CHECK IT OUT:

With the holidays soon upon us, it’s time to bring out the cookbooks to look for new recipes. The Newport Beach Public Library has many to choose from that will help make holiday menus a delectable treat.

One book that will get you in the mood for Thanksgiving is “The Turkey: An American Story.” Andrew F. Smith discusses both fact and myth in the multifaceted history of the turkey. While not a traditional cookbook, you can wow your guests with an amazing amount of facts and history about the bird.

“Paula Deen Celebrates! Best Dishes and Best Wishes for the Best Times of Your Life,” by the Food Network author, focuses on memorable meals for special occasions. Deen packs the book with her trademark stories of family and friends, as well as decorating and entertaining tips from her personal assistant, Brandon Branch.

Celebrated cookbook writer Sheila Lukins, co-author of “The Silver Palate,” delivers a glossy full-color volume encompassing almost all the possible celebrations in life in her cookbook, “Celebrate!” “I’m in the mood to celebrate,” Lukins crows. “It’s the kind of joyous mood that makes me happy to call friends and family and invite them over for good food, good conversation and good cheer! It’s the kind of mood that makes needing a reason to celebrate....” Should you find yourself looking for a reason to celebrate, relax: Lukins provides 43 of them.

“The Healthy Hedonist Holidays: A Year of Multi-Cultural, Vegetarian-Friendly Holiday Feasts” by Myra Kornfeld, author of “The Voluptuous Vegan,” focuses on holidays reflecting America’s multicultural society. For each celebration Kornfeld offers a vegetarian entree, a fish or poultry dish, numerous sides and dessert, all designed to leave us feeling energetic and nourished after the meal, as well as delighted during the experience. The menus in “The Healthy Hedonist Holidays” will entice every guest — vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, carnivores, omnivores who can’t eat dairy, and people who just love good food — with delicious, satisfying “flexitarian” meals.

The editors of American Profile magazine asked their readers to submit their favorite holiday recipe, taking the top 250 (of some 1,500 entries) for this compilation, titled “Hometown Recipes for the Holidays” covering everything from Valentine’s Day, Cinco De Mayo and Passover to Groundhog Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter.

Organized by course (appetizer, dessert, side dish, etc.), submissions range from classics such as spinach and oyster dressing to everyday dishes like tortellini in sundried tomato sauce to holiday-specific recipes, including a questionable concoction called Marcia Emig’s Pumpkin Dip, composed of cinnamon, nutmeg, two packages of cream cheese, a 16-ounce bag of powdered sugar and a can of pumpkin (“Serve with gingersnaps”).

Tellingly, the grand-prize winner, Cranberry Cake with Hot Butter Sauce submitted by Phyllis Willink of Baldwin, Wis., is simple, to the point, and cheerfully decadent.

Martha Stewart makes an appearance in the DVD “Martha’s Classic Thanksgiving” as well as in a set of three DVDs, titled “Martha’s Holiday Celebration.”

In them, Stewart gives tips on cooking a wide range of holiday foods as well as a collection of Thanksgiving Day decorating, entertaining, craft and cooking ideas.

With all of these festive cookbooks the Newport Beach Public Library wishes you a delicious start to the holiday season. Enjoy!

CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public Library.