By Rose Barnes, Health & Senior Services Librarian
As August winds down and we hang on to the last hot days of summer, I often find myself thinking about hearty fall produce and seasonal recipes.
I am someone who relishes summer and takes advantage of the longer days by gardening or grilling outside, but towards the end of August, I start to look forward to spending more time inside and tackling bigger cooking projects.
Check out a cookbook
One of the ways I prepare for fall and winter is by thinking about what I want to cook during those seasons. I have some tried and trusted cookbooks, but I love to check out cookbooks from the library and flip through them in my downtime for inspiration.
Personally, I am going to challenge myself to focus more on plant-based recipes and utilizing leftovers this fall. I have checked out How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman and The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z by Tamar Adler, but I also am going to check out more from the vast collection of cookbooks at the library.
Check some out yourself: Cookbooks are available from the library’s catalog and digitally from Media On Demand/Libby and Hoopla.
Attend a cooking program
I also am looking forward to attending upcoming cooking programs and classes at the library. This fall, the virtual Classroom Kitchen series will return and focus on tailgating recipes in September, Oktoberfest foods in October, and streusel in November.
Also, Illinois Libraries Presents will be back virtually this fall with a great series of authors. As a lover of all things pie, I am definitely looking forward to the November discussion with Maya-Camille Broussard of Justice of the Pies.
I hope that one of these cooking resources sparks your interest and you tackle a fun cooking project. But know that you can always just check out a cookbook, or attend a cooking program, for the fun of it without needing to actually make anything. Sometimes the best stress release can come from just observing the cooking and creating process!
About Rose
Rose is an Adult Services Librarian specializing in health and senior services. She is a passionate reader, baker, and explorer who is always planning her next adventure.
