Archive | September, 2023

Super Secret Cookbooks: Necronomnomnom, Lovecraft Cocktails, and Top Secret Recipes Unlocked

13 Sep

The Necronomnomnom: Recipes and Rites from the Lore of H.P. Lovecraft and Lovecraft Cocktails: Elixirs & Libations from the Lore of H. P. Lovecraft
by Mike Slater
My husband discovered two terrific Lovecraft recipe books recently; don’t worry they weren’t tucked away in a hidden tomb or a locked box in an attic, but it was when he met the author, Mike Slater, at a local convention. So if you borrow the copies of The Necronomnomnom or Lovecraft Cocktails from BCCLS Libraries you will find creative libations, but will be unlikely to actually summon any ancient gods (at least we haven’t yet). For those not familiar with Lovecraft, he is considered one of the early father’s of horror. His works have a looming menace and even if you have not read one of his stories you may be familiar with his most famous elder god, Cthulhu, who inspired many monsters in recent novels like The Kaiju Preservation Society and Lovecraft Country, which put a spin on some of the racism that is unfortunately a part of Lovecraft’s works reflecting a xenophobia often felt by the small town New Englanders he wrote about. These cookbooks though a must for Lovecraft fan are also enjoyable by fantasy foodies in general with their beautiful illustrations, fun puns, and quirky recipes that they contain like The Deep Fried Deep One and The Great Old Buns from The Necronomnomnom or Sunken Island Iced Tea and Moscow Ghoul from Lovecraft Cocktails. These would be great for planning refreshments at your next Horror Movie Marathon, Halloween Party, or Dungeons and Dragon Game. You can see a previous post about other fantasy inspired cookbooks here.

Top Secret Recipes Unlocked: All New Home Clones of America’s Favorite
by Todd Wilbur
Every year my recipe for sweet potato casserole gets rave reviews at Thanksgiving. My secret is that it is a homemade version of the one found at Boston Market. Top Secret Recipes Unlocked is a fun resource packed with clones of everything from Arby’s delicious Horsey Sauce to my childhood favorite popcorn treat, Crunch and Munch. Some entries include background about the restaurants or the dish itself and others discuss what it took to recreate the dish. In his introduction, Wilbur discusses his overall process in trying to recreate the classic dishes in ways that are close to the original in taste but use techniques and ingredients readily accessible to home cooks. The book includes fun diagrams that give a super secret spy feel to the endeavors. Wilbur’s take on the Boston Market’s Sweet Potato Casserole is egg free so can be made ahead so I may give his version a try this year. Top Secret Recipes Unlocked includes recipes from several Hoboken Fast Food Favorites including McDonald’s, Panera, Taco Bell, Dunkin, and Starbucks. This is a great resource for those looking to make their favorites in a healthier version or in away to accommodate dietary restrictions.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Two Historical Fiction Picks Set in the 1920’s for the 2020’s: Comeuppance Served Cold and Murder in Williamstown

6 Sep

Comeuppance Served Cold
by Marion Deeds
Comeuppance Served Cold is a fantasy heist set in 1929 Seattle. This Jazz Age novella is a quick, under 200 pages read, but still manages to tell a satisfying story that involves a lot of mysteries and as the title suggests some well earned revenge. Magic is slowly being regulated by the city leaders in order to line their own pockets and shifters hide their identities due to growing prejudice. Not following the rules proves to have deadly consequences. The novel starts with a woman magically changing her appearance as she escapes a crime scene and throughout the novel, characters are not whom they at first seem. In addition to the main protagonist Dolly, two who particularly intrigued me are Gabe, a blind tattooist, whose sigils can protect those whom he inks; and Fiona the daughter of an elite mage who is forced into a engagement and has become addicted to shimmer-shim, a magical intoxicant. The story jumps around through time leading to the event in the prologue, which slowly brings what is truly going on into focus; this will be a book you will not want to put down. Comeuppance Served Cold will also appeal to fans of CL Polk’s fantastic Even Though I Knew the End, which I had written about previously.

Murder in Williamstown
by Kerry Greenwood
We’ve had several blogs about Greenwood’s novels as well as the adaptations of them. Greenwood’s clever, fashionable Australian flapper detective Phryne Fisher definitely deserves a place in the pantheon of fictional sleuths. Although the print edition of Kerry Greenwood’s most recent in her Phryne Fisher Series is not available till November in the US, you can get an early listen to the audiobook read by Wendy Bos in a charming Aussie accent which brings Phryne’s story to life. This story explores more of the lives of the Chinese immigrant community in Australia in the late 1920’s, whom Phryne’s connected to through her lover Lin Chung. Like the previous novel, there is also a mystery for Phryne’s wards, Ruth and Jane, this time at the Blind Institute and Dot, Phryne’s long time maid/companion must suss out why her fiancé is slow to set a wedding date. I wasn’t as fond of the plot line involving the younger members of the Fisher household in the previous novel in the series, Death in Daylesford, but this time I enjoyed it the most. There is a lot to keep track of and I found myself going back a time or two since at times I’d be distracted while listening and lose a plot point, but it was an overall enjoyable experience. I highly recommend checking out both the books as well as the TV and Movie Series.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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