Westerly Sun Column | We Have Recipes for Sweet, Savory, and Everything In-Between

I feel very fortunate to work in an establishment that upholds the same values as I do, such as inclusivity, freedom of information, and equity. I share a positive relationships with my coworkers, built on trust and mutual respect, so we are able to get along even when we don’t see eye to eye. That being said, every once in a while we disagree so vehemently on a subject that we have difficulty moving on. Longtime readers may remember the Great Brunch Debate of 2022, wherein I learned my colleague abhorred the most wonderful meal of all time. This was followed by the Great Toast Debate of 2025, in which this same coworker foolishly argued that bread was better untoasted. We managed to get past it, and things have been amiable for the last year, but I fear we are at odds once again. This time, the debate revolves around savory versus sweet, specifically when it comes to breakfast food.

I may be a self-proclaimed sugar addict, but let me be clear: I do not have anything against savory foods…in theory. I love a frittata. I can demolish a bag of chips. But my colleague - the lunatic that she is (I love her) - has the gall to eat a rice bowl for breakfast, complete with onions and soy sauce, and argue that it is more enticing than a delicious stack of pancakes. It’s unfathomable. To make matters even worse, she takes a perfectly innocent breakfast dish like oatmeal, and tarnishes it with peas and umami flavoring. At 7am. The horror!

Now that I got that out of my system, I guess it’s time to relate this column a little more explicitly to the library. As you may know, we have a massive collection of cookbooks here, which include recipes for sweet, savory, and everything in-between (though none, I should mention, that are devoted entirely to savory breakfast recipes. Interesting.). My coworker, and perhaps some of you, may enjoy “Savory Dinner Pies” by Ken Haedrich, or “The Savory Baker” by America's Test Kitchen, which are perfectly acceptable for afternoon and evening meals. “Salty Snacks” by Cynthia Nims is another that I could get down with, which includes recipes for savory homemade treats like chips, crackers, dips, and more.

The majority of the cookbooks, written by people who are clearly more diplomatic than I, refuse to take a side in the “Savory vs. Sweet” debate and simply present both options. In our collection, you’ll find books that contain sweet and savory recipes for muffins (“Mad for Muffins” by Jean Anderson), chocolate (“Real Chocolate” by Chantal Coady, and even gelatin (“Jiggle” by Peter DiMario). One of the more popular titles, “Perfect Pies” by Michele Stuart, covers everything from Tiramisu Pie to Lobster Quiche; in short, the best of both worlds. Let’s just not get into an argument about Pie vs. Cake…we’ll save that for another week.

By Cassie Skobrak, Adult Services Librarian