Tag: cookery

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Winter grub

Whether you’re cooking a vegan Christmas dinner, baking a cake with the wow factor, or working on the perfect roast, you’ll find a book to match your needs below.

You can borrow all of these titles from your local library. Head to our library catalogue slideshow to find these and loads more.

Vegan Christmas feasts : inspired meat-free recipes for the festive season by  Jackie Kearney

Cover image for Vegan Christmas feasts : inspired meat-free recipes for the festive season

Clever plant-based recipes are designed to be crowd-pleasing and properly festive

Christmas with Good Housekeeping

Cover image for Christmas with Good Housekeeping.

Over 140 recipes for jovial perfection, chapters offer mouth-watering ideas for starters, vegan & vegetarian options, baked goods, showstopper desserts, edible gifts, and not to forget Christmas lunch with all the trimming

ScandiKitchen Christmas : recipes and traditions from Scandinavia by Brontë  Aurell

Cover image for ScandiKitchen Christmas : recipes and traditions from Scandinavia

Let Brontë Aurell of The ScandiKitchen Café show you how to celebrate your Christmas Scandi-style by sharing her delicious recipes and family traditions with you.

Happy vegan Christmas : plant-based recipes for festive Scandinavian feasts by  Karoline Jönsson,

Cover image for Happy vegan Christmas : plant-based recipes for festive Scandinavian feasts

Instead of the usual bubble and squeak, here we find vegan classics to satisfy all guests, such as vegan Swedish meatballs, spiced cabbage pudding, pulled ‘pork’ with jackfruit, pickled courgette, potato and greens pie, sticky buffalo cauliflower, nutty ‘egg’ nog, gingerbread biscuits and chewy panforte.

Roasts by  Laura Mason,

Cover image for Roasts

The best traditional recipes for roast dinners from the National Trust. From a Sunday beef with Yorkshire pudding and rack of lamb with herb crust to slow-roasted belly pork with root vegetables and Christmas turkey with all the trimmings.

Mary Berry cooks up a feast : my favourite recipes for occasions and celebrations by Mary Berry

Cover image for Mary Berry cooks up a feast : my favourite recipes for occasions and celebrations

Over 160 recipes that work well for both small and large numbers of guests.

Liam Charles cheeky treats : 70 brilliant bakes and cakes by Liam Charles

Cover image for Liam Charles cheeky treats : 70 brilliant bakes and cakes

Liam Charles – the breakout star from Great British Bake Off 2017 – brings you a Caramel Peanut Millionaire’s Shortbread, an Oreo Chocolate Brownie Freakshake and a Christmas Dinner Pie.

Homemade Christmas : create your own gifts, cards, decorations, and bakes.

Cover image for Homemade Christmas : create your own gifts, cards, decorations, and bakes.

Discover 100 simple decorations, recipes, gifts, cards, and Christmas craft projects, from garlands and gift boxes to mince pies and marzipan.

Gizzi’s season’s eatings : feasts and celebrations from Halloween to happy New Year by  , Gizzi Erskine

Cover image for Gizzi's season's eatings : feasts and celebrations from Halloween to happy New Year

Whatever the occasion, you will find something special to share with the ones you love

The soup book : 200 recipes, season by season by Sophie Grigson

Cover image for The soup book : 200 recipes, season by season

Packed with plenty of nourishing recipes for every season. Try winter warmers such as parsnip and apple soup or French onion soup

Spirited : how to create easy, fun drinks at home by  Signe Johansen,

Cover image for Spirited : how to create easy, fun drinks at home

50 well-crafted cocktail recipes, all fuelled by a cook’s palate and a love of creative ingredients.

The Nordic baking book by  Magnus Nilsson,

Cover image for The Nordic baking book

The acclaimed chef featured in the Emmy-Award winning US PBS series ‘The Mind of a Chef’ and the Netflix docuseries ‘Chef’s Table’ explores the rich baking tradition of the Nordic region, with 450 tempting recipes for home bakers.

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Festive Fun from your front room

We’ve scoured the web (well, Eventbrite mainly) for festive fun online. Scroll for our guide to bookish events on a winter/Christmas theme. There’s something for everyone – kids, romantics, nature lovers and thrill seekers.

