Food in the Library

Food has generally been considered something of a no-no in libraries, along with disruptive noise and weapons of mass destruction. And while we are very keen to keep food off books (there are numerous stories out there in library world of rashers of bacon being used as bookmarks), the truth is there has always been a great deal of food available in the library, but it is contained within the books. We have hundreds of titles dedicated to food and food preparation available in the library, enough to satisfy the most voracious of appetites.

Being one of the basics of life, food understandably has an important place in human history. In A Taste of History author and documentary maker Bryan Bruce uncovers the stories behind our favourite foods including tomatoes, potatoes and chocolate. We also have several books looking at the history of food here in New Zealand and the evolution of our national cuisine. These include A Distant Feast: the Origin of New Zealand’s Cuisine by Tony Simpson and First Catch Your Weka: a Story of New Zealand Cooking by David Veart. Both books also feature recipes for those wanting to recreate food from our past.
When it comes to recipes our books can generally be divided up into those that look at a particular type of food or dish such as vegetarian or seafood; books that consider a particular type of cooking such as baking or barbecuing or the food of different countries and regions; or general cookbooks that tackle a range of food types and cooking styles. The latter are often produced by well-known chefs and cooks who, with the popularity of television cooking shows, have become household names.
Included amongst these celebrity chefs are names such as Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Gordon Ramsay and Rick Stein, and we hold several cook books by each of these writers. Often these cook books are tied in with a TV series such as Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals, Rick Stein’s Food Heroes or Nigella Express. The interest around Gordon Ramsay is so great that in addition to many cook books, he has also released two biographies, Humble Pie and Playing with Fire.
We also have a good selection of books written by New Zealand foodies who, while perhaps not as widely known as their international contemporaries, are very popular here in New Zealand. Included amongst these are names such as Jo Seagar, Simon Gault, Al Brown, Peta Mathias, Ruth Pretty and perhaps the best known name in New Zealand food, Dame Alison Holst, who published her first cookbook in 1966. In recent year’s Annabel Langbein has been a prolific and popular writer of cookbooks. Her book The Free Range Cook was New Zealand’s best-selling title in 2010 and the accompanying television series (which we also have available on DVD) has been screened around the world including Australia, France, Israel, the United Kingdom and Japan.
Cooking is increasingly popular with children (as witnessed by the Australian television series Junior Masterchef) and we have many books available to help children learn to cook. Included amongst these are titles such as Stew a Cockatoo: My Aussie Cookbook by Ruthie May, Who’s Cooking Tonight written by teenager Claire Gourley, and Roald Dahl’s Completly Revolting Recipes which features such delights as Plushnuggets, Hot Frogs, and Glumptious Globgobblers. With all these resources available finding books to inspire and instruct kids to have a go in the kitchen shouldn’t be a problem - though getting them to clean up afterwards may be a different matter.
There are also a number of fiction authors who use food and cooking in their plots and some who even go so far as to include recipes in their books. Laura Childs ‘Tea Shop Mysteries’ are, perhaps unsurprisingly, mysteries solved by the owner of a small tea shop. The books include a selection of recipes and suggestions for tea parties. Similarly in the Hannah Swensen Mysteries, Joanne Fluke writes mysteries that also include recipes that relate to the story. The Plum Pudding Murder for example features the recipes for the main characters (and presumably the authors) favourite Christmas time meals.
As if all these books weren’t enough, we also have many magazines that cater to our love of good food. Not only are there a number of general titles such as The Australian Women’s Weekly, Your Home and Garden, Next and NZ House & Garden that have regular food sections, we also have a selection of titles specifically dedicated to food such as Dish, Cuisine, and New Zealand Healthy Food. This wealth of information may not make the daily chore of deciding what to make for dinner any easier, but if you’re looking for inspiration or something special the library has it all.
All this food can have a consequence however, and many different diets have been designed to help us loose unwanted kilos. Included amongst these, and held here at the library, are The F2 Diet by Audrey Eyton, the enticingly named Eat Yourself Slim by Rosemary Conley, The South Beach Diet by Arthur Agatson, and Dr Phil McGraw’s Ultimate Weight Solution. We also have many books on nutrition that give advice on the benefits of different foods and the best foods to help in different health situations. Included amongst these is the arrestingly titled 101 Foods that Could Save Your Life by David W. Grotto.
From absolute beginners just starting out in the kitchen, to more experienced cooks wanting to expand their repertoires, and anyone wanting to cook and eat healthier foods, we have the books in the library to inform and inspire. Issuing these often lavishly illustrated books can be an uncomfortable experience for library staff, particularly just before lunch time, but we are very pleased to see them being used. We only ask that you keep the food in, rather than on the books.

Jon Adams
Community Outreach Librarian
Masterton District Library