Diana Lamb

The season of holiday parties and celebrations has arrived! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve will be here before you know it. Whether you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the first time or you are looking for a new appetizer recipe to bring to the office holiday party, Smiley Library can provide you with lots of entertaining ideas, tips, and recipes for an enjoyable holiday season.

First-time and veteran holiday gathering hosts will appreciate the wise advice and practical information given in the form of flow charts, timelines, check lists, and menu ideas designed to ease those pre-party jitters. Turn to “Eatertainment” by Sebastien and Sheila Centner, “The Dinner Party Project” by Natasha Feldman, and “Company” by Amy Thielen so you can reap the benefits of their expertise and enjoy your own party.

The holidays are a traditional time to bring out tried and true family recipes. There are certain dishes that must be present, otherwise the meal isn’t complete. For Miranda Lambert’s family, they look forward to having Nonnie’s Thanksgiving dressing, sweet potato casserole, giblet gravy, and pumpkin spice coffee creamer. Miranda shares these family treasures and many more recipes plus family stories in her new book, “Y’all Eat Yet?”

Fun, creative, easy to eat, and perfectly portioned bites are a few of the ways to describe a platter of appetizers. “Brilliant Bites” by Maegan Brown presents an array of 75 festive finger foods suitable for your next gathering. Some of her holiday-themed appetizers include noodle wrapped mummy meatballs, colorful monster cookie balls, no-bake pumpkin pie bites, Thanksgiving cracker bites that resemble turkeys and cornucopias, and chocolaty midnight kiss cookie bites coated in sparkling sugar.

If you grow summer vegetables or are a lucky recipient of garden produce, then definitely stop by Smiley Library and check out our latest crop of cookbooks for new recipes and meal ideas. Here is a sampling of what’s in store.

Chef, gardener, blogger, and author Luay Ghafari shares his passion for growing seasonal produce and creating tasty vegetable-forward recipes in his new book, “Seed to Table.” Chapter 3 is where you can find Luay’s recipes for Tomato Tart, Peach Panzanella-Style Salad, Pasta alla Norma, and several cocktails such as Paloma Picante. Chef Ghafari also includes tips and techniques for preserving your harvest to enjoy all year, like herb-infused salts, refrigerator pickles, and fermented hot sauces. Many of his recipes include a QR code so you can access further content from his website with your smart phone.

There’s nothing like the sweet, juicy flavor of a home-grown tomato. Summer is the peak season for harvesting, sharing, and enjoying this edible gem. “Simply Tomato” by Martha Holmberg features 100 tomato-centric recipes that can be savored all year long. Familiar dishes like caprese salad, classic tomato soup, and fried green tomatoes are joined by Ravioli in Brown-Butter Tomato Sauce, Pasta with No-Cook Tomato Sauce with Feta, Mint, and Parsley, Roasted Green Tomato Salsa, and Braised Beef Short Ribs with Tomato, Dried Porcini, and Red Wine.

In the third volume of “Magnolia Table,” Joanna Gaines encourages home cooks and bakers to slow down, savor, and enjoy the process of food preparation. Just like many restaurants, Joanna begins her book with bread. Warm from the oven varieties include Truffle Butter Rolls, French Bread, Garlic-Cilantro Naan, and Beer Bread. Fancy and casual main dishes like Seafood Paella, Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Tarragon Sauce, and Chicken Cordon Bleu, as well as Smash Burgers, Chili Pie with a Golden Cornbread Crust, and Cheesy Baked Ziti can fulfill most all of your dinner plans. Other notable dishes to try are Bananas Foster Pancakes, Chunky Blackberry Applesauce, Bacon Butternut Squash, and Peach Pie Trifles.

If one homemade cookie is good, then two must be better! Especially when they have buttercream frosting, ice cream, or chocolatey ganache in the middle. “Stuffed: The Sandwich Cookie Book” by Heather Mubarak gives us 65 delectable mix and match and filling recipes with color photos to tempt and delight dessert fans of all ages. A few of Heather’s swoon-worthy pairings include Candy Cane Shortbread with Peppermint Buttercream and White Chocolate Drizzle, Chocolate Truffle Cookies with Whipped Nutella Ganache, Brown Butter Toffee Walnut Cookies with Bourbon Ice Cream, and Gingerbread Cookies with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream.

