There’s no doubt about it – the holidays are going to be super weird this year. All of our fun family gatherings and meetups with friends are firmly on hold, and that means fewer opportunities for holiday noshing as well. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t cook up a storm just for your own household! Remember in the spring when we all rediscovered banana bread and sourdough? I predict the same thing is going to happen with our festive favourites. Now that you don’t need to make a massive turkey for 34, there’s absolutely no reason you shouldn’t try something really different, and really exciting, instead. Your library has a ton of fantastic cookbooks that are sure to inspire you. Here are a few ideas to get you started!
Vegan Holiday Cookbook: Festive Plant-Based Meals and Desserts for the Thanksgiving and Christmas Table, Katie Culpin“Holiday feasts have always been contentious for vegans and their nonvegan family members–when a supposedly welcoming season of loved ones dining together becomes divisive when animal products are cooked as part of tradition. Vegan Holiday Recipes addresses this issue head-on and unites family and friends, vegan or not, over simply delicious, easy, healthy, seasonal food.”
My Drunk Kitchen Holidays! How to Savor and Celebrate the Year, Hannah Hart
“In the style of her first hit humorous cookbook, My Drunk Kitchen, which has sold close to 100,000 copies, My Drunk Kitchen Holidays! will celebrate holidays from Valentine’s Day to Graduation to Pride Month to International Bacon day (really!). The book will cumulate with the fall holidays that get so much deserved attention: recipes for Oktoberfest, Halloween, Thanksgiving with a twist, and a celebration of Hanukah/Kwanzaa/Christmas that is celebratory, inclusive, and incredibly hilarious.”
Set for the Holidays with Anna Olson, Anna Olson
“When does the festive season begin for you? For Anna Olson, it’s when she bakes her first pumpkin pie of the year. Pumpkin pie isn’t something she bakes on any old Tuesday evening, so it signifies something very special when she does- the start of the holidays! For Anna, the holidays are a time for spending with family and friends, for coming together, celebrating traditions and, of course, cooking delicious food! In this festive cookbook, Anna shares the recipes she loves to make during the holiday season (and, really, almost every day).”
The Artisanal Kitchen: Gluten-Free Holiday Cookies, Alice Medrich with Maya Klein
“Holidays are the time for baking and enjoying cookies and treats, and those with gluten sensitivities shouldn’t have to miss out. Baking with flavor flours–oat flour, sorghum flour, teff, coconut flour, and nut flours, like almond and hazelnut–means that everyone can enjoy holiday treats, from the classic Chocolate Chip Cookie to the decadent Peanut Crunch Brownies. Alternative flours make these cookies and bars gluten-free. And rather than simply adding starch and structure to a dessert (as is the case with wheat flour), these flours elevate the taste of every cookie and bar too. With seasonal favorites like Quince and Orange-Filled Chestnut Cookies, Chocolate Sablés, and Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies, these recipes–adapted from Alice Medrich’s Flavor Flours–make a must-have mini compendium of decadent gluten-free holiday desserts.”
The Unofficial Hogwarts for the Holidays Cookbook, Rita Mock-Pike
“What better way to celebrate any occasion than by whipping up a magically delicious meal in your kitchen? From sumptuous autumn and winter feasts to delectable desserts and tea-time treats, this book has all of your holidays and special occasions covered, with an extra magical twist. Celebrate in true wizarding world style with recipes like: Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Exploding Bon Bons, Licorice Wands, Chocolate Frogs, Rock Cakes, Pumpkin Tarts, and many more!”
(Summaries provided by Novelist Plus)
