More Pate and Wine?

 Our favorite French policeman, Bruno, is back.  Fatal Pursuit is Martin Walker's  ninth in the series, and as usual, Bruno is in the middle of the action. The village is staging a classic car rally, and when a woman finds her husband dead, Bruno suspects it may be more than a heart attack. There is also all the aspects we read the story for, wonderful meals concocted by Bruno, his cast of friends, and oh yeah, the love interest. A lovely series with just enough edge. ML

Yes Chef!

What if you could interview award winning chefs and hang out with them as they cooked, went to restaurants that they think are great and talked about food and their journey to becoming a chef? Anthony Bourdain and PBS teamed up and did just that, resulting in a fascinating series. David Chang talks about coming from an immigrant family but growing up in the diverse environs of New York City and how it has influenced his cooking.  PBS's new series The Mind of a Chef combines travel, cooking, history, science, and humor into an unforgettable journey. There are four seasons in this series and we have them all! ML

A Tasty Treat

Culinary journalist and former editor of Gourmet magazine, Ruth Reichl brings her formidable experience to Delicious!, her first foray into fiction. Billie Breslin is a young staffer at a fictional, soon-to-be-shuttered food magazine where she discovers a cache of wartime letters between a young girl and renowned chef James Beard. Peppered with descriptive passages highlighting both the food and environs of New York City, this title is recommended for readers who enjoyed works such as "The School of Essential Ingredients" by Erica Bauermeister or "The Year of Pleasures" by Elizabeth Berg.  HM

Restaurant Life

Brothers Leo and Britt are co-owners of Winesap, a popular restaurant in their small, economically depressed hometown on the outskirts of Philadelphia. They have always considered their younger sibling, Harry a guy who can't settle down.  Harry has flitted in and out of academia and flirted with one career after another. So imagine their surprise when Harry announces that he's opening a restaurant of his own, right down the street. Is Linden big enough for two family enterprises? Can Harry stand the heat or will he have to get out of the kitchen? As the brothers test this recipe for potential disaster, they break a few industry rules (never date the help or the clients), push the culinary envelope (lambs' necks, anyone?), and eventually learn the true meaning of family, friendship, and the secret to a killer soufflé. Bread & Butter by Michelle Wildgen is a delicious read! ML

The Outdoor Season

We in Michigan are looking forward to all the good things summer brings...swimming, gardening, and of course, grilling! The new book, Better Homes and Gardens Fresh Grilling: 200 Seasonal Recipes reminds you how. We usually just grill the old favorites, steak, burgers, and hot dogs, with the adventurous doing maybe, pizza.
This book tells you the grilling basics, from using fire to grill types and how to do individual vegetables. There is a chapter on marinades, sauces, salsas and rubs.(savory strawberry salsa anyone?)
Finally, the recipes! There are chapters for vegetarians, pizza and burgers but also the unexpected like salads, quick smokes and desserts. Delicious! ML

Good Choice!

David Zinczenko, author of Eat This, Not That! is back with a new little book called Eat It to Beat It!. He takes on name brand foods in restaurants and grocery stores and after a sort analysis tells you to eat it or skip it. Even so-called “healthy” foods come under his scrutiny. David is an ABC News Nutrition  and Wellness  Editor and has worked for several magazines, including  Men’s Health and Women’s Health.  In addition to encouraging good food choices, David provides recipes, a glossary of food additives and a list of foods to avoid. Check out this very informative book. DB

Cookie Time

It's that time of year -- even if you don't bake during the other eleven months of the year, I'm willing to bet you at least make (or enjoy) a batch of cookies in December.  Why not try something new?  In her book, Cookies, Martha Stewart shares some of her favorite recipes, each accompanied with a full-page, color photograph.  Great for brainstorming for holiday get-togethers and cookie exchanges, or just for drooling over in your spare time.  I can't wait to try the Buttered Rum Meltaways and the Ginger Cheesecake Bars! HM

Stop into the library and check out our display of books on all kinds of Christmas goodies and treats!

Getting Wild About Food!

Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health by Jo Robinson is all about how to “select and prepare food to reclaim the nutrients and flavor we’ve lost.”   There is a big difference in food we eat today versus the less selected and processed food of our past.   This book covers the history of food items and how to get the most from them for optimal health.  Did you know beets have more antioxidant properties than almost any other common vegetable?  They were used in Roman times as a healing food and were also used as an aphrodisiac! Buy beets with their greens on since those will be the freshest. Try steaming your beets to keep the nutrition content optimal and always cook them with their skin on (peel them after they are cooked and have cooled).  Try eating them with a sauce made from oil, onion, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest and blue cheese.  This book is chock full of information and great recipes.  You will never look at a carrot the same way again (they should really be purple). SG

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Don't pack away your grill just yet -- did you know that September 18th is National Cheeseburger Day?  Check out some of our cookbooks here at the library, including Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes and enjoy the end of summer with some mouth-watering recipes.  HM

National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month and the library has many books of poetry on display for your browsing pleasure (and fun activities throughout the month!).

One of my favorite books of poetry is The Hungry Ear: Poems of Food and Drink edited by Kevin Young. It could be the topic of food and drink but I think I enjoy it so much because Mr. Young has put together a well thought out and diverse collection of over 150 poems. Contributors include Elizabeth Bishop, Billy Collins, Seamus Heaney, Rumi, and many more.

From the chapter Soup Lines & Staples, a poem by Langston Hughes: I, Too, Sing America:

I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.

Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed –

I, too, am America.

- Langston Hughes

Let's hear some of your favorite poems.  You can comment here or join us on Facebook or Pinterest.  And stop by the Library with a 'poem in your pocket.'  We'd love to hear from you!  SG

Please Pass the Poems...

Kevin Young has combined two things we Americans love in his new book
The Hungry Ear: Poems of Food & Drink. The volume contains 158 poems written by various poets who appreciate good food and good verse. The book is divided into sections that relate to food in different seasons and under all sorts of circumstances. Kevin talks about how food has played a part in his life, from childhood and family traditions to its healing power. He invites you to “Help Yourself.”  Don’t miss the “Song to Bacon”. DB

Culture, Food, and Identity

Part coming-of-age story, part food memoir, Fresh Off the Boat by Eddie Huang details the blogger and chef's childhood as the son of Chinese immigrants living in Orlando during the 1990s.  Huang learns form an early age (and from his ex-gangster dad) not to take insults from anybody, a lesson that gets him into trouble time and time again.  Fleshed out with references to hip hop, basketball, food, and '90s pop culture, Fresh Off the Boat explores issues of race, identity, and what it means to be American.  HM

A Delicious Read

Fans of the "cozy" mystery genre will love this book. As you know, cozies are mysteries without horror, gore or fear. Usually featuring a plucky heroine and sometimes knitting,food or other cozy elements. Cooking the Books by Kerry Greenwood is the sixth in a series featuring Corinna Chapman, baker extraordinaire. Corinna a former accountant with a hot boyfriend and a bakery that features bread and muffins. The descriptions of the bread and muffins are mouth watering and her host of eccentric friends interesting. Greenwood is a life long resident of Melbourne Australia where the novel is set and her take on the local color is fascinating. ML

Food As Identity

Wonder bread, Ding Dongs, potato chips, and Popsicles -- these are the constant cravings of Bich Minh Nguyen in her coming-of-age tale, Stealing Buddha's Dinner: A Memoir. A Vietnamese refugee in 1980s Grand Rapids, Nguyen struggles to reconcile her Asian family life with the Western culture surrounding her. Quickly, she comes to identify "being American" with eating American junk food, and finds herself torn between fried shrimp cakes and Kit Kats. Honored as a Michigan Notable Book in 2008, Stealing Buddha's Dinner is a fascinating look at childhood and the creation of identity through the eyes of an outsider. HM

A Delicious Story

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister starts with the story of Lillian, a long time chef, restaurant owner, and cooking instructor. In Lillian's cooking classes she shares the pleasures of food and shows how essential ingredients are not only necessary in cooking, but in life, love and friendship. You will read about Lillian's eight students, sharing in their joys, sorrows, hopes and dreams, learning about the essential ingredients in each of their lives.

This debut novel has been widely acclaimed and has been published in 21 countries. Ms. Bauermeister's second novel "Joy for Beginners" will be published in June - watch for it and enjoy. Suggested read-alikes include Bread Alone by Judith Ryan Hendricks and Chocolat by Joanne Harris.

Bagel or McMuffin?

As we enter the season of family, friends and food, you might worry about packing on the pounds. Fear not--the authors of the Eat This, Not That! series have just released an updated and expanded edition to help you fight an expanding waistline. You don't have to give up all those delicious restaurant snacks during your shopping breaks...just make wiser choices. (Hint: choose the Egg McMuffin over the Bagel!)