Monroe Free Library

When Lars Thorvald's wife, Cynthia, falls in love with wine--and a dashing sommelier--he's left to raise their baby, Eva, on his own. He's determined to pass on his love of food to his daughter. As Eva grows, she finds her solace and salvation in the flavors of her native Minnesota. From Scandinavian lutefisk to hydroponic chocolate habaneros, each ingredient represents one part of Eva's journey as she becomes the star chef behind a legendary and...

“All the sun and magic of Africa are baked into Gaile Parkin’s debut novel. . . . We peek into a warm and practical community as colorful as [the heroine’s] dazzling confections.”—The Christian Science Monitor

This soaring novel introduces us to Angel Tungaraza: mother, cake baker, pillar of her community, keeper of secrets big and small. Angel’s kitchen is an oasis in the heart of Rwanda,

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Denver chef Rachel Bishop won a James Beard Award and heads up her own fine-dining restaurant-- until she is the target of a smear campaign. Alex Kanin was highlighting the pitfalls of online criticism-- and destroyed the career of a perfect stranger. Plagued by guilt, he agrees to help rebuild Rachel's tarnished image by offering his connections and his home to host an exclusive pop-up dinner party targeted to the Saturday Night Supper Club. As they...

When her friends order her to take a vacation, successful chef Jilly O'Hara is less than enthused. She may be overworked, but a trip to the mountains is not her idea of fun. Especially when she's roped into an outrageous scheme to pose as a happy bride--all to fulfill the kindly resort owner's dreams of once again hosting a lavish wedding. But the ruggedly handsome make-believe groom may just make it tolerable....

After an extravagant honeymoon, Hannah's eager to settle down in Lake Eden and turn domestic daydreams into reality. But when her mother's neighbor is discovered murdered in the condo downstairs, reality becomes a nightmarish investigation. Victoria Bascomb, once a renowned stage actress, was active in the theater community during her brief appearance in town . . . and made throngs of enemies along the way. Did a random intruder murder the woman as...

"An uplifting Christmas tale, set in the Alaskan wilderness, about finding love where it's least expected--from the #1 New York Times bestselling author who's one of America's most beloved storytellers. Before beginning her new job as sous chef at one of Seattle's finest restaurants, Josie Stewart takes on a six-month position cooking at a lodge in an Alaskan lake town. It's only temporary--or so she thinks, as she becomes a valued part of the local...

Welcome to Polbearne, a Cornish tidal town where the men are hot and the women have plenty of emotional baggage. Colgan's (Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe; The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris) latest chick lit offering drops readers into the world of Polly Waterford. With a bankrupt business and an ex-boyfriend in her rear mirror, Polly moves to a dilapidated flat far away from the yuppie lifestyle she used to revere. Life on the island isn't perfect,...

"Since catering themed events is a good way to make extra cash, Val agrees to board the Titanic--or at least cater a re-creation of the doomed journey on a yacht. The owner of the yacht, who collects memorabilia related to the disaster, wants Val to serve the last meal the Titanic passengers ate...while his guests play a murder-mystery game. But it is the final feast for one passenger who disappears from the ship. And that's only the tip of the iceberg....

"A smog has spread. Food crops are rapidly disappearing. A chef escapes her dying career in a dreary city to take a job at a decadent mountaintop colony seemingly free of the world's troubles. There, the sky is clear again. Rare ingredients abound. Her enigmatic employer and his visionary daughter have built a lush new life for the global elite, one that reawakens the chef to the pleasures of taste, touch, and her own body. In this atmosphere of hidden...

"At a dead-end in her career, Dani inherits an enormous old house in a quaint college town--the perfect opportunity to pursue her true passion. So Dani opens Chef-to-Go, offering ready-made meals for hungry students attending the nearby university, as well as catering for the community. To help support her new business she rents rooms to a few students, becoming a big sister figure in their lives. Then a friend of one of her boarders is murdered,...