No doubt it hasn’t escaped you that Christmas is less than 5 days away. It possibly also hasn’t escaped you that a sizable amount of your Christmas shopping remains….well, still in the stores. I ask you then, to consider the interests of the loved – or liked – ones in your life. Should the term “foodie,” apply to them, you’re in luck. I’ve assembled below a list of cookbook gift ideas applicable to various sorts of food enthusiasts. Fingers crossed, you’ll be able to check off at least one item off your list. As for the 23 others, sorry, you’re on your own there.
…For the Romantic
Rose Petal Jam – Recipes & Stories From A Summer In Poland by Beata Zatorska and Simon Target
Tabula Books, $35
In this weighty tome, you’ll find a charming collection of traditional, hand-written family recipes, nostalgic poems, wistful, rose-tinted memories, romantic rural settings and plenty of beautifully handled illustrations and evocative photos that celebrate one woman’s quest to re-discover the Poland of her childhood. Accompanied by her English husband Simon, Beata spent a summer exploring her home country, travelling tiny roads lined with wild rose bushes, finding castles and palaces among meadows and forests. This culinary journey became the basis for Rose Petal Jam. Recipes include Polish Beef Goulash, a ruby red Beetroot Puree, tender Apple Pancakes, Pierogi with Sour Cherries and Elizabeth’s Honeycake with Plum Jam.
…For the Dessert Whore
Momofuku Milk Bar by Christina Tosi, Clarkson Potter, $35
The mastermind behind the feats of genius at Momofuku Milk Bar in New York City, Christina Tosi, has finally decided to share her devilish dessert secrets with the world in this enticing cookbook. The intensely sweet, off-beat but insanely addictive treats that Tosi has become famous for, are meticulously broken down into detailed, step-by-step recipes that are not for the faint-hearted, or easily-bored. Almost every recipe requires a standing mixer, and almost every recipe consists of a combination of at least two recipes. Patience, and skill are necessary requirements – but if you are willing to sweat it out, the results are phenomenal. The Crack Pie is gooey, rich, buttery and all things good in life, the Blueberry and Cream cookies resemble the best muffin tops you’ll ever likely to encounter, and the Candy Bar Pie is nothing short of ethereal. This is a gift for the serious baker, or for someone with a serious sweet tooth.
…For the Make From Scratch Maestro
Make The Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn’t Cook from Scratch – Over 120 Recipes For the Best Homemade Foods by Jennifer Reese, Free Press, $24
When Jennifer Reese lost her job, she was committed to saving money by making things that she had previously spent money buying. This included things like sausages, bread, yogurt, peanut butter and even hamburger buns. She even decided to figure out whether she would save money by rearing her own chickens for eggs, making her own pasta with her own eggs, and making her own cheese. In this book, Reese lets us in on her findings and her experimentations. She lays out how much effort money she’s put in, how much labor she’s invested into her activities, and she even goes into the ethnical and moral implications of various projects. When her efforts have been successful she gives the recipe in the book, if not she tells the reader where best to buy it. Her recipes are well written and well crafted and accompanied by hefty hednotes with plenty of additional advice and guidance. The serious, practical stuff is tempered by lots of funny tales and anecdotes that make this book both supremely useful and supremely entertaining.
…For the Provider
The Family Meal – Home Cooking with Ferran Adria by Ferran Adria, Phaidon Press, $29.95
The godfather of molecular gastronomy, and the head chef at El Bulli – widely touted as the world’s best restaurant, Ferran Adria is as avant grade a cook as they come. His paellas are made from Rice Krispies, foods that are conventionally liquid, become dusts in his hands, liquid nitrogen and calcium chloride are as commonly used as salt and pepper in his kitchen. What does he know about home-cooking, then, you ask? Well,a whole lot. In this book featuring nearly 100 unfussy recipes calling for easy-to-find ingredients, Adria comes across as a kind, plain-speaking, and utterly patient teacher as he delivers simple, step-by-step instructions are that entirely do-able after a long day at the office. Recipes include Roast Chicken with Potato Straws, Sea Bass Baked in Salt and Mexican-style Slow-Cooked Porkto White Chocolate Cake and Baked Apples with Whipped Cream. Practical and thoughtful, the book includes conversions on how to prepare a meal for small groups of 2 or 6 or larger groups of 20 or 75, and suggestions on how to elevate takeout food to make them more appealing and special – serve fried rice with a soy sauce sabayon.