Citizen Winter Warmer from Edinburgh Book Festival

Saturday 12 December all day

A special day of online events, brought to you via Edinburgh International Book Festival’s YouTube channel or Facebook (@edbookfest)

10.30am DrawAlong with Eilidh Muldoon! (5yrs+)
11.00am Four Seasons – Storytelling with Macastory (3yrs+)
11.30am Self Portrait Poems with Leyla Josephine (7yrs+)
12noon Drawings Diaries with Katie Chappell (5yrs+)
12.30pm Where Snow Angels Go – A Reading by Maggie O’Farrell (5yrs+)

2.30pm Pass the Zine with Edinburgh Zine Library (11yrs+)
3.00pm Music from the Tinderbox Collective (all ages)
3.30pm Poems for Today with Courtney Stoddart (14yrs+)
4.00pm Route of Memories with Eleanor Thom (11yrs+)

6.00pm The Incredible Adam Spark – A Reading by Alan Bissett (YA and adults)
6.30pm The Citizen Collective Stories and Ideas (YA and adults)
7.00pm Citizen Writers’ Group – Sharing (adults)
7.30pm Daughter of Stories – A Reading by Nadine Aisha Jassat (YA and adults)

Kids events

A Fowl Christmas with Eoin Colfer

Thu 17 Dec, 7pm, £

A must for Artemis Fowl fans, there’s a Q&A with Eoin Colfer, appearances from the film’s stars and more. Proceeds go to Shelter

Snuggle up with Debi Gliori’s winter stories

Thurs 10 Dec, 3pm

Learn how to draw a penguin and enjoy some cosy wintery tales with the creator of Bookbug, courtesy of National Library of Scotland.

Lyceum Christmas Tales

1 – 20 Dec on You Tube. FREE.

Lyceum Christmas Tales is an advent calendar of stories, combining new and familiar festive tales penned and performed by some of Scotland’s best-loved writers, musicians and artists. Each fifteen-minute, family-friendly festive tale will be available to watch free throughout December.

Santa and Mrs Claus at Callendar House

Every Thursday at 6.30pm on Facebook

Yes, Santa and Mrs Claus have recorded some wonderful Christmas stories especially for us bairns! Every Thursday at 6.30pm, head to Falkirk Community Trust’s Facebook page to hear a new story. You’ll be able to catch them later on the FCT You Tube channel and Facebook page if you miss them.

Early Years Scotland Keep Connected

Some Christmas-themed events and also just some great educational fun for young families this week, with baby massage, yoga and more.

Play Talk Read 12 Days of Christmas

For the first 12 days of December the Play Talk Read team are sharing a simple Christmas-themed activity a day. They’re on their Facebook page, so you can dip into the fun, whenever you like.

Natural History

Owls of the Eastern Ice

Tues 15 Dec, 6 pm. Donation.

Jonathan Slaght, conservationist, researcher and expert on Blakiston’s fish owl, tells the story of how he saved the world’s largest owl.

The Natural History of Christmas

Thu, 17 Dec, 7pm. Donation.

Wildlife photographer Michael Leach, author of the above named book, explores where our Christmas customs come from.

Crime

Murder in Midwinter

Thu 10 Dec, 7pm, £

Q&A with classic crime collection editor Cecily Gayford, discussing her new book which features short stories by Dorothy L. Sayers, Ruth Rendell, Ellis Peters and more.

Christmas chat with Val McDermid

Wed 16 Dec 2020, 7pm, £

Val McDermid, master of the dark and sinister story, presents Christmas is Murder, a festive collection of chilling tales

The Rankin Files: Lifting the Lid

Thurs 17 Dec, 7pm

Ian Rankin and National Library of Scotland curator Rosemary Hall discuss Rankin’s remarkable archive, donated to the Library in 2018. Delivered via Zoom.

