Plant-Based Cooking: Good Health for You and Our Planet

More and more people are drawn to a plant-based diet for various reasons. Some want to live longer and healthier lives or do their part to reduce pollution. Others have made the switch because they want to preserve our planet’s natural resources or because they love animals and are compelled by their ethics to refrain from contributing to the cruelty of industrialized production of animal-based foods and other goods. And while not every aspect can be covered here, increasingly there are those who take all these matters to heart.

An abundance of scientific research demonstrates the health benefits of consuming most of our calories from grain products, vegetables and fruits. A plant-based diet reduces the risk for chronic degenerative diseases such as obesity, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain cancers including colon, breast, prostate, stomach, lung and esophageal cancer. By contrast, says Michael F. Roizen M.D., author of  The Real Age Diet: Make Yourself Younger with What You Eat , “People who consume saturated four-legged fat have a shorter life span and more disability at the end of their lives. Animal products clog your arteries, zap your energy, and slow down your immune system. Meat eaters also experience accelerated cognitive and sexual dysfunction at a younger age.”  The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that nearly 95 percent of the pesticide residue in the typical American diet comes from meat, fish, and dairy products. Fish in particular, contain carcinogens (PCBs, DDT) and heavy metals (mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium) that can’t be removed through cooking or freezing. Meat and dairy products can also be laced with steroids and hormones. So even abstaining from meat once or twice a week (Meatless Monday springs to mind) can start you on the way to all those health benefits.

Behind the Barn Door, a fairly recent series on W5 that documents the treatment of animals in the industrialized production of food, left no doubt about the inhumane conditions “food” animals are subjected to. Ten billion animals are slaughtered for human consumption each year. The picture of the farms of yesteryear where animals roamed freely has become an illusion. Today’s  animals are mostly factory farmed – crammed into cages where they can barely move and fed a diet tainted with pesticides and antibiotics. These animals spend their entire lives in crates or stalls so small that they can’t even turn around. Farmed animals do not enjoy the same protection under the law as animals who are considered pets and their “dwellings” are only accessible to employees. What is “common industry practice” would cause an absolute outrage if dogs or cats were involved (which in some countries they are). As Sir Paul McCartney said “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.”

Last but not least, it can be quite economical to consume a plant-based diet. Meat accounts for 10 percent of American food spending. Eating vegetables, grains, and fruits in place of the 200 pounds of beef, chicken, and fish each non-vegetarian eats annually would cut individual food bills by an average of $4,000 a year. In her book Eat Vegan On $4 a Day: A Game Plan for the Budget Conscious Cook , Ellen J. Jones shows a very common sense approach to economical cooking. Her book is packed with nutritional as well as cooking information. It can be recommended for anybody who wants to start a plant-based diet and save money at the same time.

One of my favourite cookbooks is the award winning The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Vegan Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out by Angela Liddon. It is beautifully illustrated and the recipes contain easy to acquire ingredients. The dishes are simple to make and very delicious. This cookbook is a must-have for anyone who longs to eat well, feel great, and simply glow!

I also very much enjoyed the “Happy Herbivore” series of cookbooks, especially Happy Herbivore Abroad: A Travelogue & Over 135 Fat-Free $ Low-Fat Vegan Recipes From Around the World.  Happy Herbivore chef and author Lindsay S. Nixon shares her travel experiences and recipes from 35 places abroad and some from closer to home. In this particular title, Nixon combines traditional comfort foods from home with international inspiration and stories of her adventures. The food is so internationally delicious, effortless to make, and easy on the budget – I ended up buying this book!

Another series, the “Moosewood”  cookbooks, is chockfull of homemade goodness. The one that stood out for me, (because the recipes are fast and easy) is Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes For Any Day.  The only thing I miss in the “Moosewood” cookbooks is an abundance of pictures although you will find a great number of vegan friendly recipes here.

