Cookbook Award Winners

Mon, 04/15/2013 - 2:48pm by lucroe

The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) has awarded the following books (see full list here):

Cookbook of the Year & Best International Cookbook: Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi: 120 recipes that highlight the flavors of Jerusalem

Best American Cookbook: Hiroko’s American Kitchen: Cooking with Japanese Flavors: how to combine Japanese cooking flavors with Western style fare

Baking: Savory or Sweet: Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza: must-have baking guide to breads and pizzas providing the techniques and equipment advice to make them

Chefs and Restaurants cookbook: Vietnamese Home Cooking by Charles Phan, the award-winning chef from San Francisco's Slanted Door restaurant presents his life story along with a guide to making delicious Vietnamese food

Culinary History: The Cookbook Library: Four Centuries of the Cooks, Writers, and Recipes That Made the Modern Cookbook, tasting their way through centuries of cookbooks and recipes they have been collecting for 45 years, authors Anne Willan and her husband Mark Cherniavsky provide a fascinating history of cooking & cookbooks, lore, and of course recipes from as far back as medieval times

Culinary Travel:Burma: Rivers of Flavor: Burma is opening its doors and this book is a wonderful introduction its culinary marvels

First Book: The Julia Child Award: Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deborah Perelman: if you aren't familiar with the author's blog, go to it and see why this book is so popular

Food Matters: Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics: well-researched and written for the average joe, the science behind what a calorie is and much more

Literary Food Writing:Yes, Chef: A Memoir: life of chef, Marcus Samuelsson, from humble beginnings as an orphan to world-renowned chef

Lovin' the Lavender

Mon, 04/08/2013 - 1:07pm by lucroe

One of my favorite scents is lavender and with spring planting upon us, I turned to the Lavender Lover's Handbook, for inspiration. Lavender not only smells intoxicating, the flowers are gorgeous, and it can be used in a variety of recipes. From flower arranging to wreath making to cooking, this book provides the information needed to utilize lavender in many ways and in a variety of forms. The author also describes the different varieties of lavender, as well as how to grow and maintain them in abundance. The author should know, she has a 5-acre farm in Oregon with some 5000 lavender plants. It is open to the public and has the romantic name of Lavender at Stonegate. The library owns several other books on lavender, like Lavender: the grower's guide and Lavender : how to grow and use the fragrant herb I also have just heard about the Michigan Lavender Festival in Armada that takes place in July! A rewarding summer sipping sweet lavender lemonade!

Did somebody say "veg out"?!

Fri, 04/05/2013 - 9:52am by manz

It's Veg Week! Ann Arbor Veg Week 2013 is brought to you by VegMichigan, the state’s largest vegetarian organization promoting awareness of the health, environmental, and ethical benefits of a plant-based diet. The campaign encourages people to take the 7-day pledge and eat vegan or vegetarian for a week, and features a variety of events around the community.

Things kick off tonight at Downtown Home & Garden with special guests John Salley & Ann Arbor Mayor John Heiftje. There are special events happening every day this week, including a viewing of the Award-Winning Documentary Vegucated at the Downtown Library on Tuesday. Local restaurants are also featuring special vegan dishes this week! Be sure to check the schedule to see what's happening where. It’s a great week for seasoned vegans and vegetarians and for those who are pondering a plant-based diet to give it a whirl and ask questions.

And to cap it all off, the library has a ton of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks to entice you with yummy recipes beyond this week.

Nationally-Known Cooking Experts Marilynn & Sheila Brass Return To AADL to Discuss Boston Food, A New England Melting Pot

Wed, 02/20/2013 - 5:50pm by hillary dorwart

Thursday March 14, 2013: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

AADL joins with The Performance Network Theatre for a delightful evening of Boston lore and cooking tips with the return of Boston television stars and heirloom cooking experts Marilynn and Sheila Brass. This event is designed to give colorful insight into the food and lore of Boston - the setting for the Performance Network's March production of the play, "Good People”.

Boston's Brass Sisters are cookbook authors, television personalities and culinary historians. They also won a Throw down on the Food Network with Bobby Flay (with their heirloom recipe for Pineapple Upside-Down Cake)! Their cookbook, "Heirloom Baking” also received a James Beard nomination in the Dessert and Baking Category. This event will include a book signing and books will be for sale.

February is Great American Pie Month!

Fri, 02/01/2013 - 11:03am by yugure

Long winter blues got you down? Cheer yourself up by baking a pie and celebrating Great American Pie Month! Check out these delicious books from our collection!

