The leaves are falling, the air is cool and crisp and fall harvest vegetables are available at the farmers market. These are all harbingers of the holiday season, or, as I think of it, feasting season. Thanksgiving, the first of the feasts, is inspiration for us to share some of our best holiday cooking and entertaining books to help you plan your own celebrations. The books are on display on the first floor of the library and I took a few moments to pick out some of my favorites.
Classic Cocktails by Salvatore Calabrese
Let’s start with a book to put us all in a holiday mood. This beautiful volume includes some history of the cocktail, advice on barware, and, of course, drink recipes from classics like the Bloody Mary to more obscure concoctions like Satan’s Whiskers.
The New Thanksgiving Table: an American Celebration of Family, Friends, and Food by Diane Morgan
This comprehensive guide to preparing and enjoying this American feast includes many regional variations on classic appetizers, main course, and desserts. It even includes ideas on what to do with the inevitable leftovers.
Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates: Festive Meals for Holidays and Special Occasions by The Moosewood Collective
The famous Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY has been helping to popularize vegetarian cuisine for over 40 years. This cookbook takes on preparing vegetarian and vegan meals for a wide variety of special days including Thanksgiving, Kwanzaa, weddings, and Cinco de Mayo.
Comfort Food Fix: Feel-good Favorites Made Healthy by Ellie Krieger
If you would like to enjoy some classic comfort foods during the cold months (meat loaf, chicken pot pie, chicken parmesan) but don’t want to feel too guilty this is the book for you. The recipes are delicious and definitely family- and potluck-friendly.
Holiday Baking: New and Traditional Recipes for Wintertime Holidays by Sara Perry
Winter is the best time to bake, and this handy collection of sweet and savory recipes will give bakers plenty of inspiration. The holidays include Thanksgiving (maple pumpkin pie), Hannukah (rugelach), Christmas (candy cane cupcakes), Boxing Day (sweet onion, apple, and cheese tarts), Kwanzaa (brown sugar benne cookies), and New Year’s Day (bloody Mary and baked mushroom omelet).
Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller
For the more ambitious baker, this beautiful tome includes instructions and tips for making the baked goods served at the five Bouchon Bakeries. These recipes cover some of the more challenging confections but the instructions are clear and detailed. Any of the results would be a hit at your next celebration.
This list of books is just a sampling of what we offer. Please check out many more on our display shelves and Happy Holidays!