I recently borrowed  Vegan Casseroles: Pasta Bakes, Gratins, Pot Pies, and More. Living a healthy vegan lifestyle does not mean giving up shepherd’s pie, cheesy dishes, creamy soups and other traditional comfort foods. Julie Hasson took on the challenge to recreate flavors she loved, but without the cheese, eggs, butter, and cholesterol. The results look absolutely delicious! Of course there are also deserts to round out a healthful and yummy meal – with these recipes you can dig in and feel good about it to. I definitely found a number of recipes worth trying out in the future.

There are so many vegan and vegetarian cookbooks to be found at the Winnipeg Public Library, I have not managed to work my way through them all. And there are more coming all the time. Just by searching under the keyword “vegan” you will find over 200 suggestions for every age, every taste, every occasion, for fast preparation and slow cooking. There are  even more under the keyword “vegetarian”.  Right now I am excitedly looking forward to receiving the book Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples by Miyoko Schinner, which will be a brand new addition to Winnipeg Public Library’s collection of vegan and vegetarian cookbooks. It is definitely worth keeping up with the list of new titles to discover something new.

In addition to the collection at Winnipeg Public Library, I would like to recommend the website ChooseVeg.com. Enjoy your exploration of the world of plant-based cookery. Bon appetit!

Elke

What’s New This March?

New library materials arrive every day, and it can sometimes seem overwhelming when you’re looking for something new to read. I thought I would help by putting together a list of the books I’m most looking forward to this month. Hopefully you will too.

 Secret History meets Sharp Objects in Dark Rooms by Lili Anolik, a stunning debut about murder and glamour set in the ambiguous and claustrophobic world of an exclusive New England prep school. Death sets the plot in motion: the murder of Nica Baker, beautiful, wild, enigmatic, and only 16. The crime is solved, and quickly – a lonely classmate, unrequited love, a suicide note confession – but memory and instinct won’t allow Nica’s older sister, Grace, to accept the case as closed. Working at the private high school from which she recently graduated, Grace becomes increasingly obsessed with identifying and punishing the real killer.

17 Carnations: The royals, the Nazis and the biggest cover-up in history, by Andrew Morton, is the story of the feckless Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor, and his wife Wallis Simpson, whose affair with Joachim von Ribbentrop embroiled the duke in a German plot to use him as a puppet king during their takeover of the British Empire. The Duke’s collaboration with Hitler had resulted in piles of correspondence between them; this damning correspondence could forever tarnish the reputation of the royal family. For the first time in history, the story of the cover-up of those letters, starting with a daring heist–by order of Churchill and the King–to bring the letters back safely to England, out of American hands is revealed.

Susan Crawford makes her debut with The Pocket Wife, a stylish psychological thriller. Dana Catrell is shocked when her neighbor Celia is brutally murdered. To Dana’s horror, she was the last person to see Celia alive. Dana’s mind is rapidly deteriorating. Suffering from a debilitating mania, the by-product of her bipolar disorder, she has holes in her memory, including what happened when she saw Celia the day of the murder. As evidence starts to point in her direction, Dana struggles to clear her name before she descends into madness. Dana couldn’t be the killer. Or could she?

Life from Scratch: A memoir of food, family, and forgiveness is a culinary journey like no other. Over the course of 195 weeks, food writer and blogger Sasha Martin set out to cook – and eat–a meal from every country in the world. As cooking unlocked the memories of her rough-and-tumble childhood and the loss and heartbreak that came with it, Martin became more determined than ever to find peace and elevate her life through the prism of food and world cultures. Martin’s heartfelt, brutally honest memoir reveals the power of cooking to bond, to empower, and to heal – and celebrates the simple truth that happiness is created from within.

Clash of Eagles by Alan Smale is perfect for fans of military and historical fiction–including novels by such authors as Bernard Cornwell, Naomi Novik, and Harry Turtledove. This stunning work of alternate history imagines a world in which the Roman Empire has not fallen and the North American continent has just been discovered. A legion under the command of general Gaius Marcellinus invades the newly-discovered North American continent. But Marcellinus and his troops have woefully underestimated the fighting prowess of the Native American inhabitants. When Gaius is caught behind enemy lines and spared, he must re-evaluate his allegiances and find a new place in this strange land.

