Time to melt: National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

Did you know that April 12 is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day!?

Grilled cheese has always been one of my favorite comfort foods — and I know I’m not alone: People have been loving its ease and possibilities for nearly 100 years. “The United States modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich originated in the 1920’s when inexpensive sliced bread and American cheese became easily available. Originally it was made as an open-faced sandwich,” says the National Day Calendar.

Grilled cheese now is even better with experimentation, adding pesto and tomatoes, using sour dough and apple jelly, or adding chutney and brie. I used to love trying out the sale cheeses at QFC to see which ones made the best sandwich (Port Salut is my favorite). Then of course all the wonderful things you can dip it in…

Here are a few books in the library to get your grilled cheese experiment on:

Grilled Cheese Kitchen: Bread + Cheese + Everything in Between by Heidi Gibson

Melted cheese between slices of toasted bread — the ultimate in comfort food. This mouthwatering cookbook features 39 grilled cheese recipes created by Heidi Gibson, winner of seven grilled cheese championships and the co-owner (with husband Nate) of the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen in San Francisco.

 

Cooking Wild

View from our cabin!

Every year around February or March my husband and I plan our first camping outing. We have a cabin that we love, so even if it’s cold outside we can be nice and cozy. Our cabin has the absolute basics though, no cooking inside, no kitchenette, just a bed and a table, so that means we have to find easy ways to cook our meals. The first time we came out I was all about the foil packets on the campfire, but rain sometimes doesn’t fit with that plan. We now have an electric skillet that we can use on the porch if need be and a cast iron skillet with a cover for those light rains, and a camping tote that holds utensils and towels and spices, just little things we have found over the years to make cooking a little easier.

Here are a few books in our collection…beautiful ones I might add…that can help with the planning of an outdoor cooking adventure away from home.

New Nonfiction Roundup – March 2018

Historical narratives set in remote locations. Inspiring stories of the pursuit for peace, justice and equality. Examinations on the perils of authoritarianism. Cookbooks galore. All these, and more, await you this March!

3/5: The People vs. Democracy by Yascha Mounk. The author cautions that freedom is at stake in a world increasingly led by populist leaders. Will be at the Central Library on March 15th!

3/6: Always Delicious by David Ludwig. This companion to Always Hungry contains over 100 recipes for those frustrated with typical diet cookbooks.

3/6: Brain Food by Lisa Mosconi. Neuroscience meets nutrition in this book designed to improve cognition.

3/6: Can It Happen Here? by Cass Sunstein. The author’s answer to Sinclair Lewis’s novel It Can’t Happen Here is yes, authoritarianism can happen in America.

Pie and Whiskey

There are some combinations so perfect that when your attention is drawn to them, you wonder how you’ve missed them for years. That was my feeling upon discovering Pie & Whiskey, which is simultaneously: a fantastic compilation of short work from Washington authors, edited by Kate Lebo and Samuel Ligon; a raucous, celebratory literary event Spokane-based Lebo and Ligon have been hosting for five years; and a delightful culinary combination. Lebo and Ligon sometimes take their pie-and-whiskey literary show on the road, and if it comes near you definitely check it out; the last chapter in their book also has instructions for hosting your own shindig. If you’re more interested in the small scale application, making pie and drinking whiskey at home with friends and family, here are some books to get you started.

Pie School: Lessons in Fruit, Flour and Butter by Kate Lebo – With instructions on creating the perfect flaky crust; recipes for 50 delightful, mostly fruit pies; and a friendly, chatty tone, this is a great place to start your pie baking escapades. Plus you’ll get a little pie cultural history. Organized by main ingredient.

Our Top 10 Nonfiction Books of 2017

… according to Seattle Public Library adult librarians

Yesterday we listed our librarians’ favorite novels of 2017; today, we present you with the list of our ten favorite nonfiction books published in 2017, from memoirs to essay collections to history and cooking.