Romance/Saga

A Night of Festive Fun with Milly Johnson

Thurs 10 Dec, 8pm, FREE

Join Sunday Times bestselling author and indisputable queen of romantic fiction Milly Johnson for an evening of festive fun and frolics

An Evening with Carole Matthews

Tues 15 Dec, 7pm, FREE

Trafford Libraries invites you to an evening of life-affirming fiction with Carole Matthews, as she discusses her new novel, Christmas for Beginners.

A Cracking Christmas Author Panel

Wed 16 Dec, 2pm, FREE

Bella Osborne, Tracy Baines and Fiona Ford get together with Northumberland Libraries to talk about their new festive-themed novels.

Other events

Christmas Past, Christmas Present with Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

Wed 9 Dec, 6pm. Donation.

Uncover the past and present of festive maladies and the cures suggested by early recipe books – bat blood or stale urine, anyone?

Zoom Cook-a-long with Alissa Timoshkina

Sat, 12 Dec 2020, 2pm, £

The author of ‘Salt & Time shares three of her favourite Russian winter recipes.

Ghostland – an evening of supernatural tales 

Tue 8 Dec, 7pm, £

Join Edward Parnell, author of GHOSTLAND, on a journey through the lonely moors, moss-covered cemeteries, and folkloric woodlands that were familiar to the likes of MR James, Alan Garner and Susan Cooper.

The conversation will be followed by a reading of a classic ghostly tale: Between Sunset and Moonrise by Richard Malden, performed by Robert Lloyd Parry of Nunkie Theatre.

Festive films by the fireside with the Moving Image Archive

Tue 15 Dec, 3pm, FREE

Fire up memories of Christmas past with home movies capturing the wonder of children on Christmas morning and visit a proper toy shop to buy some presents. From Co-op adverts, to Hogmanay parties, and snowy scenes, there’s something for everyone in this fun film show.

Have we missed any events? Tell us in the comments or social media.

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Yummy Cookbooks – podcast 49

Yummy Cookbooks - Podcast 49

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Hello and welcome to the Falkirk Libraries podcast with Eilidh and Tanya

Today’s episode is about lovely cookbooks.  All of the books mentioned can be found on our library catalogue

What we have been reading and listening to:

Eilidh has been reading:

Safe Haven by Nicola Sparks

Tanya has been reading:

Busman’s Honeymoon and Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers

New and forthcoming adult books:

  • The Dilemma by B A Paris
  • Miss Austen by Gill Hornby
  • Good Economics for Hard Times: Better Answers to Our Biggest Problems by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo
  • Not a Diet Book by James Smith
  • You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters by Kate Murphy

New and forthcoming children’s titles:

  • The Day The Banana Went Bad by Michelle Robinson (author), Tom Knight (illustrator) (0-5 years)
  • Toto the Ninja Cat and the Superstar Catastrophe by Dermot O’Leary (author), Nick East (illustrator) (6 – 9 years)
  • Crater Lake by Jennifer Killick (9 – 13 years)
  • Grief Angels by David Owen (teen)

DVD recommendations:

  • Joker (15)
  • Farmageddon (U)

Our Reading Agony this week: 

‘I’m thinking about changing careers, but I don’t know what I want to do … any books that might give me some good ideas?’

  • The Careers Handbook
  • What color is your parachute by Richard Nelson Bolles
  • My World of Work is extremely useful for anyone thinking about their career

Staff quote of the day: ‘Could there be an amorous llama incident though?’

Our Discussion: Cookbooks – as library staff, people know that we love books, but it’s slightly less well known, that we love food too.  I’m a massive tea and cake fan and always look at the back of all recipe books to see what the puddings are like.  So, we’ve brought in a few that we want to recommend …

  • Jack Munroe, Vegan(ish)
  • The Really Hungry Vegetarian Student Cookbook
  • Honeybuns gluten free baking by Emma Goss-Custard
  • Anything by Madhur Jaffray
  • The Official Dr Who cookbook by Joanna Farrow
  • Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Home Cooking
  • The Great British Bake Off Showstoppers by Linda Collister
  • Mary Berry Quick Cooking

Did you know?   

