New Cookbooks for the Changing Season

 by Edward Hirst Rowan Public Library

With the change of seasons from winter to spring the fruits and vegetables at the local markets seem to undergo a change as well with brighter colors and a wider variety available. Now is a great time to explore a variety of cookbooks from Rowan Public Library.

“How to Cook Everything Vegetarian” by New York Times columnist Mark Bittman  is a well written, great introduction to cooking vegetarian meals. Each recipe starts with a description followed by a list of ingredients and directions. It is a large book at nearly one thousand pages and covers a wide variety of meals, from soups and salads to bread, pizzas, and desserts.

“The Modern Vegetarian” by Maria Elia is beautifully illustrated with over 120 vegetarian recipes. Some of the ingredients listed are little on the exotic side and may not be available locally although we are given suggestions for substitutions.

In “Sacred Feasts from a Monastery Kitchen,” author Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette has organized the recipes by month and holidays. More then just a cookbook the Brother Victor-Antoine shares his reflections and wisdom on life in a New England monastery.

If you want to cook great food that is fun and easy to make, then “Mediterranean Harvest” by Martha Rose Shulman will not disappoint. This cookbook explores the healthy cuisine of the Mediterranean region. Take a culinary journey around the Mediterranean from France to North Africa with stops in Italy, Greece, Turkey and more.

The book “In the Green Kitchen” by Alice Waters not only has many enjoyable recipes exploring local foods;  it is also illustrated with techniques to learn how to prepare the recipes that are shared.

You can find these and other titles to get started cooking at Rowan Public Library.