Check It Out: Celebrate the season with holiday recipes

Gina and Patrick Neely coauthor "The Neely's Celebration Cookbook: Down Home Meals for Every Occasion." According to the Neelys, it takes family, friends, and ample good food to make a celebration. In their new book, they share their recipes and secrets for entertaining year-round, dishing up new spins on seasonal classics, and suggesting occasions to celebrate that most of us haven't thought of ourselves.

Entertaining friends and family can be a challenge when you're vegan and gluten-free. It can be even trickier when you're not, but a family member or close friend is. So what do you do when you want to prepare a gluten-free and vegan holiday dinner for eight?

Turn to "Gluten-Free and Vegan Holidays: Celebrating the Year with Simple, Satisfying Recipes and Menus" by Jennifer Katzenberger for help! Here you'll find both sweet and savory, gluten-free and vegan menus for Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts. Whether you're gluten-free and vegan or not, you'll please the ones you love with these simple yet sophisticated and pleasing menus.

With all of these festive cookbooks the Newport Beach Public Library wishes you a delicious start to the holiday season. Enjoy!

For those of you who would like to learn how to create, and sample, some of the gourmet cuisine of top chefs in Orange County at a very reasonable cost, check out the What's Cooking at the Library programs held monthly at the Central Library.

On Jan. 17, Chef Ryan Wilson from Five Crowns and Side Door will be at the library for a demonstration and tasting event. He'll be followed by Chef Cathy Pavlos of Lucca on Feb. 21 and Chef Deborah Schneider of Sol Cocina on March 20.

To find out more, or register for these special programs, visit the website at http://www.newportbeachlibrary.org and click on the What's Cooking logo.

CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public Library. All titles may be reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at http://www.newportbeachlibrary.org. For more information on the Central Library or any of the branches, please contact the Newport Beach Public Library at (949) 717-3800, option 2.