TitleTales

Spanish Cookbooks:
by Jennifer Velasquez

Adult Special Topics—07/09/10
In English, cookbooks by celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Bobby Flay dominate the shelves, but where does the Spanish-language cookbook shelf stand in comparison? Perhaps this is an area in need of updating and re-energizing. If so, here are some titles by well-known cocineros I’m convinced will do the job.

Daisy Martinez, host of the Food Network’s Viva Daisy!, achieved a certain degree of notoriety with Daisy Cooks!, her first book and TV show. Her latest title, Daisy: Mañana, mediodía y noche (Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night), focuses on recipes inspired by her travels to Latin American countries, such as Chile-Spiked Hot Chocolate or Eggs with Chorizo and Ripe Plantain.

Another celebrity cookbook that belongs on most Spanish-language cookbook shelves is La nueva cocina saludable del Chef Oropeza (Healthy Cooking by Chef Oropeza). Here, the star of the show Al sabor del chef explains how to prepare quick and healthy Mexican recipes. Coming in October is Mexico: Una herencia de sabores (Mexico: An Inheritance of Flavor) by Susanna Palazuelos, a well-known chef/caterer from Guerrero, spotlighting Mexico’s regional cuisine. I’m also looking forward to Santillana’s Los mejores recetas de Despierta América (The Best Recipes from Despierta América), featuring the best recipes from Ana, Raúl, Neida, and Karla, in the works for fall or winter publication. Finally, a celebrity chef title now in translation is: Un chef para todo el año (A Chef for All Seasons) by Gordon Ramsay, with 100 recipes featuring key seasonal ingredients.

• Browse our Spanish Cookbooks list

Historical Fiction by: Erica Setterberg, MLIS
(Cataloger - Custom Cataloging)

Juvenile & YA Special Topics—07/09/10
One day I would be living on the American prairie working my family’s homestead and the next I would be a lady-in-waiting in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. I had a time machine at my disposal to go to any time I wanted and could still be home in time for dinner.

I love historical fiction. When I was in elementary and middle school, I liked reading stories about events that actually happened, told from the perspectives of eyewitnesses and participants. It was more fun for me than just memorizing bullet points and timelines in the classroom and I was always eager to learn more about the events that were the center of the book. It is exciting to see titles that show an alternative history, like Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan, or well-known literary figures like Sherlock Holmes and spin their stories into different perspectives like in the Enola Holmes and Baker Street Irregulars novels.

• Browse our Blog: Historical Fiction list

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