Vegan Pie in the Sky: 75 Out-of-This-World Recipes for Pies, Tarts, Cobblers & More
America's Best Pies: Nearly 200 Recipes You'll Love
Martha Stewart's New Pies & Tarts : 150 Recipes for Old-Fashioned and Modern Favorites
Tart It Up! : Sweet & Savory Tarts & Pies
Mrs. Rowe's Little Book of Southern Pies
A Year of Pies: A Seasonal Tour of Home Baked Pies
Killer Pies: Delicious Recipes from North America's Favorite Restaurants

Essential Pepin

Wed, 01/30/2013 - 6:20pm by ballybeg

Are you confused about what to eat? Many people are. One person who is not confused is Jacques Pepin. As you can see from the title of his newest cookbook, Essential Pepin: 700 Favorites from My Life in Food, there are a lot of things he likes to eat, and he hopes you will too, and there is no fear in him. Sugar, chocolate, gluten, grains, red meat, salt, butter, wine, fruit, shellfish: bring it all on! He cooks like he learned to growing up in France, at his family’s restaurant. His exuberance about cooking and his pure enjoyment of food is refreshingly captured in the companion dvd series of the same name.

Watching Jacques cook is pure fun. Though he has lived in the US for ages, and speaks perfect English, he is so French. And he is an expert. With knives flashing (sharp ones at that), and one dish in the oven and two on the stove, he is masterful in the kitchen. Food obeys him. Sauces hold together and omelets flip and onions practically chop themselves. (How does he do that? I have a feeling taking notes doesn't help.) He is always sipping the ubiquitous glass of wine, a la Julia, and carrying on an amusing narrative while he creates his numerous, delectable dishes. He exhorts all cooks, all fear aside, to have a love affair with good food. His motto: “Happy cooking!”.

January is Hot Tea Month

Wed, 01/02/2013 - 4:18pm by yugure

Is there anything better than a cup of hot tea on a cold, snowy day? (Besides hot chocolate, that is!) January is Hot Tea Month, so celebrate by brewing up a pot and reading about this perennial favorite drink.

Culinary Tea: More than 150 Recipes Steeped in Tradition from Around the World
Liquid Jade: The Story of Tea from East to West
The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide
Tea Chings: The Tea and Herb Companion

If you're looking for something fun for your little ones to do during vacation or on snow days, how about throwing a tea party? Check out Fancy Nancy Tea Parties or Come to Tea! for tips, games, and menus, and if you feel inspired, throw a tea party for yourself with Victoria, the Essential Tea Companion!

Rockin' for the Hungry 2012

Thu, 12/06/2012 - 4:20pm by monkk

Volunteers and radio personalities from annarbor's 107one will be "freezin' for a reason" at the Food Gatherers' largest annual outdoor food and fund drive through December 9th. Broadcast live from Kroger on South Maple Road, you can participate by dropping off food or cash donations, purchasing food to donate, or by making a donation at the register of any Washtenaw County Kroger store location.

JAMIE'S 30-MINUTE MEALS

Tue, 11/27/2012 - 4:24pm by PattySmith

I love to cook. However, one of my biggest obstacles is combining foods that compliment each other. My dinner table often looks like potluck out of the United Nations or a potato growers convention (I have been know to serve tacos, spaghetti, mashed potatoes and roasted potatoes in the same meal!) I was delighted when I ran across Jamie's 30 Minute Meals. The goal of this book is to show how to cook a whole meal in a short amount of time. The key to being able to successfully use this book is to have a well equipped kitchen as many of his recipes call for the use of a food processor and a blender. Fortunately, I have both and was able to whip up a few of his delicious and simple recipes. Admittedly, I wasn't able to cook my meals in 30 minutes or less, but that wasn't really my goal. Most of the meal plans are basic and don’t require expensive or hard to get ingredients. Best of all, the foods compliment each other nicely to create a whole meal from main course to dessert. One of my favorite meal plans is the tomato soup and guacamole platter. Yum!

It was the Night Before Thanksgiving

Thu, 11/08/2012 - 9:08am by iralax

It was the day before Thanksgiving, and I was intent on a search, for a free Thanksgiving Dinner at the Ypsilanti Free Methodist Church. The flyer tacked to the telephone pole did assert "Come enjoy turkey and the the fixings, including pie for dessert! At 1800 Packard Rd., 4:30-6:30 pm, across from Ypsilanti High athletic fields, the feast will commence. So if you are planning to join us Nov. 21 on Wednesday, call 734-482-2055 to reserve a seat for the number attending. Happy Holidays!