Better On Toast: Full meals on a slice of bread—with a little room for dessert, by Jill A. Donenfeld, features delicious, quick, easy-to-follow recipes for toasts with every possible topping – from hot to cold and savoury to sweet. Anyone can make delicious toasts, no matter his or her level of experience or kitchen size. Whether you use thick-cut French bread, slices of whole wheat, or her gluten-free bread recipe, Jill puts emphasis on flavour, using quality, wholesome ingredients to make each recipe stand out. You can enjoy these elegant yet simple meals anytime and for any occasion, using classic ingredients in new ways and playing with interesting ingredients you’ve always wondered about.

Girl Underwater, by Claire Kells, sees college student Avery is on her way home to Boston for the holidays with some fellow members of her swim team. When their plane goes down in a Colorado mountain lake, she and the other four survivors fight to stay alive in an icy wilderness. Following their rescue, Avery must come to terms with the crash, the secret she is keeping, and some specific new phobias, such as airports and water. She is also torn between two men: boyfriend Lee, who wasn’t aboard the plane and doesn’t know how to help her; and teammate and fellow survivor Colin, who understands the trauma she endured. Skillfully interspersing flashbacks with current events, debut novelist Kells has written an absorbing tale that will grip anyone who enjoys survival stories or psychological dramas. It is also a great choice for readers looking for new adult fiction with a bit more adventure.

The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter was longlisted for the Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction. This dazzling historical thriller is set in the untamed wilds of 19th-century colonial India. William Avery is a young soldier with few prospects; Jeremiah Blake is a secret political agent gone native, a genius at languages and disguises, disenchanted with the whole ethos of British rule, but who cannot resist the challenge of an unresolved mystery. What starts as a wild goose chase for this unlikely pair – trying to track down a missing writer who lifts the lid on Calcutta society – becomes very much more sinister.

The Reluctant Midwife by Patricia Harman is the heartfelt sequel to Midwife of Hope River. The Great Depression has hit West Virginia hard. Men are out of work; women struggle to feed hungry children. Luckily, Nurse Becky Myers has returned to care for them. While she can handle most situations, Becky is still uneasy helping women deliver their babies. For these mothers-to-be, she relies on an experienced midwife, her dear friend Patience Murphy. But becoming a midwife and ushering precious new life into the world is not Becky’s only challenge. Her skills and courage will be tested when a calamitous forest fire blazes through a Civilian Conservation Corps camp.

For readers of Paris Wife and Z comes Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner,  a vivid novel full of drama, passion, tragedy, and beauty that stunningly imagines the life of iconic fashion designer Coco Chanel. Born into rural poverty, Gabrielle Chanel and her siblings are sent to orphanage after their mother’s death. The sisters nurture Gabrielle’s exceptional sewing skills, a talent that will propel the willful young woman into a life far removed from the drudgery of her childhood. Transforming herself into Coco, the petite brunette burns with ambition, and an incandescence that draws a wealthy gentleman who will become the love of her life.

– Barbara

Make Something New!

By now it should be common knowledge that everyone learns in different ways. Some people learn by reading, some people learn by watching; or if you’re like me, you learn by doing

Since the beginning of public libraries, they have always been a place of exploration, discovery, and learning. In keeping true to these core values and it keeping up with the fast pace of technology, we’ve introduced a variety of new ways for our patrons to explore, experiment, and in some cases, get a little messy!

 

Little Bits is a super cool introduction into the world of circuitry. Each bit has a colour, and each colour has a particular function. Connect a bunch of the magnetic bits together and see what happens! You can make an alarm, a bubble wand, and so much more.

Magformers are a great building block toy. Not quite lego, not quite kinect, but a whole lot of fun! We recently had a set sitting on a desk in the business office and come lunch hour there were always one of two people building away on some impossibly tall tower, or a polyhedron out of some giant Dungeons and Dragons game! Magformers might be marketed for kids, but they’re anything but.

