Bus Reads for December

Commuting to Seattle by bus five days a week gives me a lot of reading time. Here’s what I read on the bus in December:

Sal by Mick Kitson. A beautiful book despite its tough subject matter. The sisters, Sal and Peppa, are adorable and charming. Sal, the oldest, has been taking care of her younger sister for years as her mom drinks the days away. Her mother’s boyfriend uses the mother’s addiction to his advantage and sexually assaults Sal numerous times. Despite this Sal is tough and getting prepared because the boyfriend has made it known Peppa is next. With Sal’s resourcefulness and determination the girls will flee to the woods and start a life of self-sufficiency. ​Also, there is so much hope in this novel!

Food Comics and Manga

I’ve been reading a lot of food-focused manga and comics recently. Maybe I’m just a hungry person? I do like food, but really, while these manga and comics share the culinary theme they span some wildly different story-telling territory; from D&D-esque dungeon crawlers, to queer slice-of-life stories, to cooking competitions. Some of these stories even include actual recipes (though a few use fictional ingredients).

Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui
Follow a band of adventurers as they attempt to rescue a party-member from the dungeon’s infamous red dragon, but not before killing and cooking up other monsters along the way. You can try to make these recipes at home, but you’ll have a difficult time finding all of the ingredients…

Get Jiro! by Anthony Bourdain

DIY Holidays: Crafty Gifts and Gifts of Food

Today is Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season and historically the busiest shopping day of the year. If the idea of battling frenzied crowds for the latest must-have doo-dad makes you want to pull the covers over your head and never come out, we have an idea for you – make your own gifts! You’ll get to stay home, avoid the clogged streets, and maybe even learn a new skill. And nothing says you care like a homemade present! Here are a few recent titles to inspire you:

Miniature Terrariums
Terrariums are among some of the easiest, quickest and cheapest crafts to make. Try it out yourself at our Holiday Craft workshop coming up next Thursday, November 29^th at the Central Library, 5:30 pm (free and open to all while supplies last).

Take a Tin by Jemima Schlee
You’ve probably got a few tin cans lying around the house somewhere. Upcycle these ubiquitous household items into lamps, storage and other fun gifts.

Get Cooking this October!

With the change in seasons and the upcoming holidays, it’s time to hunker down, spend time with family and friends, and enjoy food and drink. Check out the bounty of cookbooks being released this month and start planning!

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.