Westerly Sun Column | Bevy of Books to Help You Cook the Bird

There are many wrongful presumptions about librarians, one of them being that we like to spend our time discussing scholarly, highbrow, deeply intellectual subjects. I suppose this is true of some librarians, but my coworkers and I are much more frequently talking about food. And occasionally Bravo … but, mostly, food. As such, I’m always excited when an opportunity to write a column about food comes up, and what better time to do so than the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving? Whether you’re planning on making food, sharing food, or indulging in a variety of treats, food is often front and center in our holiday celebrations. The library can help you make the most of this season!

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, you may rely on a trusted classic like “Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well” by Sam Sifton to help you pull off the meal, but there are many more to choose from. “Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals” by Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton George is a great new cookbook that offers multi-course menus for nearly every family gathering, including Thanksgiving. Even if you have decades of experience preparing the dinner, books like “The Vegan Holiday Cookbook” by Katie Culpin may offer some fresh ideas, or help you make delicious options for those with dietary restrictions. You can even take a leaf out of my colleague’s book and opt for Indian food on the holiday, rather than the traditional options! Granted, she orders out, but we have tons of multicultural cookbooks to help you bring a bit of diversity to your own Thanksgiving table.

Would it be dramatic for me to say that the library subscribing to The New York Times was my favorite part of 2024? I’ve already written about my obsession with their puzzles, which I’m now able to do daily, but having free access to NYT Cooking has also been a game-changer, especially for the holidays. They have plenty of curated lists for Thanksgiving menus, and it’s always useful to look at the comments section for each recipe, where people post additional tips, tricks, and substitutions. There’s much to choose from, but their “Coffee and Maple Chess Pie” recipe has caught my attention! You can grab an All Access day pass for NYT on the “Databases” page of the library’s website.

Thanksgiving is definitely at the forefront of our minds, but December will be here before we know it, and that means it’s nearly time for our annual Cookbook Club Cookie Swap! Bring three dozen fresh baked cookies, enjoy a great evening with wonderful people, and leave with a tray full of amazing cookies that you can share with family and friends. This event takes place on Dec. 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and, I promise, you do not want to miss it. In the meantime, check out some of these books, and feel free to ask for more recommendations. You know us Westerly librarians: we’re always happy to engage in a good, food-centric discussion!

by Cassie Skobrak, Adult Services Librarian