Branch Out

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Ashley Atkinson
Editor, Branch Out

Reading and Cooking Through the Winter

Young adult novels and similar cookbook recommendations.


By Letitia Van Campen, Youth Services Manager, Herndon Fortnightly Library

Have you ever gotten so lost in a book that you feel at one with the characters? You see the world through their eyes, feel what they are feeling, hear what they hear. There’s only one problem: You can’t eat the wonderful food that they’re enjoying. But what if you could?

Beat the winter blahs with some delicious drama, humor and romance, then see if you can recreate the magic in your own kitchen.

Read:
It’s a Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes and Other Jewish Stories by Katherine Locke
Delicious short stories about Jewish teens from many different backgrounds.

Recreate:
Jew-ish: Reinvented Recipes from a Modern Mensch by Jake Cohen
Follow it up by trying your hand at some new twists on traditional recipes.

Read:
The Heartbreak Bakery
by A. R. Capetta
Syd tries to deal with the fallout from some accidentally devastating “breakup brownies” they baked. Can Syd and Harley bake the broken couples around Austin back together?

Recreate:
Dorie’s Cookies by Dorie Greenspan
Dorie Greenspan’s heartbreak-free cookies include They Might Be Breakfast cookies, Little Rascals and World Peace cookies.

Read:
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Emoni is starting her senior year and taking her daughter to daycare for the first time. When her Philadelphia high school offers a culinary elective with a weeklong internship in Spain, will Emoni be able to balance her responsibilities to her family with following her dreams?

Recreate:
Unbelievably Vegan: 100+ Life-changing, Plant-based Recipes by Charity Morgan
Charity Morgan develops delicious vegan recipes that highlight her Puerto Rican and Creole heritage.

Read
Meal by Blue Delliquanti with Soleil Ho 
Yarrow has moved across the country to work in a Minneapolis restaurant specializing in insect cuisine. Does she have what it takes to make it in the world of entomophagy? 

Recreate
Diet for a Changing Climate by Christy Mihaly and Sue Heavenrich 
If you’re inspired by Yarrow’s food journey, learn more about alternative food sources and how to cook them. 

Read
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le 
Can Bao and Linh find love despite their families’ restaurant rivalry? 

Recreate
The Pho Cookbook: Easy to Adventurous Recipes for Vietnam’s Favorite Soup and Noodles by Andrea Nguyen 
Learn to make all kinds of delicious pho, from quick to complicated. 

Read
Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch 
After the death of her mom, Lina moves to Tuscany with the dad she never knew. Will her mom’s old journal open Lina up to magic in Italy? 

Recreate
Ice Cream Sandwiches: 65 Recipes for Incredibly Cool Treats by Donna Egan 
You may not be in Italy, but you can still make delicious ice cream and cookie confections. 

Read
This Is My Brain in Love by I.W. Gregorio 
Jocelyn is trying to save her family’s failing Chinese restaurant. She hires Will as the new social media manager. Together, can they save A-Plus Chinese Garden and possibly each other? 

Recreate
Chinese Takeout in 5: 80 of Your Favorite Dishes Using Only Five Ingredients by Kwoklyn Wan
Create simple versions of your Chinese takeout favorites. 

Still looking for a winter pick-me-up? Make some cocoa for you and your friends at Herndon Fortnightly Library’s Hot Cocoa Galentine’s Party on Feb. 13, 2023!
 

Fairfax Virtual Assistant