Bank Square Books Offers Winter Reads
We’re happy to have new co-owner Douglas Riggs and two of the store’s booksellers offer their picks for great winter literary gifts for cooks.
VERY GOOD Bread
by Melissa Weller (Knopf)
"What is more soul-warming than homemade bread? Melissa Weller takes us an 'everything you ever needed or wanted to know' journey to successful bread making.
Very Good Bread is full of photographs showing bread in progress, as well as the finished, mouthwatering prize. A big bonus is included: delicious recipes! These include toppings for your bagels as well as fillings for your sandwiches and tacos. Winter is prime time for perfecting our very good bread making skills. This book will take you on a delicious adventure." —Carolyn Burkhardt, bookseller
A COOKBOOK FOR WINTER
by Daniel Walker
Ryland Peters & Small)
MAKE IT EASY
Ten Speed Press)
"I was browsing our cookbook section and two books really jumped out at me for very different reasons. The cover for A Cookbook For Winter looks like a beautiful holiday card. For this reason alone, it would make a beautiful gift. When you open it up it is filled with gorgeous photos and recipes, comfort foods from all around the world. This catalog of dishes is divided into sections which include 'Snow Day soups and snacks', 'Fondues and fireside suppers', 'Warming one pots and pies', 'Winter salads', as well as 'Desserts and Seasonal drinks'. This could be the cookbook you turn to on a cold winter day when you want to take a little extra time to show your family and friends how much you care by cooking for them.
The second cookbook that caught my eye is Danielle Walker's Make It Easy. This one spoke to me because of how many people make New Year's resolutions to improve their health. This cookbook could actually help you eat healthier, and it makes it very easy (ha, what a great title!) To start, you discover your "meal prepping persona" and then plan your meals and shopping using the week by week guide which gives you a grocery list of everything you need to buy to make the meals for that week. For those with special dietary needs, there are several gluten free, dairy free and grain free recipes included." —Kristin Fisher, bookseller
MATTY MATHESON: SOUPS, SALADS, SANDWICHES
(Ten Speed Press)
"Matty Matheson was already a household name in the chef world before his star-making turn on FX's hit show The Bear catapulted him to an entirely different realm of fame. Its for anyone unfamiliar with The Bear, first, stop whatever it is you're doing and binge the entire three seasons. You'll thank me after you do. The show is a love letter to food (and Chicago) and Matheson, ironically, plays Neil Fak, a handyman employed at a sandwich shop turned restaurant and (initially) has nothing to do with cooking. Often used as comic relief, Matheson's character exudes charisma. If you won't take my word for it, just look at the cover of Soups, Salads, Sandwiches. Or flip to the dedication page. Or take in any of the docu-style photos scattered throughout these pages. The man is all heart, has a self-deprecatory sense of humor and most importantly, knows food. Here, Matheson drills down even further into his 'home cookery' specialty, focusing on the three titular essentials. Grab this book for the soup-lover in your life, The Bear superfans, and those you wish to convert into salad eaters (seriously, they look amazing!)" —Douglas Riggs, owner, bookseller
- Bank Square Books is located at 80 Stonington Road in Mystic