Libraries have a truly massive cookbook selection, and they give you a chance to try out knew things, without having to buy the book.  Falkirk library has hundreds on the shelves, waiting for you to give them a try, from roasts and mince, to soup and slow cookers, from sweeties to baking, from gluten free, diabetic, heart healthy and vegan, we’ve got a cookbook to meet your needs

Forthcoming  The next podcast is our 50th official podcast and we’re very excited – coming out on the 29th January!

Thank you for listening to the Library Love podcast, we hope you’ve enjoyed yourself and if you did, then rate us on itunes.  We love to hear from you and if you’d like to get in touch with us, then go to our blog LibraryLoveFalkirk.com, @LibFalkirk on Twitter, or Falkirk Libraries on Facebook or Instagram.  Bye

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Inheritance Books – podcast 46

A knitted cactus on a desk

Hello and welcome to the Falkirk Libraries podcast with Vikki and Tanya

Today’s episode is where we discuss our Inheritance Books – those we’ve inherited from our families or that we’d like to leave to younger people.  All of the books mentioned can be found on our library catalogue

What we have been reading and listening to:

Tanya has been reading and listening to:

  • The Bannon and Clare mysteries by Lilith Saintcrow
  • You’re dead to me podcast

Vikki has been reading:

  • The Echo Killing, Christi Daugherty
  • Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grann

New and forthcoming adult books:

  • Grandmothers by Salley Vickers
  • Oligarchy by Scarlett Thomas
  • Legacy of Ash: Book One of the Legacy Trilogy by Matthew Ward
  • American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
  • Dead Inside(Maggie Jamieson Crime Thriller, Book 1) by Noelle Holten

New and forthcoming children’s titles:

  • The Worrysaurus by Rachel Bright (Author), Chris Chatterton (Illustrator) (0-5 years)
  • Bunny vs Monkey 6: Apocalypse (The Phoenix Presents) by Jamie Smart (6 – 9 years)  
  • The Kid Who Came from Space by Ross Welford (10-13yrs)
  • Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw (Teen)

DVD recommendations

  • Playmobil the movie (U)
  • Angel Has Fallen (15)

Our Reading Agony this week:  ‘I’ve just moved out from my parents’ and I’m eating lots of expensive, unhealthy take aways and ready meals.   Can you suggest some good cookbooks for not very confident cooks’

  • Jamie Oliver’s 5 Ingredients
  • Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food
  • How to cook and keep on cooking by Simon Boyle
  • The Really Hungry Vegetarian Student Cookbook

Staff quote of the day ‘We have a very big rabbit’

Our Discussion was Inheritance books – as a tribute to BBC Radio 4s ‘Inheritance tracks’ where they ask famous people to share the music that was passed down to them by their families and the music track that they would like to pass down to younger people, we are doing a slightly different version:  Inheritance books where we share an adult and a junior book passed down to us and an adult and a junior book that we would like to pass down.

Tanya was passed down:

  • The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
  • The Tiger who came to tea by Judith Kerr

Tanya passing down: 

  • Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl series
  • Terry Pratchett, Discworld novels

I think the main thing I’m passing down is a serious love of books and reading, and a belief that books make you happy and are not precious, pretentious, difficult things (unless that’s what you enjoy)

Vikki’s Inheritance Books

Adult / Junior book passed to me:

  • Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame 
  • Sam Pig and the dragon by Alison Uttley (out of print)
  • I know why the caged bird sings, Maya Angelou

Adult and Junior Book to pass on:

  • Finn Family Moomintroll , Tove Jansson
  • Pride and Prejudice , Jane Eyre but my son would probably would never read them
  • The World According to Garp by John Irving
  • PD James Cover her Face

Did you Know?  We have lovely friendly Knitting and crafting groups in several of our libraries – have a look on our website for information on when they run.  They’ll help out if you need a bit of support and the conversations cover most areas. 

Coming soon: Christmas – remember to pop in to pick up a few Christmassy picture books to share with the children in your life in the days before Christmas

Thank you for listening to the Library Love podcast, we hope you’ve enjoyed yourself and if you did, then rate us on itunes.  We love to hear from you and if you’d like to get in touch with us, then go to our blog LibraryLoveFalkirk.com, @LibFalkirk on Twitter, or Falkirk Libraries on Facebook or Instagram.  Bye