Usually around this time of year I like to put up a big display of fall books on the first floor. Mind you, that was before Hamilton: The Musical came to Chicago. Now my apples have been replaced with Federalist Papers. Pretty cool, but with all these lovely autumnal materials on our shelves it seems only fitting to let you know about them. Here then are some particularly toothsome little numbers best befitting this newly chilly season.
Eat Feed Autumn Winter: 30 Ways to Celebrate When the Mercury Drops by Anne Bramley
Let’s face it. It’s easier to feed your face when the Farmer’s Market is there to provide. But with the looming closure of our favorite blacktop institution, consider taking a gander at this book to best become a consummate (and truly seasonal) cold-weather cook.
Apples by Frank Browning
Everything you did (and hadn’t thought to) want to know about everyone’s favorite fruit. From various tree-of-life myths involving the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Celts, French, and Scandinavians to the fruit’s origins in Kazakhstan on the slopes of the Heavenly Mountains, Browning covers his bases. Be ready for genetics, biotech breeding programs, and cider making galore.
Purely Pumpkin: More Than 100 Wholesome Recipes to Share, Savor, and Warm Your Kitchen by Alison Day
I know some of you cringe whenever you see the annual onslaught of all the “pumpkin” flavored items that appear around now. Why not skip all those and go to the real thing instead? This little book is great for recipe ideas, and has the extra-added bonus of also containing a fair number of gluten-free options as well.
Apples to Cider: How to Make Cider at Home by April White
Of course, for some of you, merely reading about apples won’t be enough. You must defeat them on your own terms. Crush their resistance! And make something yummy in the process. This book shows you how.
A Harvest of Pumpkins and Squash: Seasonal Recipes by Lou Seibbert Pappas
What do the following words have in common:
Buttercup
Crookneck
Pattypan
If you said they were all different kinds of squashes and pumpkins then you are right on the money. Or, put another way, nom nom nom nom nom.
Apples, from Harvest to Table: 50 Recipes Plus Lore, Crafts and More Starring the Tried-and-True Favorite by Amy Pennington
I know I’m a little fixated on the apples today, but they’re just so darn tasty. This book is good for folks who, as Library Jounal put it, are “more interested in recipes than in history and botanical information.”
