Inspiration for celebrating the season

Looking for new ways to celebrate the season? Before hitting the

mall, head for the library to find inspired ideas for creating bonds

and reaching out to others.

“As the contexts of our lives have changed, so must our

celebrations,” writes Ronni Lundy in “The Festive Table.” Along with

a summary of the primal energy underlying 11 major holidays, she

presents ideas for such festive affairs as a “Hotdish Doldrums Dance”

to combat winter blahs and a Tamale Party to ring in the New Year in

her sampler of ways to bring people together. More than 125 recipes

will inspire cooks to create traditions based around a range of

cuisines.

Artfully folded fabric can turn any meal into a celebration, and

there are 94 ways to transform cloth into art in “The Simple Art of

Napkin Folding.” Find directions for making tabletop fans, crowns and

swans in this handbook for party givers by Linda Hetzer and Robert

Penny. There’s also a stain removal guide and stenciling

instructions.

If baking is on your to-do list, check out Jennifer Darling’s

“Cookies for Christmas.” With 130 recipes for old-world favorites,

American classics, flavor twists and decorating ideas, this is a

must-have for seasonal bakers. Especially appetizing are color photos

illustrating gift-giving options and such ambitious projects as a

Victorian gingerbread house and a nativity scene made of sugar

cookies.

For chocoholics, one of France’s most renowned pastry chefs

delivers a new collection of sweet finishes in “Chocolate Desserts by

Pierre Herme,” written by Pierre Herme and Dorie Greenspan. With lush

photography of such temptations as pear tempura with chocolate rice

pudding, this is a treat for the eyes as well as the taste buds.

To satisfy guests watching their waistlines, Barry Bluestein and

Kevin Morrissey present healthful ways to start and finish holiday

meals in “The 99% Fat-Free Book of Appetizers and Desserts.” Opening

with a guide to a fat-free pantry, they show how careful ingredient

selection and cooking techniques can be used to create satisfying

party fare with less than a gram of fat per serving.

To save funds as well as calories, browse through “Christmas Ideas

for Families,” edited by Phyllis Pellman Good. Hundreds of ways to

create meaningful personal traditions are in this collection of

suggestions from individuals around the country.

Regardless of how much or how little you spend, you’ll never look

at the trappings of one of the year’s most beloved holidays the same

way after absorbing “The Physics of Christmas.” From observations

tracing the origins of Santa to reasons for Rudolph’s red nose,

science journalist Roger Highfield calls on scientific research to

enrich understanding of everything associated with Christmas,

guaranteed to make you smile no matter how harried the holidays have

you.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach

Public Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams. All titles

may be reserved from home or office computers by accessing the

catalog at www.newportbeachlibrary.org.