The weather has finally decided to accept fall’s temperatures.  And as we finally start packing away the summer clothes, the other change is in how we eat.  Grilling outside is left to the truly dedicated and the fall traditions of soups, stews, and apple desserts comes in to play.  The library has a vast collection of cookbooks that can help provide inspiration and instruction.

           

This year’s favorite kitchen device is the instant pot.  It is a combination of slow cooker and pressure cooker as well as a host of other possibilities.  For all of those considering buying one of these or figuring out how to use one, there are stacks of cookbooks, but “How to Instant Pot” by Daniel Shumski is a good place to start.

           

He promises to help you master all the functions of the one pot that will change the way you cook with 100 irresistible recipes plus surprising instant pot shortcuts.  He starts out with how to set one up, how to “speak” instant pot, and then how to convert your favorite recipes to the instant pot.  There are chapters on pressure cookers, slow cookers, rice makers, yogurt makers and steamers. 

           

And then there are the recipes from Quick White Bean and Turkey Chili to Chocolate Lava Cakes with Dulce de Leche as well as Kimchee Chicken, Spicy Tomato Pasta Sauce, and Maple-Sweetened French Toast Casserole.  Loaded with full-color photographs, “How to Instant Pot,” is certainly tempting.

           

Better Homes and Gardens offers its own recipes in “Wonder Pot,” full of one-dish meals for slow cookers, Dutch overs, skillets, pressure cookers and casseroles.  The possibilities range from “Upside-Down Pizza Casserole,” to “Lasagna Soup” to “Lemon-Thyme Roasted Chicken with Fingerlings.”

           

America’s Test Kitchen provides the guide to slow cooking with “The Complete Slow Cooker” which includes recipes from appetizers to desserts with full-color photographs and endless basic tips from “Seeding Jalapenos” to “Buying and Storing Fish.”  There are five different ways to make meatloaf from classic to smoky bacon to Italian as well as a host of dessert recipes to make in your slow cooker from Fudgy Brownies to Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake.  This cookbook covers all the basics with endless advice to make your cooking so much tastier. 

           

While looking up recipes on the Internet may be fun, browsing through cookbooks that contain more than just recipes, but also advice, experience, and basics may be even more fruitful.  With the holiday season rapidly approaching, the library’s shelves of cookbooks may have just the thing to add variety to your cooking.