Three on Thursday: Cookbooks!

With the holidays looming, some folks feel that they need something fresh and new to offer alongside the tried-and-true recipes they traditionally serve. If you're looking for a little inspiration this holiday season, take a look at some of our new cookbooks!

Too many apples piling up after a trip to the local orchard? Check out The Fly Creek Cider Mill Cookbook by Brenda and Bill Michaels, offering over 100 recipes, all featuring apples. Part ode to the generations of Michaels who have owned and operated the cider mill and orchard, part homage to the versatile seasonal fruit, this should provide inspiration and some cozy reading to cooks and bakers. In a similar vein, you might also want to check out The New England Orchard Cookbook by Linda Beaulieu, which features recipes from iconic orchards all over New England. Moving beyond just apples, this also covers peaches, pears, berries and more, along with providing gorgeous photographs both of the orchards and the recipes. (Also, if you're looking for a hidden gem of an orchard and cider mill around here, I highly recommend Beardsley's Cider Mill and Orchard in Shelton!)

Envious of all the relaxed entertaining you see on television and social media? Embrace it for yourself with established cookbook author Nancy Silverton's Mozza At Home, which is chock full of easy recipes to help you spend more time out mingling with guests instead of cloistered in the kitchen. And if you're looking to up your game in the entertaining department, consider the new cookbook/lifestyle guide from the author of the bestselling Dinner: A Love Story, Jenny Rosenstrach's How To Celebrate Everything. Over a hundred recipes are paired with inspiring ideas on how to turn special occasions into cherished traditions.

Finally, if you're wondering what the most popular cookbook is right now? Ina Garten's Cooking for Jeffrey is what fans, foodies and cooks are talking about right now. Filled with recipes requested most frequently by the Barefoot Contessa's spouse and his friends, this is part cookbook and part love story in food. 

Wishing you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving. I'll rejoin you with what I've been reading after the holiday!