wellness initiative, a state program that aims to promote healthy eating and exercise, especially among Downtown Topeka employees. Customers are encouraged to walk to the market, if possible.

Library hours are Mon. through Fri. 9 am to 9 pm, Sat. 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday 12 pm to 9 pm.

When my husband and I first started cooking on our own I barely cooked with meat for two reasons: 1.) It grossed me out to touch it and 2.) I wanted to experiment more with meat-free cooking. Okay, there is also an element of laziness added in this equation, but we will ignore that factor for now.

When I first discovered the Cooking section of the library, it was kind of magical because I could borrow as many cookbooks as I wanted for FREE (up to 99 items, of course, but I didn’t go that crazy!). I still highly utilize the collections (our Circulation staff can tell you how often I receive requested cookbooks!), and enjoy trying new recipes. If you are wanting to incorporate more meat-free meals in your diet and maybe even try your own Meat-Free Monday (or whatever day of the week you prefer), below are recommended titles along with the author’s cooking blog.

1. Betty Goes Vegan: 500 Classic Recipes for the Modern Family by Annie Shannon (February 5, 2013) *blog
2. Cook Without a Book: Meatless Meals, Recipes, and Techniques for Part-time and Full-time Vegetarians by Pam Anderson (October 25, 2011) *blog
3. Cooking Light Way to Cook Vegetarian (October 19, 2010)
4. Herbivoracious: a Flavor Revolution With 150 Vibrant and Original Vegetarian Recipes by Michael Natkin (May 1, 2012) *blog
5. The Meat Free Monday Cookbook by Meat Free Monday Campaign, Annie Riggs and Paul, Stella, & Mary McCartney (March 19, 2012) *blog
6. The Meat Lover’s Meatless Celebrations: Year-Round Vegetarian Feasts (You Can Really Sink Your Teeth Into) by Kim O’Donnel (October 23, 2012) *blog
7. Meatless: More Than 200 of the Very Best Vegetarian Recipes (January 8, 2013)
8. More Peas, Thank You: Over 85 Vegetarian Recipes for Delicious and Healthy Meals by Sarah Matheny (March 26, 2013) *blog
9. Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi (March 23, 2011) *blog
10. Vegetable Literacy: Cooking and Gardening with Twelve Families from the Edible Plant Kingdom, With Over 300 Delicious Simple Recipes by Deborah Madison (March 12, 2013) *blog

What other titles would you add to this list? Don’t forget about the wide variety of cooking magazines you can borrow from your library, including: Vegetarian Times, Cooking Light, Martha Stewart Living, etc, all of which usually include vegetarian recipes each month.

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Best in Show:

“The Dream Machine” by the Herreman Family

1st Runner-Up:

“The Great Penguin Rescue” by Nancy Overmyer

Best Play on Words:

“Go, Dog. Go!” by Madeline and Samuel Lempe

Most Likely to be Devoured:

“The Restoration of Christian Culture” by Mary Ann Tardiff

Congratulations to the winners! You can see all the 2013 edible book entries on our Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/topekalibrary/sets/72157633175951586/

Thank you to all of our edible book artists, visitors, and voters. It’s audience participation that makes this event so much fun.

Also, a special thank you to Chef Mike Davis for his Thai Fruit Carving demonstration.

Want to participate next year? Mark your calendars for the 2014 Edible Book Festival on Friday, April 4, 2014.

March Madness starts “Selection Sunday,” March 17. 2013 when 64 NCAA Men’s and Women’s basketball teams are selected to go to the “Big Dance—the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship tournament.

The first weekend of tournament play is the safest time to have a party to celebrate your favorite college basketball team. It’s the first round, so all the teams that make it to the tournament will play that first week.

Stuffed Potato Skins Recipe

Stuffed Potato Skins Recipe photo

• Prep: 10 min. Bake: 50 min.
• Yield: 12 Servings

Ingredients

• 6 medium baking potatoes (6 ounces each)
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, divided
• 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1 large sweet red pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh broccoli florets, finely chopped
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese,      divided

Directions

• Scrub and pierce potatoes. Bake at 400° for 40-50      minutes or until tender. Cool slightly; cut each potato in half      lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp, leaving a thin shell (save pulp for      another use). Place potato shells on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Combine butter and 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce; brush      over shells. Broil 4 in. from the heat for 5 minutes or until edges are      crispy and butter is bubbly. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the onions, red      pepper, broccoli, 3/4 cup cheese and remaining hot pepper sauce; spoon      into potato skins. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Broil 2-3 minutes      longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 12 servings.

Calzone Pinwheels Recipe

Calzone Pinwheels Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Once you try these mini-sized calzones, you may never go back to the large ones. Not only do these pretty bites take advantage of convenient refrigerator crescent rolls, but they can be made ahead and popped in the oven right before company arrives.

Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

• Yield: 16      Servings

Ingredients

• 1/2      cup ricotta cheese
• 1      teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4      teaspoon salt
• 1/2      cup shredded part-skim mozzarella      cheese
• 1/2      cup diced pepperoni
• 1/4      cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4      cup chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1/4      cup finely chopped green pepper
• 2      tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1      package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent      rolls
• 1      jar (14 ounces) pizza sauce, warmed

Directions

• In a small      bowl, combine the ricotta, Italian seasoning and salt. Stir in the      mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, Parmesan cheese, mushrooms, green pepper and      onion. Separate crescent dough into four rectangles; seal perforations.
• Spread      cheese mixture over each rectangle to within 1/4 in. of edges. Roll up      jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; pinch seams to seal. Cut      each into four slices.
• Place cut      side down on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes or      until golden brown. Serve warm with pizza sauce. Refrigerate leftovers.      Yield: 16 appetizers.

Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks

EatingWell.com

Serves: 4 Total Time: 30 min

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Ingredients

Directions

1. Preheat      oven to 475 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.      Combine flours, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a large sealable plastic bag.      Dip zucchini in egg white, shake in the bag to coat, and arrange, not touching,      on the baking sheet. Coat all exposed sides with cooking spray. Bake on      the center rack for 7 minutes. Turn the zucchini and coat any floury spots      with cooking spray. Continue to bake until golden and just tender, about 5      minutes more. Serve hot.

KU and KSU cookies for March Madness    – Examinor.com
Food & Drink March 2010 –Photo credit -Angela Pritchett – Food & Recipe Newsletter

Bake up a batch of sugar cookies that you decorate as your teams’ mascots. This buttermilk sugar cookie recipe is super quick to mix, cut, bake and decorate. Follow the directions in the slideshow you’ll find here. Then, use the pictures below to decorate Jayhawks or Wildcats.

Buttermilk Sugar  Cookies, makes approx. 15 large dozen

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Frosting or powdered sugar icing
• Food color

1. Cream the butter with the sugar. Add the egg and mix thoroughly, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. With the mixer running, gradually add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut with cookie cutter other shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes or until light brown around edges. Cool on wire racks.
3. Mix a simple powdered sugar icing or use store bought frosting to decorate as desired. Tint frosting in mascot colors to frost and add piping details with other colors of icing.

Open another chapter in your culinary accomplishments by participating in our 7th Annual Edible Book Festival. All ages are encouraged to create a culinary masterpiece based on the content or shape of a book — from puns to literal interpretations.

• The Festival is free and open to the public
• All ages are welcome
• 1 entry per individual or team
• Reserve your space by April 4, simply by calling 785-580-4515
• Bring your completed edible book entry to the library on Friday, April 5 between 3 – 5:30pm

Call the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery at 785-580-4515 to register or inquire further.

Need an idea? You can see entries from previous Edible Book Festivals on the library’s Flickr page.

1. Modern Sauces by  Martha Holmberg (October 17, 2012)
2. The Food52 Cookbook, Volume 2: Seasonal Recipes from Our Kitchens to Yours by Amanda Hesser (December 4, 2012)
3. Real Snacks: Make Your Favorite Childhood Treats Without All the Junk by Lara Ferroni (October 30, 2012)
4. The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden (June 7, 2011)
5. Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry by Liana Krisoff (August 1, 2010)
6. Put’em Up!: A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook, from Drying and Freezing to Canning and Pickling by Sherri Brooks Vinton (June 24, 2010)
7. The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman (October 30, 2012)
8. Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza by Ken Forkish (September 28, 2012)
9. Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust by Ina Garten (October 30, 2013)
10. Keys to the Kitchen: The Essential Reference for Becoming a More Accomplished, Adventurous Cook by Aida Mollenkamp (October 24, 2012)

If you cannot tell from the above selection, my current obsession is canning and I was very excited to see many of these titles on order. What are you looking forward to flipping (and maybe actually cooking!) through?

Join us Wednesday Wednesday February 6, 2013 7:00-8:00PM in Menninger Room 206 as Cindy Higgins, journalist and Kansas Historian, from the Kansas Humanities Council Speaker’s Bureau presents “Kansas Brewers and Breweries.”

As settlers streamed into Kansas, brewers set up their mash tuns and wort kettles when making beer was still an art and state prohibition a bemusing notion. Discover these brewers of early Kansas, their role in their communities, and learn about brewers today with Cindy Higgins.

The Kansas Humanities Council conducts and supports community-based programs, serves as a financial resource through an active grant-making program, and encourages Kansans to participate in their communities.  For more information about KHC programs contact the Kansas Humanities Council at 785/357-0359 or visit online at www.kansashumanities.org.

When I am planning meals for the week (okay, sometimes it’s for the day!), I try to keep in mind seasonal recipes. One reason I do this is because the food flat out tastes better if it is in season, and seasonal foods usually are kinder to my bank account.

Each season I check winter produce guides, such as this guide I found from Food Network’s website. Glancing at this and other sources, I know some items I should focus on are winter greens, potatoes, and citrus. Oftentimes you will find blogs, such as Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks,  do the same thing in terms of categorizing recipes by season. In fact I found a favorite recipe, Garlicky Greens Recipe, by conducting a recipe search by searching for kale. It is easy and you will more than likely already have these (except for kale, unless you’re as obsessed as I am with this incredible green) ingredients in your fridge and pantry.

Give these books a try that are available here at the library:

• The Farm: Rustic Recipes for a Year of Incredible Food by Knauer, Ian
• Cooking Season by Season: 1000 Recipes to Cook Throughout the Year by Dorling Kindersley, Inc. (COR)
• Tyler Florence Fresh by Tyler Florence
• Dare to cook seasonal Italian cuisine. Winter [DVD videorecording]
• The Women’s Day Everyday Cookbook: 365 Tatsy Recipes and Monthly Menus for the Whole Year
• Home Made Winter by Yvette van Boven

What cookbooks are you cooking from and loving? Let me know in the comments below!