Digital Cookbooks
by Mary Swabb, Learning & Information Services Supervisor
Food is something we as humans need to survive, but sometimes preparing our own meals can seem quite daunting. We may be restricted by a limited budget, minimal cooking skills, difficulty getting to the store, or exhaustion after a long day. All of these things can become obstacles to creating a meal at home. Finding a recipe should not be one of these obstacles, as the library has hundreds of digital cookbooks available to help you find the inspiration you need to make your next delicious home-cooked meal. Personally, I’ve been exploring new recipes as a way to pass the time at home, and I find it helps keep things interesting, as I am unable to eat the same meal day-after-day. I’ve also found trying new recipes to be a great way to refine my cooking skills while saving a few dollars. For some food inspiration, check out the following items available on Manhattan Public Library’s digital libraries:
If you’re looking for some delectable gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined-sugar -free-desserts, check out Rachel Conners’s, “Bakerita,” available on Hoopla. Conners’ recipes are accessible to beginner bakers and offer options for breakfast treats, pies, tarts, cakes, and cookies. Try Conners’s Lavender-Lemon Raspberry Scones or Chocolate Mousse Pie. For more beginner baker cookbooks, try “Cookie Class” by Jenny Keller, available on Hoopla, which teaches you how to turn a simple cookie-and-buttercream-icing recipe into a variety of tempting, tasty treats that will dazzle. You should also check out Stella Parks’s “BraveTart,” on Sunflower eLibrary, which celebrates classic American desserts like Blueberry Muffins and Glossy Fudge Brownies by showing you how to make and customize them to your preferences.
“Keto: A Woman’s Guide and Cookbook,” by Tasha Metcalf is available on Hoopla and features 35 recipes and in-depth insights into how the female body reacts to the keto diet. Metcalf offers her insight into the keto diet with strategies that you can adapt to achieve your keto dieting goals. Metcalf’s book includes recipes for oatmeal, smoothies, a fantastic coconut curry stew, and many more. If you’re not looking for a female-specific keto book, you can find Jen Fisch’s “Keto in an Instant” cookbook on Hoopla, which offers 80 quick and tasty keto meals that you can create with your pressure cooker. Fisch’s cookbook features enticing recipes like Maple Bacon Pancake Bites, Chicken Parm Meatballs, and Short Rib Ragu. “Clean Paleo Family Cookbook,” by Ashley McCrary is also available on Hoopla and offers keto modifications for your clean paleo diet. It features 100 flavorful paleo-inspired recipes for the whole family. McCrary’s Cinnamon Bun Energy Bites, Basil Pesto Chicken Power Bowls, and Tuna Cakes with Lemon-Dill Aioli sound particularly appetizing.
If none of those strike your fancy, there are still more cookbooks available, covering a wide range of foods. If you’re looking for more alternative food options to dazzle your palate, check out “Real Bento” by Kanae Inoue, available on Hoopla, which features easy and inexpensive bento box lunch recipes that can be assembled in 10 minutes. “The Ultimate Guide to CBD” by Jamie Evans, available on Hoopla, offers ways to incorporate cannabidiol (CBD) into your daily cooking and self-care products. “The High-Protein Vegan Cookbook,” by Ginny Kay McMeans, available on Sunflower eLibrary, offers over 125 hearty plant-based recipes that will introduce readers to the various vegan protein options they can use to achieve a strong and healthy body. Irina Georgescu’s “Carpathia,” on Hoopla, explores Romania’s unique, daring, and enticing food and rich culture. And finally, if you want to add a bit of magic to your plate, try some of the quick and easy recipes from “The Wizard’s Cookbook” by Aurelia Beaupommier. Available on Sunflower eLibrary, this cookbook features recipes inspired by famous magical stories, games, and movies.
These are just a few of the cookbooks available on Manhattan Public Library’s digital libraries. If these cookbooks don’t satisfy your need for culinary adventure, please email the library at refstaff@mhklibrary.org. We’d be happy to connect you with an item that is of interest to you.
If you live in Manhattan and need food assistance, please reach out to one of our local food assistance resources such as Cat’s Cupboard (785-532-0366), or the Flint Hills Breadbasket (785-537-0730). Also, if you are a low-income household you may qualify for food benefits from The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). To find out if you qualify, visit the Kansas Department for Children and Families Economic & Employment Services Food Assistance webpage at: http://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/ees/pages/food/foodassistance.aspx