Whip out your whisks and sharpen your culinary expertise, we’re getting busy in the kitchen! Whether you’re a budding baker or a seasoned cuisinier, become the chef you were always meant to be this holiday season with these specially selected cookbooks!
When you’re looking for a gorgeous grazing table, try “Boards & Spreads” by Yasmin Fahr.
Go beyond boring old cheese slices and crackers with 65 recipes for delicious options covering everything from girl dinners and pre-dinner appetizers to breakfast fare, holiday open houses and family snacks. In this cookbook, you won’t find just traditional cheese plates but simple ideas and scrumptious recipes for a variety of snacks. From the Top-Your-Own-Chili Board to the Crispy Chicken Bites Spread, there’s something for every mood and meal.
When the fridge is looking a little bare, try “Milk Street Cookish” by Christopher Kimball.
Throw together fast, flavorful meals in no time with just a handful of ingredients thanks to the 200 incredible options included in “Cookish.” Kimball and his team create the most delicious recipes with six or fewer ingredients, making it easy to be the kitchen whiz you’ve always wanted to be.
When you want to whip out the special plates and candle sticks, try “Gatherings” by America’s Test Kitchen.
Toss out the old rules of getting together and throw a dinner party so memorable and fuss-free that everyone, even the host, will want to do it all over again! The cooks of America’s Test Kitchen are shaking up the notion of what a dinner party is all about by revealing their favorite ways to entertain loved ones with a collection of personal recipes. So, get fancy (but stay casual), go all out and maximize your quality fun time with the help of these delectable dishes.
When you’re counting down the days until your next Disney vacation, try “The Official Disney Parks Cookbook” by Pam Brandon.
Some of the best vacation memories happen over a good meal, and this collection of official Disney Parks recipes is the perfect ingredient to sharing food and memorable moments with your loved ones at home. Working with Disney chefs for more than 25 years, Pam Brandon takes the best dishes from Disney theme parks and serves them up in the comfort of your own home. Try the Flame Tree Barbecue Sauce, Mickey Mouse Beignets or even the Grey Stuff (we’ve heard it’s delicious) and relive your favorite magical moments from past Disney vacations.
When you’re feeling like an impasta in the kitchen, try “That Noodle Life” by Mike Le and Stephanie Le.
Inspired by the noodle-crazed cuisines of Asia, Italy and the American melting pot, these recipes dish up high-impact, slurpable flavor and minimal fuss. Dig into comfort noodles like Really Savory Sunday Sauce or quick weeknight noodles like Crispy Chow Mein and Let’s Stay in Tonight Spicy Sesame Chili Oil Noodles. Plus, learn how to upgrade instant ramen, recipes for making delicious pasta from scratch and, last but not least, the one and only lasagna bracket competition.
When you’d rather spend time on the couch than in the kitchen, try “One Hour Comfort” by America’s Test Kitchen.
Whether your go-to comfort food is brothy-slurpy ramen, ultra-melty grilled cheese, Korean fried chicken or something (anything!) chocolaty, you want to get to the eating part fast, right? This diverse collection of uncomplicated dishes shows you how, proving that comfort food doesn’t need to take the better part of a day. In this diverse, globally-inspired collection of simple recipes, America’s Test Kitchen fans and employees weighed in on their favorites and this book is organized around their cravings.
When all your pots are in the dishwasher, try “Dinner in One” by Melissa Clark.
Melissa Clark brings her home cook’s expertise and no-fuss approach to the world of one-pot/pan cooking. With nearly all the recipes being made in under one hour, these streamlined steps will ensure you are in and out of the kitchen without dirtying a multitude of pans. We recommend trying the miso-glazed salmon with roasted sugar snap peas or the gingery coconut noodles with shrimp and greens.
Ashlee Conour is the marketing specialist at Naperville Public Library.