This column was submitted by Evangeline Cessna, local history librarian at the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library.

This week’s column features nutrition and cookbooks from our New Adult Nonfiction collection.

Casey Means offers a new vision for optimizing our health in the book Good Energy. The question posited to readers is “What if depression, anxiety, infertility, insomnia, heart disease, ED, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, dementia, cancer” and other health conditions have the same root cause? Our ability to prevent and reverse these conditions is due to our metabolic function—the most important and least understood system in the human body. We need our cells to create and use energy effectively and efficiently. We need them to have “good energy.” Doctors and scientists can now monitor our metabolic health with great detail and learn how to improve ourselves. Means’s four-week plan explains: the five biomarkers that determine your risk for deadly disease; how we can use inexpensive tools and technology to “see inside our bodies” and take action; the crucial link between sleep, circadian rhythm, and metabolism; and steps to navigate the medical system to get what we need for optimal health.

Kathryn Kellogg is taking her tips and strategies for a zero-waste lifestyle and applying them to the heart of the house in her book 101 Tips for a Zero-Waste Kitchen. Kitchens can produce a great deal of waste and, though food scraps are biodegradable, they do not properly break down in landfills. Also, wasting food can put strain on your wallet. The average family of four in the U.S. will lose $1,500 annually to food waste. You will learn how to buy in bulk, avoid unnecessary packaging, upcycle jars, and more. You’ll even get recipes that make use of food scraps. Learn to preserve your lemon peels for extra flavor, create simple syrup from strawberry tops, and revive shriveled mushrooms. With just a little work, you’ll have the tools to reach the ultimate goal: no produce left behind.

Southern Living Magazine has released it’s latest 2024 Annual Recipes. You’ll be able to whip up delicious, Southern dishes for family and friends. From hearty family suppers to light summer picnics and just about everything in between, you’ll find a recipe to suit your needs. You’ll find regionally inspired dishes, quick and easy meals, and treats for special occasions. And Southern Living didn’t forget the helpful kitchen tips and creative menus for small and large gatherings. Finally, you’ll find a special section that features a selection of readers’ favorite recipes.

Bayou by Melissa M. Martin features recipes from the Louisiana bayou that mark the season of the Cajun calendar with its traditions, emotions, and gatherings. This book shares a year of celebrations—big and small—through 100 Southern Louisiana recipes that combine simple ingredients like onions, potatoes, and peppers with local favorites like shrimp and crabs. You’ll find shareable recipes like Carnival Crawfish Boil and Etouffee to celebrate the New Year. Lent gives us simple recipes with fresh ingredients like Cabbage Slaw and Fried Fish Collars. Summer brings us shrimp season. October brings friends and family together for boucheries where they feast on Cracklins and Back Bone Stew. The holidays include dishes like Fried Turkey, Holiday Dressing, and Red Velvet Cake.

Chef Brian Polcyn’s new cookbook, Meat Pies, covers the fundamentals of meat, seafood, and vegetable concoctions topped with, enclosed in, or wrapped in dough. He begins this book by teaching readers the basics of what they need to get started, including necessary equipment as well as the immensely important moisture barrier—who wants a soggy pie?! The recipes are divided into neat categories: Pot Pies, Hand-Raised Pies (to be eaten at room temperature), Rolled Raised Pies, Tarts and Galettes, Double-Crusted Pies, Turnovers, and Vol-au-Vents (mini tarts with filling added after baking). The structure of this book allows the home cook to master the dough and form required for each recipe as written and to also encourage invention, creativity, and discovery. Enjoy mouth-watering recipes like Beef Short Rib and Vegetable Pot Pie, Cumberland-Style Sausage Roll, The Best Mushroom Tart, and more.