May was Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month. We can go ahead and extend the celebration just a little bit longer with these cookbooks from Smiley Public Library.

Spanning the Indian and Pacific oceans is an archipelago of 17,000 islands known as Indonesia. Some familiar islands might be Bali, Java, and Sumatra. Chef and author Petty Pandean-Elliott gives us a culinary tour in her book, “The Indonesian Table.” With corn coming into season, do consider making Sweetcorn Fritters with Chilli and Tomato Sambal to go with barbecue burgers or steak. A familiar Indonesian dish is satay and one to try might be Pork Satay with Chilli, Ginger, and Lime. As a side dish, you can swap plain rice for Sweetcorn Rice, Turmeric Coconut Rice, or Village Fried Rice. Coconut Pudding with Palm Sugar Syrup and Roasted Cashews or Pineapple Biscuits would be a sweet ending to a tasty meal.

“6 Spices 60 Dishes” by Ruta Kahate gives home cooks an array of easy Indian fare to add new flavors to their everyday meals. The six spices Ruta features are asafetida, cayenne, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and turmeric. The majority of recipes are plant-based with many that are also Vegan and gluten-free. Pink Lentils with Kale is spiced with cumin seeds, asafetida, and turmeric and served over a bed of fluffy steamed rice. Other quick and fragrant choices are Indian Pineapple Curry, Tricolor Salad, and Golden Root Veggies Stir Fry. Meat lovers need not feel left out as Ruta has included a select number of egg, seafood, and meat dishes, too.

Grilled Shrimp and Mango Rice Paper Rolls, Spicy Oyster Mushroom and Lemongrass Stir-Fry, and Char Siu Roasted Cauliflower are a few of the tempting vegetable-forward dishes you’ll discover inside Andrea Nguyen’s latest cookbook, “Ever-Green Vietnamese.” Soups, salads, and sandwiches are well represented and include recipes for Fast Vegetarian Pho, Confetti Broccoli and Herb Slaw, plus Steamed Bahn Mi Lettuce Wraps. For a little something sweet, there’s Peanut and Sesame Candy, Vietnamese Mocha Cake, and refreshing Coconut-Coffee Pops.

Caution: Don’t look at this book on an empty stomach! If you do, you’ll be twice as hungry as before. “Did You Eat Yet?” by Ronnie Woo pays tribute to his Asian heritage and his American homeland by presenting many crave-able familiar foods with an Asian twist. Teriyaki Rib Eye and Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese combines crispy sourdough, and melted cheddar with slightly charred onions and thinly sliced steak in a homemade teriyaki glaze. More comfort food favorites are Red Curry Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Crispy Hot Honey Baked Chicken Wings, and Blistered Miso Butter Green Beans with Crispy Fried Onions. For breakfast or anytime, there’s Fluffy Baked Vanilla Souffle Pancakes topped with a dollop of butter and maple syrup.

Spring is officially here and with it, comes the urge to take stock of what remains in our freezers and pantries. This is especially true if you have watched videos on social media and been influenced to clean and organize your kitchen. To help you thin out your supplies and make room on shelves, Smiley Library has an abundance of cookbooks to nourish you and help you achieve those kitchen Spring cleaning goals.

During the early days of the pandemic, we were all encouraged to stay home as much as possible. While at home, Noah Galuten and his wife, Iliza Schlesinger, started a live-stream cooking show. It was their way of reaching out and showing support while teaching viewers how to quickly create simple, comforting food. The “Don’t Panic Pantry” cookbook includes all the recipes from their cooking show of the same name. Most of Noah’s dishes are vegetarian such as Mozzarella Marinara, Green Rice and Black Beans, Fresno Chile and White Cheddar Cornbread, and Cold Sesame Soba.

Green Apple Pie Smoothie, Pear and Vanilla Spritzer, Summer Garden Juice, Berry-Oat Smoothie, and Orange Creamsicle are a few of the refreshing beverages on offer in “The Complete Guide to Healthy Drinks” by America’s Test Kitchen. Drinking homemade juices, smoothies, and infused waters is a delicious way to increase your fruit and vegetable intake while also using up your extra frozen and fresh produce.

