The Learned Owl Book Shop, October 1, 2015
Kate's Corner

Holy mackerel, who flipped the switch! My wardrobe may not be ready for the weather; however, my taste buds are. With all of the fabulous cookbooks coming out right now, I'm excited to jump back into fall menus.

Speaking of food, we are thrilled to be a part of the Crenshaw Nationwide Food Drive! Crenshaw is a new book by Newbery Medalist Katherine Applegate about a young boy, Jackson, and his imaginary friend, Crenshaw. Jackson's family is going through tough times and often short on food. The campaign is to raise awareness about the ongoing fight against childhood hunger. All month long we will be collecting canned and nonperishable food items at the store to benefit the Hudson Food Pantry. Please help us help our community feed families in need.

Thank you for your support, and happy reading!

- Kate
Coming October 6 - preorder now!

New from Rick Riordan:
Magnus ChasePreorder book
  
For the first time: Harry Potter, illustrated!
Harry Potter
Preorder book
Crenshaw is imaginary. Childhood hunger isn't. Help us help families in need.

Inspired by Crenshaw, a new novel by Newbery Medalist Katherine Applegate, bookstores across the country are teaming up with food pantries to collect food for children in need. Bring your canned & nonperishable food items to The Learned Owl during October. All donations will go to the Hudson Food Pantry.

Crenshaw
#CRENSHAWFOODDRIVE
Mama's Heart Fits Two
Meet the authors: For kids & parents

Saturday, Oct. 3, 1-3 PM (at The Learned Owl)
Children's author Denise Carkhuff with Mama's Heart Fits Two, a delightful picture book that explores the special sharing issues inherent with twins.

Sunday, October 4, 2 PM (at The Learned Owl)
Special storytime: Come hear the story of Dewey Bob, written by Judy Schachner, and stay for a special activity!

Mr. Wuffles Saturday, October 24, 2 PM
(at the Hudson Library)
Three-time Caldecott winner David Wiesner (Mr. Wuffles!). Register for this event online, or call (330) 653-6658.

Wednesday, October 28, 7-7:45 PM
(at the Strongsville Library)
Local children's author and illustrator Betsy Snyder introduces her new books I Can Dance and I Can Play. Register online, or call 440-238-5530.
Sweet and Tart New cookbook from local author Carla Snyder
Saturday, Oct. 24, 1-3 PM (at The Learned Owl)

Meet baker, cooking teacher, caterer, food writer, and cookbook author Carla Snyder as she introduces her newest book,

When life gives you lemons... make a lemon (or lime, or orange, or grapefruit) dessert! Sweet and Tart brings a spritz of sunshine to the table with 70 totally tempting, accessible recipes. From irresistibly tangy-sweet Heavenly Lemon Squares to the unexpected Cream Cheese Muffins with Spinach and Lemon, these treats span sweet and savory, with recipes for frozen desserts, cakes, pies, breads, and favorite citrusy accents such as marmalade and curd.
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More authors! for adults & teens

Saturday, October 10, 1-3 PM (at The Learned Owl)
Karen Robbins will visit with her book Ruby, a novel about family secrets that span generations.

Saturday, October 17, 1-3 PM (at The Learned Owl)
Akron area author K. C. Maguire with Inside the Palisade. This YA sci-fi novel is the story of a girl who grows up in an all-female society who is confronted by a young man who has been hiding within the society's walls.

Saturday, October 17, 1-3 PM (at The Learned Owl)
Author Sally Laughlin with Fly Toward Death, her book about all-female aviation regiments in the Soviet Union during WWII.

Monday, October 19, 7 PM (at the Hudson Library)
Author John F. Ross will speak about his recent book, Enduring Courage: Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker and the Dawn of Speed. Register for this program online, or call 330-653-6658 x1010.

Thursday, October 22, 5:30-7 PM (at The Learned Owl)
Author R. G. Belsky will visit to greet readers and sign Shooting for the Stars, his new Gil Malloy mystery.
Mr. Belsky will also be at our Book Club in a Bar meeting at 7 PM on Oct. 22.
Our book groups discuss...

Monday, Oct. 12, 1 PM OR Tuesday, Oct. 13, 7 PM (at The Learned Owl)
Join us as our Learned Owl Book Club discusses Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel.

Sunday, October 18, 2 PM (at The Learned Owl)
Our History Book Club discusses the history of aviation.
Read any book on the topic and join us!

