Use your Library as a Cooking Resource
Being a home schooling mother of five, I visit our local library regularly. Actually, I visit it once a week, a scheduled visit which several of my kids would sorely miss if I skipped it. One likes to research animals and their behavior, one likes to read old-fashioned children’s stories and mysteries, one likes everything from comics to science books, the littlest one likes to rent movies. I usually pick something for my husband, who is an avid reader of all types of books, and I like to borrow some fiction for myself.
Many people don’t realize that the library also lends cookbooks. Yes, there is an entire section of your library — the shelves are stuffed full of cookbooks! Not sure you want to buy it? Borrow it first and spend a couple of weeks testing some of the recipes. Or, maybe a friend you want to have over for dinner is diabetic - borrow a diabetic cookbook for the occasion. Interested in food from other cultures? My library has an entire series of short cookbooks entitled, “Cooking the _________ Way.” I can pick from South American, German, Italian, Greek, or Japanese cuisine and more. You might decide to do International Food Day (or week) at your house. Want to make your kids some really special cookies on the last day of school? Choose a cookie cookbook from the shelf.
You can learn more about wine, cheese, beer, grains, meats, grilling, pastries, old-fashioned cooking, top picks from favorite magazines…. I could go on and on.
Last week, I had these cookbooks in my kitchen… “The Best of the Best,” a selection of recipes from the 25 best cookbooks of the year. I had “Best-Kept Secrets of Healthy Cooking,” there were some really tasty recipes in that one and I’m considering buying it. One was Pumpkin Gingerbread with very little oil, whole-wheat flour, and no eggs, which surprised me by turning out very well. I also had Better Homes and Gardens’ “The New Dieter’s Cookbook,” which had an abundance of delicious low-fat recipes.
If you are curious about a particular chef, check them out by borrowing one of their books. I spotted Emeril, Rachel Ray, and others on the shelf at my library.
And with electronic catalogs, finding books at your library is easier than ever. Most now have an online catalog, so you can search the topic or author, find the book you want, and copy the decimal code for easy finding at the library. You may even be able to place a hold on the book(s) you want and your librarian will have it ready for you when you arrive.
I know this post sounds like a commercial for your public library and I guess it is. I think that our libraries are a wonderful but sadly underused resource. In our materialistic society, we often buy and then discard. Personally, I almost always preview books at the library before I ever think about buying them.
April 21st, 2008