Now Read This: Cookbooks, cake pans and more available at public library

A cook is only good as her inspiration. I'd found myself in a cooking rut, the same meal rotation for weeks, when I picked up Mario Batali's "America -- Farm to Table: Simple, Delicious Recipes Celebrating Local Farmers." This beautifully bound cookbook filled with delicious recipes is sure to become a classic.

I often adapt recipes to suit my tastes or the contents of my pantry. The recipes in "America -- Farm to Table" are very easy to adapt, allowing for different tastes or different desires each time you cook them. The Carrot Fritelle, fried carrot fritters bursting with flavor, have become a new favorite in my home. Batali's Lasagna alla Norma was my family's Thanksgiving favorite, rich with two sauces and flavorful components.

The hundreds of cookbooks available at the Cape Girardeau Public Library cover a wide variety of diets, styles and levels of difficulty. Patrons looking to cut salt, fat or sugars from their diet can find cookbooks filled with flavorful recipes in our Health Neighborhood, located in our nonfiction stacks. In our cookbook section, vegetarians and vegans can find a variety of offerings for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert, and meat lovers will find no shortage of savory meals to cook in the kitchen or on the grill. Patrons with a sweet tooth will find cookbooks filled with delectable desserts including cakes, cookies, pies and candy.

The library also offers several cooking magazines that can be checked out. Food Network Magazine features excellent recipes and great ideas for cooks who find themselves short on inspiration. Taste of Home magazine offers a variety of delicious recipes loved by home cooks around the country. Martha Stewart Living includes recipes sure to impress, ranging from simple one-pot meals to elaborate dishes perfect for entertaining.

We are currently working to arrange all of our cooking resources in a new neighborhood, a browsable section that will feature cookbooks, guides to entertaining at home and specialty cake pans available for checkout. Our cake pan collection includes a wide variety of shapes, including a guitar, flowers and holiday shapes. If you have a specialty cake pan to donate, please bring it to the Information Desk -- we will be happy to accept them. Watch the stacks at Cape Girardeau Public Library for the cooking neighborhood, an exciting addition to our nonfiction section, and find your newest cooking inspiration.

About Beth

Beth Phillips is the adult services coordinator at the Cape Girardeau Public Library.