Director's Blog | October 2015

The other night, we were grilling out and realized that we didn't have any steak sauce.  Naturally, I went online to find a good recipe.  You've been there before.  Maybe not for steak sauce, but perhaps you were trying to find a recipe for an old-fashioned apple pie or a lip-smacking mojito.  You want the classic, that tried-and-true recipe.

The first steak sauce recipe I found called for raisin paste.  The second one had FOURTEEN ingredients.  So, I headed to my bookshelf to retrieve my copy of The Joy of Cooking, the encyclopedia of classic, tried-and-true recipes.  But, by the time I headed back into the kitchen with this tome in my hand, my husband had already started creating his own steak sauce.

In the Age of Google, we think that we don't need cookbooks.  After all, we can find a million recipes online with reviews, suggested adjustments, and photos.  But, when you want the best recipes all in one place, nothing beats a cookbook.  Cookbook recipes are the ones that have won blue ribbons.  They are the standbys that we bring to pitch-ins, where others ask for the recipe.

Earlier this week, at a staff luncheon, I took a bite of a tomato pie, the likes of which I have never tasted before.  It was made by Kristen Case, who plans great programs for our patrons.  When I asked for the recipe, she said that I could find it in the Friends of the Library cookbook.  I quickly shelled out my $9 to buy this cookbook, a collection of 100 tried-and-true recipes submitted by members of your community. 

The Friends of the Library cookbook is available for purchase at the library.  Buy yours today and get back to basics...no raisin paste necessary!