The second selection from America’s Test Kitchen is “The Complete Modern Pantry.” Here, you will find over 350 creative ideas using ingredients that are ready and waiting in your kitchen cupboards. Wake up your taste buds with a crispy bowl of Maple-Pecan Skillet Granola. Bottom of the Box Pasta is a fun dish using a mix of leftover dry pasta shapes that are cooked and smothered in melted butter and cheese. When you have a craving for something sweet, whip up a batch of 3-ingredient Dipping Hot Chocolate. This yummy dip is perfect for dried fruits, pretzel rods, cookies, and spooning over ice cream.

Christopher Kimball and his team at Milk Street have put together a practical and appealing collection of recipes in their latest book “Cook What You Have.” Most of us probably have canned tomatoes, a bag of rice, frozen vegetables, and a box or two of dry pasta on hand. These common ingredients and others are the basis for over 200 creative and delicious meals. An overlooked bag of frozen shrimp can be turned into Curried Fried Rice with Shrimp and Pineapple or Tuscan-Style Shrimp with White Beans. There are over 30 recipes that call for canned tomatoes like Pinto Beans with Bacon and Chipotle, Pasta al Pomodoro, Tomato and Sausage Ragu over Polenta, plus Chicken and Tortilla Soup.

While our weather is cold and rainy, it is a great time to turn on the oven and bake up a storm! For some fresh ideas and new recipes, come to Smiley Library and sample our latest baking books.

If you are at all familiar with the show, “The Great British Bake Off!,” then you may recognize one of its judges, Paul Hollywood. “Bake: My Best Ever Recipes for the Classics” is Paul’s hand-picked collection of ultimate favorite recipes. Home bakers of all skill levels will find new savory and sweet recipes to try. Every recipe is accompanied by one or more full-page color photos. Many of his choices hail from Great Britain, such as Victoria Sandwich, Barm Cakes, Bin Lids, and Iced Finger Buns, which are baked doughnuts filled with whipped cream and strawberry jam, then covered in a thin layer of icing. Paul includes a surprise dessert that is not destined for the oven. See if you can find this one unbaked treat. It will be worth the search.

Calling all dessert lovers, this next book is definitely for you! Claire Saffitz agrees that a meal isn’t complete without a little something sweet. Her latest book, “What’s for Dessert,” seeks to satisfy our sweet tooth with 100 approachable recipes. Morning Glorious Loaf Cake is a delicious cross between a Morning Glory Muffin and a carrot cake. It is covered and filled with a maple cream cheese frosting. This might be served at brunch or as a snack with coffee or hot tea. Frozen phyllo dough gives Phyllo Cardamom Pinwheels and Honeyed Nut and Phyllo Pie their crispy, flaky texture, yet it also soaks up the butter, sugar, and honey. Nuts, popcorn, and caramel come together in a one-pan anytime treat Claire calls Caramel Peanut Popcorn Bars. Lastly, Blood Orange Pudding Cake is a creamy citrus dessert that needs no frosting and separates into two layers while it bakes. Serve with fresh sliced blood oranges on top.

When you hear the phrase ‘comfort food,’ what comes to mind? For some, it might be a warm frosted cinnamon roll, chocolate chip cookies, or a bowl of peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. For others, it may be a fondly-remembered childhood meal, such as baked macaroni and cheese, chicken tamale pie, or a hearty beef stew with sour cream and onion biscuits. You can find recipes for all of the above and many more mouthwatering dishes in “Comfort Baking” by Stephanie Wise.

King Arthur Baking Company invites home bakers of all skill levels to join their next class. The company has a school campus located in Norwich, VT, and a second one in Skagit, WA. If you are unable to attend in person, then you’ll want to check out their new book, “Baking School: Lessons and Recipes for Every Baker.” A lesson in creating a sourdough culture will help you create Deli Rye Bread and Crispy Sourdough Crackers. The secrets to making a flaky pie crust, fluffy biscuits, rich moist cakes with creamy frostings, and buttery croissants that melt in your mouth are waiting for you within the pages of this book.