Irish Cooking

Copyright Buck, 2010-.

Irish cooking, like other cuisines, is good year round, but especially popular this time of year, with Saint Patrick's Day falling on March 17.  If you're interested in Irish food but don't have a Saint Patrick's Day meal planned, look at some of our cookbooks for inspiration!

If every-day recipes are more your speed, check out Good Mood Food by Irish home cook Donal Skehan.  This self-described home cook/photographer/food writer has published a blog since 2007, and has since moved on to not only publishing two cookbooks, but also producing and hosting a hit cooking show in Ireland!

Copyright Donal Skehan, 2010-.

Donal also acts as a bit of a "food ambassador", not only representing Irish cooking at various events, but also appearing on international television!

UPDATE 3/16/2012:  Donal's segment is now up on the Today Show site at Celebrate St. Patty's with beef and Guinness stew

Please be advised that the TODAY show is an NBC network show, and is in no way affiliated with Hamden Public Library.  Also, the spelling of the holiday's nickname should be "St. Paddy's", not "St. Patty's".

Now that I think of it, Donal's not the only successful cookbook author who's also a food blogger.  What's some of your favorite food writing on the Internet?  Is it as good as the food writing Elisabeth highlighted in her last post?

Best Food Writing

I enjoyed reading these two recent articles on the topic of food and restaurants: "Throwback in Albany will serve last meal" by John Eligon, published in the print edition of the New York Times, Feb. 10, 2012, and "Till the last doughnut and drumstick" by Pete Wells, published in the print edition of the New York Times, Feb. 1, 2012. More articles by John Eligon who reports for the New York Times from Albany. More information on restaurant critic Pete Wells. If you are interested in food writing, check out the following new books from our collection:

Best Food Writing. Edited by Holly Hughes.


A collection of writings from periodicals, Web sites, and books that explores such topics as culinary history, food sourcing at a greenmarket, equipping a kitchen, and the economics of the restaurant business.






Will Write for Food. By Dianne Jacob.
Presents advice on how to become a food writer, discussing how to start a blog, get assignments as a restaurant reviewer, write a cookbook, compose a memoir, and put together a book proposal for prospective publishers.
From the contents:
What, exactly, is food writing? -- Characteristics of a food writer -- Getting started -- Get published with a food blog -- Becoming a successful freelance writer -- Secrets of restaurant reviewing -- The cookbook you've always wanted to write -- The art of recipe writing -- Memoir and nonfiction food writing -- Writing about food in fiction -- How to get your book published.

There is also:

American Food Writing: an anthology with classic recipes.

New Nonfiction Books in the 600s

We have updated our LIFESTYLES bookletter. See what is new in fitness, health, cooking! Find inspiration, ideas, and information.

New Arrivals

We just published a new edition of our LIFESTYLES bookletter.

This bookletter is published online on the 7th day of each month. We list new cookbooks, fitness books, health books, etc.

Check what is new and forthcoming in fiction and nonfiction in GOOD READS.

2011 James Beard Foundation Book Awards

The following cookbook authors received awards from The James Beard Foundation:

American Cooking
James Villas
Pig: King of the Southern Table


Cookbook Hall of Fame

Harold McGee

On Food and Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen


Cookbook of the Year
Diana Kennedy
Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy

Reference and Scholarship
Mark Bitterman
Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral with Recipes

Single Subject
James Peterson
Meat: A Kitchen Education

Healthy Focus
Jessie Price
The Simple Art of Eatingwell


Baking and Dessert
Kim Boyce
Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours

General Cooking
Amanda Hesser
The Essential New York Times Cook Book: Classic Recipes for a New Century

International
Grace Young
Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery with Authentic Recipes and Stories

Writing and Literature
Paul Greenberg
Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food

Best Chef: New York City
Gabrielle Hamilton
Blood, Bones and Butter

Best Chef: Southeast
Andrea Reusing
Cooking in the Moment

Cooking from a Professional Point of View +
Photography
Redzepi, René
Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine

Beverage
Jordan Mackay and Rajat Parr
Secrets of the Sommeliers: How to Think and Drink like the Worlds' Top Wine Professionals

October is Vegetarian Awareness Month

Come in and check out some of our vegetarian cookbooks and try out some new recipes. Get inspired!
Subscribe via e-mail to our LIFESTYLES bookletter for information on new cookbooks.

Eat Better; Eat Together!

October is Eat Better; Eat Together month. The following books will give you tips, ideas, and recipes. Why not try out a new recipe or explore foods from different countries?

Starting this month, try to eat better, but also eat together, and enjoy mealtime family conversations.

Let's Get Grilling

It finally feels like summer has arrived! And what better way to celebrate the season than to fire up the grill! Check out one of these great new books on grilling:


Grilling with Gas by Fred Thompson
Serious Barbecue: Smoke, Char, Baste, and Brush Your Way to Great Outdoor Cooking by Adam Perry Lang
Emeril at the Grill: A Cookbook for All Seasons by Emeril Lagasse
BBQ Bash: The Be-All, End-All Party Guide, from Barefoot to Black Tie by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig
Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book: Recipes and Secrets from a Legendary Barbecue Joint by Chris Lilly
Bobby Flay's Grill It! by Bobby Flay

You can search our catalog for more books on barbecue cooking.