If you visit the our non-fiction collection on the lower level, you’ll notice we are focused on food. Our cookbooks (641 in Dewey) are pushing the limits of what high-quality steel library shelving is capable of. Our selection of recipes and guides is literally massive, with books for nearly every palate and dietary preference.

But just like any other interest you would indulge at the library, the collection does not end with the books. A to Z World Food is an online resource covering 174 countries. That includes over 7,000 recipes, in-depth articles about over 700 individual ingredients, and the geographic and cultural context of how those foods fit into every corner of international cuisine.

The database includes a profile for each country with easy-to-use menus that highlight everything from drinks to snacks to main courses to desserts. Food customs are discussed for the country as a whole and broken down by regions. What do they eat every day? What are their traditions for dining out, holidays, or other special occasions? There’s also a “pantry” feature that displays and describes some of the key ingredients that make each country’s cuisine so unique.

The database includes general reference materials including glossaries of terms for baking, beverages, and food preparation. It also has built-in measurement conversions to help you get from milliliters to cups with ease. Hear pronunciations for unfamiliar food items created by real live humans with the Video Dictionary. See a timeline of global food history and an overview of inmportant inventions that helped us to make the foods that we love.

Learn the basics of various dietary traditions observed in the West and elsewhere. Find quick demos for all kinds of food prep, including all the main ways to make eggs! Learn other secret “hacks” to make big cooking jobs less tedious and stretch the value of your food.

Most importantly, have fun. There’s something new to discover everyday, new foods and flavors to add to your repertoire. Get in touch if you need help navigating, or want to share a culinary breakthrough!