By Hope Loman

Rowan Public Library

As we say goodbye to summer and the fall season approaches, there’s nothing better to warm you up on a cold night than a hearty soup or stew.

Food historians say that people have been eating soup for as long as there has been a recorded history of cooking (which goes back as far as 20,000 BC). Why not, when it’s so healthy, filling and easy to make?

The word soup is French in origin, and has roots from both the Latin phrase “bread soaked in broth” and the Germanic word “sop,” or a bread that soaks up soup or stew. Soups have long been used as sustenance for sick people, a tradition that stretches back to the 16th century when vendors would sell soup as an antidote to exhaustion in the streets.

Soups have only increased in popularity here in the United States as immigrants have shared recipes from their homeland with their new American neighbors, and Dr.John Dorrance of the Campbell Soup Company began canning his tomato, cream of mushroom and chicken noodle soups in 1897.

If I’ve whetted your appetite, then Rowan Public Library is your one-stop soup recipe resource.

“Soup’s On! Sixty Hearty Soups You Can Stand Your Spoon In” offers a wide range of soups to make, from a traditional tomato soup to a North Carolina-style fish chowder, with details on making soup stock instead of using canned versions.

Lee Bailey’s “Soup Meals” is also a good starting point, as it promises 32 soup recipes, complete with complimentary appetizers, breads and desserts to go along with each.

If you entertain a vegetarian lifestyle, be sure to check out “Love Soup” by Anna Thomas, who gives recipes for meat-free soups (most of which are also vegan-friendly) that are still just as filling as their counterparts.

Stop by the library any time this fall to get a copy of these and other great recipe books and get cooking.

Can’t get to the library before dinner time? No fear — the NC Digital Library has several great cookbooks devoted to soups —download them to your device before you make your meal, and you can have the recipe you need on hand without needing to flip or weigh down pages.

“New England Soup Factory Cookbook” brings more than 100 recipes straight from Boston to your table, from standards like beef and barley and split pea to new innovations like butternut squash soup with Calvados (for the culinary ignorant like me, that is a kind of French apple brandy). Both “50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker” and “The Slow Cooker Cookbook” are also handy if you like your meal waiting for you at home at the end of the day. Even more are available to you online, so don’t be afraid to log on.

With these resources, you can now have effortlessly delicious soups for supper at home, lunch for work or when fighting that inevitable nasty cold. Summer might be ending, but now you can look forward to the new, delicious season ahead.

Book Bites Book Club: South (China Grove), Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6:30-8 p.m. Free, open to the public. If you enjoy good books, fellowship and tasty food, join us for this club where we discuss a different book each month and serve refreshments loosely related to the theme. This month’s book choice is “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” by John Berendt. Need a copy? Call 704-216-7841.

Blazin’ Blues Bob: In concert Tuesday, Oct. 27, 7-9 p.m. Bob Paolino is an accomplished blues musician specializing in roots blues with his major influences being Robert Johnson, Blind Willie Johnson, Muddy Waters and Blind Willie McTell. A dynamic slide player, he loves to perform in all styles of blues — Delta, Piedmont & Texas. As an amateur blues historian, educating about the players and the history behind the blues is always part of his performances. Admission is free, and all are welcome. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Show sponsored by Friends of Rowan Public Library.

Computer classes: Getting to know your iPad, headquarters, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 7-8 p.m. Discussion of components, navigation, apps. Must preregister, bring iPad, charged, and with an updated operating system, and have a current, valid Apple ID. Free signup at https://appleid.apple.com/  Space is limited. Call Paul Birkhead at 704-216-8242 to reserve a spot.

If you’re new to computers or never felt comfortable, Computer Basics will cover everything from components to programs. Thursday, Oct. 29, 9:30-11 a.m., headquarters.

Fall Photowalk: Open to all ages and skill levels; registration is requested. Bring your own camera (even if it’s on your phone) and wear comfortable walking shoes. Downtown Salisbury. In the event of rain, the Photowalk will be canceled. Please call 704-216-8242 for more information or to register. Register online at www.rowanpubliclibrary.org. Headquarters, Saturday, Oct. 24, 10: a.m.-noon; South, Thursday, Oct. 29, 5:30-7 p.m., explore the China Grove Roller Mill.

Displays: Headquarters, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and Family Crisis; South, Carson High School Student Art; East, handmade jewelry by Myrtis Trexler.

Gallery at headquarters: Photographic prints and tintypes by David Lamanno.

Literacy: Call the Rowan County Literacy Council at 704-216-8266 for more information on teaching or receiving literacy tutoring for English speakers or for those for whom English is a second  language.

Book Chats: Thursday, Oct. 22, 4:15-5 p.m., for children in third and fourth grades. “Clementine,” by Sara Pennypacker. A book discussion group. A limited number of books will be available at all library locations, so registration is strongly recommended.

Adventure Club: Headquarters, Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. Join Robert and Johnathan for another round of adventurous hands-on science activities and projects; lasts one hour. This month: “Spoooooky Science Experiments.”

2015 Children’s Bookmark Contest: Monday, Oct. 26-Saturday, Nov. 4.  Children ages 4-12 years old create and submit their original Rowan Public Library bookmark design. The winning bookmarks in three age categories (4-5 years, 7-9 years and 10-12 years) will be reproduced for distribution at all library locations. Friends of Rowan Public Library Winners Reception will be held Monday, Dec. 7 at 6:30 .. Visit www.rowanpubliclibrary.org for contest rules, entry forms and more.

Teen Fall Festival: Free and open to middle and high school teens. Come play pumpkin bowling, pumpkin sweep and other games celebrating the fall season. All at 5:30-7 p.m. Headquarters, Tuesday, Oct. 20; East, Monday, Oct. 26.

Weekly events for children through Nov. 30.

Baby Time: Loosely interactive, introducing simple stories and songs to babies  6-23 months old with a parent or caregiver. About 30 minutes. Headquarters, Wednesdays, 10 a.m.; East, Mondays, 10 a.m.

Toddler Time: Focused on sharing books, singing songs and encouraging listening skills for children 18-35 months old with parent or caregiver; 30 minutes. Headquarters, Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.; East, Mondays, 11 a.m.

Tiny Tumblers: Simple stories, musical scarves and instruments for babies 6-23 months old with  parent or caregiver. South, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.; 30 minutes.

Preschool Time: Encourages exploration of books and builds reading readiness  for children 3-5 years old. Headquarters, Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.; East, Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Noodle Head Story Time: For children 4 and up to enjoy listening to silly books and tales together; 30 minutes. Headquarters, Thursdays, 4 p.m.; South, Mondays, 4 p.m.

Art programs: Activities and instruction based on various themes and media.  Program activities vary by branch. Children 8 and under must be accompanied by an adult; 30-45 minutes. Headquarters, Art in the Afternoon, Thursdays, 4:30 p.m.; East, Emma’s Easel, Thursdays, 4 p.m.; South, Art with Char, Wednesdays, 4 p.m.

Tail Waggin’ Tutors: Children 7 to 9 years old (first to third grade) can reserve a slot to read aloud to a therapy dog by calling the Children’s Room. Headquarters, Saturdays, 10 a.m., Nov. 14, Dec. 12.