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e-BytesNews and Information For You From the Park Ridge Public LibraryVolume: 8 Issue: 21 November 14, 2008
Sarah Hagge, Children's Services Librarian and cooking enthusiast, shares new and old cookbooks for the holiday season. That monolithic block of time known as The Holidays is almost upon us, and with the holidays come festive meals and gatherings. Whether you're hosting family meals at Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa, or having parties-large or small-throughout the coming months, you'll probably need A Plan. Many of us have traditional recipes for main dishes and sides-turkey, of course, springs immediately to mind-but what if you want to shake up the baked goods with a new recipe or two? A delectable coffee cake for breakfast with the family, a stunning tart to pull out at the end of a fancy soiree, several new kinds of cookies for a cookie exchange, a great loaf of bread for the holiday table? As always, the library can help! Our cookbook collection is crowded with new and diverse books, some of which are sure to inspire a baking day or two. Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeffrey Hertzberg and Zoe Francois (641.815 HER) You want fresh-baked bread on the table for Thanksgiving, but don't have time that day to mix and knead the dough? Hertzberg and Francois (a writer and a pastry chef from Minnesota) have developed a method of making bread that requires no kneading, can be made as much as 14 days in advance, and requires only a bowl, a spoon and your refrigerator. (Well, and the oven, of course, to bake the bread). Their method can be used for almost any kind of bread you could desire: plain white bread, crusty French bread, nubbly whole-wheat bread, decadent chocolate bread, challah, brioche, and myriad others. The bread that results is delicious, and it really does take just five minutes to prepare. Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan (641.815 GRE) Greenspan, well-known for her baking books and collaborations with famous chefs, has written her best book of all. Her recipes for elegant cakes, comforting muffins and perfect pies could conceivably provide the inspiration for every baked good you need for the entire holiday season. Start breakfast with her Pumpkin Muffins, serve her Perfect Pound Cake at a holiday tea, and pull out the All-American Apple Pie for Thanksgiving dessert. Her World Peace cookies are so famous on the Internet that they've practically given rise to a devoted cookie cult. Dessert Express: 100 Sweet Treats You Can Make in 30 Minutes by Lauren Chattman (641.86 CHA) The Park Ridge Public Library owns several of Chattman's baking books, and they all contain excellent recipes. Her latest, though, is full of nothing but tasty, easy recipes that take no time at all to whip up. Her chocolate-covered grapes would be a perfect cocktail party nibble, and her many sandwich cookie variations would fit right in at the end of a children's skating (or caroling!) party-the children could even assemble the cookies themselves. Martha Stewart's Cookies: the Very Best Treats to Make and Share by Martha Stewart (641.8654 STE, New Books) What more can be said about Martha Stewart? You can expect a meticulously tested and beautifully photographed book full of delicious cookie recipes! Spice up your cookie exchange with Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies or Maple-Pecan Shortbread. Want something more elegant for a tea party? Meringues are your go-to cookie. Planning a late-night party for adults? Top off your New Year's nightcaps with some delicate Cherry Tuiles. |
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| Information & News from Park Ridge Public Library 20 S. Prospect Park Ridge, IL 60068 (847) 825-3123 Sarah Hagge, editor To subscribe or unsubscribe, please contact Sarah at shagge@prpl.org |
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