Bookish at Tawas Bay

May 5, 2025.

Just arrived, a bevy of cookbooks.

We’ve got “A Taste of History” from Walter Staib, the chef at Philadelphia’s venerable City Tavern. This is a restaurant that has been around for about 250 years and it’s the spot where our founding fathers met over drinks–unofficially, of course–while working on the Declaration of Independence. The cookbook features historic recipes like:

• Roasted red and golden beet salad
• Hot and spicy cabbage slaw
• Pepper pot stew
• Cornmeal-fried catfish
• Roasted leg of venison
• Coq au vin rouge
• Honey stung Brussels sprouts
• Pumpkin pancakes

In addition to these historic recipies, we’ve got the “Camping Cookbook” with dozens of delicious recipes for every outdoor occasion and “Bites on a Board,” by Anni Daulter, with inspiration and instructions for classic charcuterie boards–with prosciutto, olives, and roasted figs–as well as over the top dessert boards with mini-cheesecakes and ice-cream bites.

We’ve got the “On a Stick Cookbook” with simple and fun campfire recipes; single-ingredient cookbooks for summer staples like squash, strawberries, and blueberries; and “The Pesto Cookbook,” with no cooking required.