Cooking with Toddlers

Our kiddo is knocking on the door of becoming a two-year-old and with that I’ve started to see this independent, thoughtful, and inquisitive mind blossom in front of my eyes. Dinner has always been hard since becoming parents, but I’m starting to see the role that he can play in this process so that we can all eat at the same time and the same meal! Here are a few books that inspired me to get my kid in the kitchen!

Kids in the Kitchen: Simple Recipes That Build Independence and Confidence the Montessori Way by Sara Cotner

My favorite book of the bunch – great pictures and directions! Includes all the set-up you need to get your kiddo started in the kitchen. This book is not bursting with content, but it’s a good place to start, especially for Montessori families.

Food Play! by Amy Palanjian

The easiest book on the block for the youngest among us! Sandwich pinwheels, instant oatmeal decorating, and watermelon smashing! Loads of fun and incredibly easy recipes for those near to preschool age (I plan on doing a few of these with my one and a half year old). I’m also obsessed with her blog: Yummy Toddler Food.

Cookbooks and food writing from the past year

Explore dumpling styles from around the world, cook everyday meals rich with Afghan history, get a dose of inspiration from Chinese bakeries, add some Filipino dishes to the next few weeks (and probably forever), or learn how to cook Hawaiian dishes — we have confidence that you can do it all, with the right guide. Here are five cookbooks our staff loved from the past year. These are cooks you’ll want to follow on Instagram, too.

Let’s Make Dumplings by Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan: If the title alone didn’t lure you in, listen to this: It’s a comic book cookbook, two favorite things for many of us for sure, AND THEN THERE ARE DUMPLINGS! It’s a delight. The illustrations are charming as well as super helpful for folding styles. This duo also created Let’s Make Ramen (2019). Keep up with both of them on Instagram: @hughamano and @sarahbecan.

MeatEater: Your Link to the Food Chain

Steven Rinella grew up in Twin Lake, Michigan and learned to hunt and fish at an early age. This love of hunting and the outdoors has now become quite a career as an author, television personality, podcaster, and conservationist. He breaks the stereotype we have of the “American hunter” – when he explores a subject, he nerds out so spectacularly that I have come to appreciate his level of intellect and extensive research.

The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine (2006) – The first book in the Steven Rinella canon. Steven sets out to recreate the recipes from master chef Escoffier’s classic 1903 Le Guide Culinaire to get back to where the history of modern food got its start.

Lavender: Love It or Eat It

Lavender is one of those things that people love or hate. It took me awhile to appreciate it since I always associated the scent to the women’s restroom at the Elk’s Lodge my grandparents went to. But lavender is more than lotions and sachets.

Below are a few books in our collection that contain some of the ways I’ve fallen hard for lavender.

Lavender: 50 Self-care Recipes and Projects for Natural Wellness by Bonnie Louise Gillis
My favorite form has been lavender syrup in coffee drinks – add it to an americano or a chai latte. Elevates it to a whole other level! This book has a whole section on beverages, and I’m obsessed with every single one. But there’s also so much more that will have you treating your self – mind, body, and stomach.

Three on a Theme: Vegan Cookbooks for Autumn

Autumn is a great time of year to turn inwards and do some experimentation in the kitchen, whether this means cooking delicious warm meals or exploring new baked goods to munch on while things get colder and darker outside. This post compiles a list of plant-based (vegan) cooking and baking resources offered by the Library that can help guide you on your autumn kitchen adventures. Whether you are already eating plant-based foods or not, these are sure to yield some yummy treats for this yummy season.

Vegan Casseroles: Pasta Bakes, Gratins, Pot Pies, and More by Julie Hassan

Nothing says autumn like a nice gooey, crispy, scrumptious casserole taken fresh out of the oven. This cookbook by Julie Hasson is designed for the “health-conscious” vegan while also prioritizing the things that make casseroles a traditional comfort food. According to critical reviews, her recipes succeed in delivering flavor even without the dairy products that we tend to think make casseroles so good in a non-vegan context. With categories sch as “one-dish appetizers,” “pasta casseroles,” “dessert casseroles,” and an entire section on “sauces, toppings, and basics,” this is a very varied collection for anyone looking to expand their recipe repertoire this season.