<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/60307041″>MaKey MaKey – An Invention Kit for Everyone</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/user949394″>jay silver</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

Next up is one of my favourites – The Makey Makey! Are you tired of your boring keyboard? Ever wanted to play Pac-Man with nothing but a bowl of fruit to steer your little yellow chomper? Well even if you haven’t, you can! The Makey-Makey makes anything into a keyboard or controller, you simply need a computer and an imagination.

Probably our most complicated new piece of equipment is the Lego Mindstorm. The learning curve is a bit of a challenge for this awesome introduction into robotics and simple coding, but the payoffs are well worth the struggle. Watching your creation move, turn, and perform other tasks is a huge thrill!

All of these cool new additions and many more creative ideas are coming to the library for you to play with and explore over the coming months. Keep your eyes peeled for Maker programs coming to a branch near you!

-Arryn

Top 10 romances

At roughly a quarter of the overall popular fiction market, by both number of titles and amount sold, romance is the single biggest category of popular fiction – nearly double that of the next genre, mysteries. So the old saying is pretty true: (almost) everyone loves a love story.

Here are the top 10 most-loved romance novels at WPL right now:

1. Fast track by Julie Garwood. If you like Garwood’s fast-paced contemporary romances, try books by Lori Foster or Suzanne Brockmann too.

 

 

2. Fifty shades of Grey by E.L. James. Now that the movie adaptation’s been released, this recent bestseller is seeing another jump in popularity. Mainstream romance novels have been getting steamier for years, but the fad for this book definitely heated things up as publishers realized there was such a huge market for explicit romance.

 

3. Her last whisper by Karen Robards, a classic writer of romantic suspense. Try Heather Graham if you like this one.

 

 

 

4. Love Letters : a Rose Harbor novel by Debbie Macomber. There are still lots of sweet romances for readers who aren’t looking for super-sexy love scenes. These books tend to focus on family ties and small-town setting; writers like Debbie Macomber and Donna Kauffman from this list are perfect examples.

 

5. Blood magick by Nora Roberts. Roberts is the Wayne Gretzky of romance writers. In her decades-spanning career, she’s written hundreds of titles in every sub-genre – including four of the titles on this list! This one is the final volume in the Cousins O’Dwyer trilogy.

 

6.  The collector by Nora Roberts. A big-city tale of suspense and romance inspired by the classic film Rear Window.

 

 

7. Sandpiper Island by Donna Kauffman. For a similar reading experience, try Robyn Carr.

 

 

 

Dark witch and Shadow spell by Nora Roberts. Eight and nine on the list are books one and two of the Cousins O’Dwyer trilogy. For a while, witches, vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural beings – think of the TV series True Blood (based on the hugely popular series by Charlaine Harris) – were all the rage in romance. Lately, readers seem to be turning away from this trend, but trust Nora to revive it.

10. Swan Point by Sherryl Woods. Another small town romance, part of the Sweet Magnolias series. You might also enjoy visiting Genell Dellin’s Honey Grove.

 

 

Looking for other popular romances? Try the Romance Writers’ of America’s annual RITA Award winners for a broad range of moving love stories, from inspirational (Christian) stories to romantic suspense and historical tales.

Danielle

Photography in Picture Books

A picture is worth a thousand words — or so the saying goes.

Photography has always had the ability to convey stories, but it seems as though in the modern era of Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, (and the list goes on)….we’ve taken visual storytelling to a whole new level.  Your niece’s first ever snowman.  Your best friend’s failed attempt at lemon meringue pie.  Your brother buried in sand up to his neck while on vacation in the Bahamas.  Everyone’s got a camera in their pocket, and even the smallest of moments are captured for everyone to see.

We’re all a bit photography obsessed, which is why it’s no surprise that the latest trend in children’s picture books seems to be photography illustration.  Sure, photographs have dominated the nonfiction scene for decades, but only recently has the art form moved into the world of fiction in a big way.

Check out these amazing picture books that feature real-world photography in very creative ways!

The Secret Life of Squirrels by Nancy Rose
You may think you know what squirrels do all day…but Mr. Peanuts is no ordinary squirrel. Instead of climbing tress, he plays the piano.  Instead of scurrying through the woods, he reads books; but everything is more fun with company, so Mr. Peanuts writes a letter to Cousin Squirrel and invites him for a visit!  Featuring candid photographs of wild squirrels in handcrafted, homemade miniature settings.