Thursday, October 22, 7 PM (location TBA)
Author R.G. Belsky revisits our Book Club in a Bar to discuss his next Gil Malloy mystery, Shooting for the Stars.
New for your kitchen: Behind the recipes

The Food LabThe Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
[W. W. Norton & Company, $49.95]
Ever wondered how to pan-fry a steak with a charred crust and an interior that's perfectly medium-rare from edge to edge when you cut into it? How to make homemade mac 'n' cheese that is as satisfyingly gooey and velvety-smooth as the blue box stuff, but far tastier? How to roast a succulent, moist turkey (forget about brining!) and use a foolproof method that works every time?
As Serious Eats's culinary nerd-in-residence, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt has pondered all these questions and more. In The Food Lab, Kenji focuses on the science behind beloved American dishes, delving into the interactions among heat, energy, and molecules that create great food. Kenji shows that often conventional methods don't work that well, and that home cooks can achieve far better results using new but simple techniques. In hundreds of easy-to-make recipes with over 1,000 full-color images, you will find out how to make foolproof Hollandaise sauce in just two minutes, how to transform one simple tomato sauce into a half dozen dishes, how to make the crispiest, creamiest potato casserole ever conceived, and much more.
Buy the bookBuy the eBook

100 Recipes100 Recipes: The Absolute Best Ways to Make the True Essentials
[America's Test Kitchen, $40.00; October 13]
We have countless recipes at our disposal today; but what are the real keepers, the ones that don't just feed us when we're hungry or impress our friends on Saturday night, but inspire us to get into the kitchen? At the forefront of American cooking for more than 20 years, the editors at America's Test Kitchen have answered this question in an essential collection of recipes that you won't find anywhere else.
Organized into three recipe sections - Absolute Essentials, Surprising Essentials, and Global Essentials - each recipe is preceded by a thought-provoking essay that positions the dish. For example, Treating Pasta Like Rice Simplifies Everything; A Covered Pot Is a Surprisingly Good Place to Roast a Chicken; and Re-imagine Pie in a Skillet to Simplify the Process. You'll find useful workday recipes like a killer tomato sauce that's almost as easy as opening a jar of the store-bought stuff; genius techniques for producing amazing flavor; and familiar favorites reinvigorated. Likely to stir debate among anyone interested in food and cooking, 100 Recipes Everyone Should Know How to Make provides a snapshot of how we cook today, and will galvanize even the most jaded cook to get into the kitchen.
Preorder book
New for your kitchen: Well-known names

My Kitchen Year My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life by Ruth Reichl
[Random House, $35.00]
In the fall of 2009, the food world was rocked when Gourmet magazine was abruptly shuttered by its parent company. No one was more stunned by this unexpected turn of events than its editor in chief, Ruth Reichl, who suddenly faced an uncertain professional future. As she struggled to process what had seemed unthinkable, Reichl turned to the one place that had always provided sanctuary. "I did what I always do when I'm confused, lonely, or frightened," she writes. "I disappeared into the kitchen."
My Kitchen Year follows the change of seasons and Reichl's emotions as she slowly heals through the simple pleasures of cooking. Part cookbook, part memoir, part paean to the household gods, this may be Reichl's most stirring book yet - one that reveals a refreshingly vulnerable side of the world's most famous food editor as she shares treasured recipes to be returned to again and again and again.
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We have signed copies!
Michael Symon's 5 in 5Michael Symon's 5 in 5 for Every Season: 165 Quick Dinners, Sides, Holiday Dishes, and More by Michael Symon
[Clarkson Potter Publishers, $19.99]
5 fresh ingredients + 5 minutes of heat = 165 recipes
The follow-up to the bestselling Michael Symon's 5 in 5, this new book delivers 165 quick, easy, fresh recipes organized by season with an entire section devoted to making the holidays simpler than ever. Each chapter features inspired main courses as well as recipes for sides and 5 fun ways to celebrate the season, including no-bake summer fruit desserts and spiked drinks with which to warm up in winter.
Buy the bookBuy the eBook

Jacques PepinJacques Pepin: Heart & Soul in the Kitchen
[Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $25.00; available Oct. 6]
An intimate look at the celebrity chef and the food he cooks at home with family and friends. There are the simple dinners Jacques prepares for his wife, like the world's best burgers (the secret is ground brisket). There are elegant dinners for small gatherings, with tantalizing starters like Camembert cheese with a pistachio crust and desserts like little foolproof chocolate souffles. And there are the dishes for backyard parties, including grilled chicken tenderloin in an Argentinean chimichurri sauce. Spiced with reminiscences and stories, this book reveals the unorthodox philosophy of the man who taught millions how to cook, revealing his frank views on molecular gastronomy, the locovore movement, Julia Child and James Beard, on how to raise a child who will eat almost anything, and much, much more. For both longtime fans of Jacques and those who are discovering him for the first time, this is a must-have cookbook.
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We recommend: 
Tried & true
Make It AheadNew England Soup Factory Cookbook
One Pan, Two Plates
Sheet Pan Suppers

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
- J. R. R. Tolkien