
Plano Library Speaks: Cooking for the Holidays
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What’s your favorite holiday? What about holiday food? Do you cook/bake?
The latest Plano Library Speaks episode showcases library staff talking about their favorite holidays and holiday food. Take a listen and check out our cooking and baking resources available with your library card.
Cookbooks

Plano Public Library has hundreds (maybe thousands, to be honest) of cookbooks, covering a variety of diets and cuisine. Here are a few of the newest for the holidays:
Christmas with Southern Living 2023: Inspired Ideas for Holiday Cooking and Decorating Print
Offers recipes for meals, treats, and baked goods for gift-giving and holiday entertaining, along with seasonal decorating ideas, including festive centerpieces, mantels, and wreaths.
Muy Bueno Fiestas: 100+ Delicious Mexican Recipes For Celebrating the Year by Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack Print
Celebrate any occasion with this stunningly designed cookbook, featuring 100+ recipes for traditional and contemporary Mexican-inspired cuisine as well as DIY crafts that make every event a fiesta!
Totally Kosher: Tradition with a Twist! 150+ Recipes for the Holidays and Every Day by Chanie Apfelbaum Print
Her mission was to make kosher food trendy, accessible, and delicious for Jewish families around the world. What that means is miso in the matzo ball soup and tahini in the pumpkin pie–and her fans absolutely love recreating her recipes and feeling in the know on the latest food trends while keeping kosher kitchens.
I Could Nosh: Classic Jew-ish Recipes Revamped for Every Day by Jake Cohen Print
With a whole lot of creativity, and a dash of chutzpah, this collection is a must-have for food lovers everywhere, whether they’re Jewish, Jew-ish, or not Jewish at all.
Celebrate with Babs: Holiday Recipes & Family Traditions by Barbara Costello Print
Your adopted grandmother Barbara Costello, a.k.a. Babs, has collected hundreds of recipes over the decades–all living in her old, wooden recipe box–and has curated her family favorites for your own cherished occasions. With seasonal table spreads, time-tested recipes, and motherly advice, this book bestows the key for elevating all of life’s festivities into memorable events.
The Complete Autumn & Winter Cookbook: 550+ Recipes for Warming Dinners, Holiday Roasts, Seasonal Desserts, Breads, Food Gifts, and More from America’s Test Kitchen Print
When the temperature outside dips, it’s time to heat up the kitchen. The staff at America’s Test Kitchen share cozy recipes, from soul-satisfying soups and simple dinners to slow-simmered weekend projects and showstopping layer cakes.
Online Resources
There are more than 500 digital magazines on Libby in the Food & Wine category. Here are a few for the holidays:

Holiday Cookies & Baking from Taste of Home
Access on Libby app or desktop
- Whimsical Christmas cookies
- Tender quick breads
- Impressive desserts
- Delicious gifts from the kitchen

Forks Over Knives – Plant-Based Holiday
Access on Libby app or desktop
- Entire spread or a recipe or two to round out a meal
- Breakfast and brunch specialties
- Veggie-filled mains
- Salads and soups
- Bread and rolls
- Cookies, bars and cakes

Holiday Open House from Taste of Home
Access on Libby app or desktop
- Seasonal drinks and starters
- Entrees and bread
- Desserts

Holiday Cookie Cookbook from Food Network
Access on Libby app or desktop
- 125+ recipes
- Drop or cutout cookies
- Slice-and-bake cookies
- Sandwich cookies
- Bar cookies
- Specialty cookies
There are almost 1,000 cookbooks or books about food on Libby as well. Here are a few to check out:
- Gatherings: Casual-Fancy Meals to Share from America’s Test Kitchen
- Christmas with Southern Living 2023
- Christmas with Kim-Joy