Peanut Butter and Cupcake by Terry Border
What’s a little piece of bread to do when he’s feeling lonely? Find a friend, of course!  And that’s exactly what Peanut Butter tries to do. But sometimes friends are hard to come by, especially when Hamburger has to walk his (hot) dogs, Cupcake is too busy building castles in her sprinkle box, and Egg laughs so hard he starts to crack up! Does Peanut Butter have a soul mate? Young readers will know the answer long before Peanut Butter does and laugh along with each mismatched pairing.

Flo & Wendell Explore by William Wegman
Flo thinks the family’s last vacation together was just grand. Her little brother, Wendell, thinks it was absolutely terrible. So, being the good big sister that she can sometimes be, Flo has agreed to take Wendell on his very own camping adventure. They’re going to go canoeing, fishing, and hiking—well, as best they can in the comfort of their neighborhood.  Wegman has become well known for his dog photography, and in this creative follow-up to Flo & Wendell, he starts with dogs and creates worlds around them.

Nancy Knows by Cybèle Young
Nancy knows she’s forgotten something. Something important. When she tries to remember, she thinks of all kinds of other things instead. She remembers things she knows and things she doesn’t quite know. She remembers things one way, then another. Sometimes she remembers with her ears or her stomach or even her heart. But Nancy knows she’s still forgetting something. It’s only when Nancy stops thinking altogether that she finally remembers the very important thing she’s forgotten. Nancy Knows is the charming story of an elephant who remember lots of things, except the very thing she is trying to remember. Each spread of this whimsical picture book features fantastic miniature paper sculptures within expressive outlines of a puzzled elephant.

Swim Duck Swim by Susan Lurie
It’s time for Duckling to jump in the water and do what ducks do—swim! But he doesn’t want to get wet. He’d rather take a nap. And he’s really, really mad that everyone keeps telling him what to do!  Luckily, Mama and Papa Duck are very, very patient, and soon, Duckling will join his siblings in the pond. Here is a charming story, illustrated with exquisite, up-close photos, that will help young readers learn to swim—or try anything new.

I Wish I Had a Pet by Maggie Rudy
Who hasn’t yearned for the perfect pet? The mice in this book–hand-sewn and inhabiting enchanting, diorama-style scenes–know all about critter care, and they’re here to share wise words about choosing and keeping animal companions.  Whimsical images of the mice with their own petite pets, including bumblebees, ladybugs, and butterflies, complement the warm humor of this extraordinary picture book that’s like no other!

-Lindsay

First Impressions

When someone asks me what kind of books I like to read, I have trouble choosing a specific author or genre. I enjoy a variety of fiction with some non-fiction thrown in as well. There is one type of book that always catches my attention though; I truly enjoy reading an author’s first novel. In that debut full-length work there’s room to combine all kinds of creative ideas, some of which may have been bouncing around in the author’s head taking shape for a while – maybe years! A lot of those favourite characters and events along with much of the author’s own knowledge and experience end up in the pages of that painstakingly written first book.

Currently I’m reading Bone and Bread, a debut novel from Canadian author Saleema Nawaz published by House of Anansi Press in 2013. So far it’s excellent. A few years before her novel, Nawaz published a collection of short stories entitled Mother Superior. I really enjoyed the entire collection of stories but one in particular, “Bloodlines”, stood out from the rest. Imagine my delight when I realized this novel is based around the same characters!

“When sisters Beena and Sadhana are orphaned as teenagers and sent to live with their Sikh uncle in Montreal’s Hasidic community, their lives take divergent courses as they deal with their grief in different ways.” (Novelist) “Beena catches the attention of one of the “bagel boys” and finds herself pregnant at sixteen, while Sadhana drives herself to perfectionism and anorexia. When we first meet the adult Beena, she is grappling with a fresh grief: Sadhana has died suddenly and strangely […]” (Anansi)

Now Beena takes the reader back to Montreal and back in her memories in an attempt to uncover the circumstances of Sadhana’s death. I would highly recommend giving this one a try. Or, in case you missed them, here are some more debut novels from the past year or two that you might like to check out.

