Gift Guide for the Cookbook Lover

“Cooking is all about people. Food is maybe the only universal thing that really has the power to bring everyone together. No matter what culture, everywhere around the world, people get together to eat.”      -Guy Fieri

My 2018 gift guide for the cookbook lover highlights my current favorites just in time for the holiday season. If you are a cookbook lover or know someone who is, you know you can never have too many cookbooks.

Sweet, by Yotam Ottolenghi & Helen Goh – The perfect time of year to indulge your sweet tooth with this book of show-stopping desserts. Ottolenghi is one of my absolute favorite chefs and food writers. I look forward to creating some memorable holiday sweets and treats throughout the year.

The Cook’s Atelier, by Marjorie Taylor & Kendall Smith Franchini – Escape to Beaune France with recipes and stories from an American mother and daughter who own and operate a cooking school in the heart of Burgundy. I was fortunate to visit Beaune and attend the Cook’s Atelier cooking school. You can read all about my experience here.

Cook Like a Pro, by Ina Garten – Everyone knows the Barefoot Contessa a.k.a. Ina Garten. This is her eleventh cookbook, and it does not disappoint with foolproof recipes that taste as good as they look. Garten’s cookbooks are the first ones I reach for when entertaining or planning a cozy family dinner at home.

Wine Food, by Dana Frank & Andrea Slonecker – “Wine Food” is a collection of the adventures of wine and food pairings; the memories they create and the places they take us. This is the perfect gift for the modern food and wine lover with both traditional and nontraditional pairings.

Modern Greek Cooking, by Pano Karatassos – For someone that enjoys Greek & Mediterranean food, this book will delight your senses with freshness and flavor. Karatassos trained under three of America’s best chefs; Thomas Keller, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Eric Ripert.

Ottolenghi Simple, by Yotam Ottolenghi – Fresh, creative, and flavorful food is why I am a fan of Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbooks. “Simple” his most recent book is about how you define a simple recipe, for example; if you are short on time, prefer fewer ingredients, or can prep the ingredients ahead. I have been cooking out of this book every week since I got it.

Everyday Dorie, by Dorie Greenspan – Greenspan gives us our favorites recipes with surprising twists to delight our taste buds. Like substituting five spice for cinnamon in a caramel pear upside down cake or changing up the cheese in gougères and adding mustard.

Wine Lover’s Kitchen, by Fiona Beckett – As a wine lover, sooner or later you not only pair wine to your meal but also, end up adding wine to your food as you are cooking. Beckett a leading food and wine writer shares her recipes for cooking with wine; the magic ingredient.

Six Seasons, by Joshua McFadden with Martha Holmberg – If you are a fan of farmers markets and treat vegetables with the utmost respect when cooking, this book is for you. McFadden, a chef, turned farmer, creates vegetable-driven recipes with the rhythm of the seasons.