My Cookbook Wish List

I told myself that this year I wasn’t going to do any blog postings regarding gift suggestions.  I know I myself get tired of seeing the “must-have” lists on every other website, and to me, it just makes gift-giving even more impersonal.  This year, though, I’ve taken a completely different direction with gift giving, and I thought I’d do a bit of sharing.  See, this year, I’m all about sharing the love.  Most of my gift recipients will get a selection of homemade jams, salsa, chutney, butter and honey, and along with that, a cookbook, which I’ve carefully selected for each recipient.  I thought that today I would share a brief list of some of the cookbooks that I’ll be giving this year, as each book is wonderful in its own right and would make any recipient excited.

The book I’m giving the most this year?  That would be Ina Garten’s Back To Basics.  Come on, it’s the Barefoot Contessa.  Yes, sometimes her recipes have a little more fat than is necessary, but if there is one person who has never let me down, it’s Ina.  Every single recipe I’ve ever made of hers has been delicious and fantastic, and that makes her Back To Basics book a shoo-in for someone who maybe would like to just learn how to cook some good basics.

The book I’m giving that I most want myself?  That would be the brand new edition of How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.  I can’t say that in the past I was a big fan of his, but adding hit How To Cook Everything Vegetarian to my cookbook collection was one of the single best things I’ve ever done.  He’s good.  He’s really good at instructing the bare basics- what do I do with that one ingredient?  And how do I do it simply- that’s the best part.  This book is perfect for anyone learning to cook, or for anyone who is a seasoned cook who would like to have another reference to add to their collection.  Additionally, while I am not giving it to anyone this year, if you know someone who has lamented how little they know about vegetarian cooking- I have to recommend How To Cook Everything Vegetarian.  It’s fantastic- a well used book on my shelves. If you really wanted to give an amazing gift, give the two Bittman tomes together… that will make any budding home cook ecstatic!

Martha Stewart is always reliable as well, and that’s why her new Martha Stewart’s Cooking School has a place on my gift list as well.  I think this book is perfect for someone who knows the basics of cooking, but wants to take it a step further and maybe learn a little more.  This book is packed with photos and clear directions- and much like Ina Garten, Martha never lets me down.

Along the lines of learning how to cook, I’m also giving Betty Crocker’s Cooking Basics.  I was really impressed with this book when I picked it up.   The best part to me is that every single recipe has a photo to accompany- so people know what they are trying to make.  The recipes are simple and straightforward, and are a great way to help someone become more comfortable with very basic cooking.

In that same vein, the newest collection of recipes from the folks at Pillsbury is also a good one.  The Best of The Bake-Off Cookbook lists recipes from it’s inception through 2006. (This year’s contest, sadly, is not included.)  The winners are all somewhere within, but then there are also the other recipes that deserve more than a mention.  The book has many pictures scattered throughout, and a touch of personality with tidbits about past contestants and contest winners.  Older recipes have been updated with ingredients that are available now, and overall, there is many a recipe in this book that I am dying to try.

For the bakers in my life, I have two baking books that I’m happily sharing this year.  The first one is The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread.  Amy’s Bread is a bakery in NYC with an exceptional reputation.  While I’m sure their bread is wonderful, it’s the cookies and brownies and sweet rolls that I want to know how to make- and that’s what this book is all about.  I love the section on cakes, where they share that they don’t do the fancy colorful and fondant covered cakes, but what they do is focus on the deliciousness factor.  Their cakes may be plain to look at, but once you slice inside and take a taste…sheer joy I tell you!  The second baking book is specifically about bread, and is Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day.  This book is just cool!  It instructs you to make a master mix of dough- without kneading, and store it in your fridge.  Each day you lob off a piece, bake it up, and as time goes by, your bread gets more and more flavorful.  Once you’ve mastered the master recipe, you move on to additions and substitutions and slightly more tricky ingredients.  Who doesn’t love a good crust artisan bread?  And in just five minutes a day?  This book is a no-brainer for anyone interested in baking bread at home.

Probably the best book I’ve bought for myself this year is Jamie At Home.  The companion to Jamie Oliver’s TV series of the same name, this book is perfect for the aspiring gardener- or for the person with an affluent farmer’s market nearby.  Jamie takes you through the garden, a season at a time, sharing recipe and concoctions to use that garden produce that you had no idea what to do with.  He even has sections on lamb, poultry, and game, sharing the best times of the year to cook with them.  This book is a complete inspiration to me, and I plan to use it extensively next year to help me plan the garden and cook from it.   I would not hesitate to give this book to anyone with an interest in eating more seasonally.  It’s a beautiful book.

And finally, for the beverage connoisseur in your life, I thought that Mr. Boston’s Official Bartender’s Guide was worth a mention.  I remember the very first book we bought on mixing drinks… we bought the book, went to the store and stocked up on several liquor bottles and mixing tools, took the book home and proceeded to be disappointed.  The few drinks we tried were terrible- and were in no way similar to what we’d get if we were out having a drink or two.  The liquor bottle eventually moved to the back of the shelf and the book forgotten, but then this latest issue of Mr. Boston’s came around, and the light bulb flipped back on.  This is the book that bartender’s use- this is where they learn what proportions of triple sec, tequila and lime juice are in a real margarita.  This is the book that tells you exactly how to make that Tom Collins or Brandy Old-Fashioned.  With hundreds of recipe included, this book has me fascinated.  I do notice that it omits a lot of the trendy drinks we see today, but for someone who would just like to be able to offer a good cocktail before dinner, this is the perfect book to send them down that path.

So there you have it, just a snippet of the cookbooks I am giving for Christmas this year.  There are actually a few others, but as I don’t want to spoil anyone’s surprise, I’ll just leave those ones off.  You really can’t go wrong with a cookbook as a gift- there are always new cuisines to explore or new vegetables to discover.