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

An elderly woman descending into dementia embarks on a desperate quest to find the best friend she believes has disappeared, and her search for the truth will go back decades and have shattering consequences. 

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

A dollhouse whose figures and furnishings foretell life events, mysterious notes, family secrets and the powerful guild and church of 1686 Amsterdam. All these elements combine for an engaging story of a young bride’s struggle to be the ‘architect of her own fortune’.

In the Light of What We Know by Zia Haider Rahman

A debut tale set during the war and economic recession at the beginning of the 21st century follows a reconnection between two college friends including a London investment banker with crumbling prospects and a mathematics prodigy who has struggled with his culture and faith.

Where the Moon Isn’t by Nathan Filer

Struggling to understand what happened to his brother years earlier after they both snuck out of the house during the middle of the night, Matthew believes he has found a way to bring his brother back by going off his meds. Also good for young adults and has been published as The Shock of the Fall.

I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You by Courtney Maum

In this reverse love story set in Paris and London, a failed monogamist attempts to woo his wife back and to answer the question: Is it really possible to fall back in love with your spouse?

California by Edan Lepucki

California imagines a frighteningly realistic near future, in which clashes between mankind’s dark nature and deep-seated resilience force us to question how far we will go to protect the ones we love.

The Death of Bees by Lisa O’Donnell

The Death of Bees is a coming-of-age story in which two young sisters attempt to hold the world at bay after the mysterious death of their parents. Also good for young adults.

Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin

Presenting themselves to the world as an effortlessly excellent family, successful criminal lawyer Karen, her Parliament candidate husband and her intelligent athlete son, Max, find their world crumbling in the wake of a friend’s betrayal and the secret about Max’s intersexual identity. Also good for young adults.

First novels can be great reads. For those of us who would like to try our hand at writing someday it’s not only interesting to see the variety of ideas in first published works, but the varying ages and circumstances of the authors themselves. First-time writers come in all types, just like their books. Have you read any great debut novels you’d like to share?

-Christy

Operation Tender Trap

Without Valentine’s Day, February would be …well, January.  Jim Gaffigan

Can you feel the temperature rising as the countdown to Valentine’s Day begins? As a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Love your mission is to show your partner and/or family how much you really care. With less than 2 weeks to prepare an ambush you need some ammunition for your love arsenal.

Did you know that preparing food for someone is a significant act of love? Why not cook up an intimate dinner for your dearly beloved(s)?

Showcase your talents by fashioning a festive setting. Candles, flowers and wine are the usual suspects but you need to sell your artistic side and create a “tablescape”.  Decide on a pink and red theme. Borrow vintage floral patterned plates or scout thrift stores for mismatchedto make the table setting less fussy and more fun.

Enlist your children, nieces and nephews (because it’s their special day too) and construct homemade hearts to scatter over the table. Find lots of ideas for making delightful cards, love tokens and more lovely things for friends and family in:

Valentine Things to Make and Do  

 

 

 

Proclaim your passion with a perfect menu that says “Je t’adore”. Consult some of the following cookbooks:

Valentine Treats: Recipes and Crafts for the Whole Family

 

 

     Celebrate! by Sheila Lukins

 

 

 

Handmade  Gatherings by Ashley English

 

 

 

Set the mood and stock up your CD player with sexy standards from crooners such as Sinatra or modern troubadours like Buble.

 

 

 

 

Search Naxos music database for “Valentine Classics” or Hoopla for streaming music by hot new artist Sam Smith . Beware because this may lead to dancing, what George Bernard Shaw called the  “perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire.”

But can a heartwarming meal, bouquet of flowers or even a kiss convey the depth of your devotion? Cap it all off with the power of words and compose a sonnet dedicated to your heartthrob. Or recite a sure fire love poem from Love Poetry Out Loud 

Give in to the schmaltz. Resistance is futile.

Jane