Similar to the trend in restaurants, cookbooks are also more casual this year. It seems that everyone is bunkering down looking for comfort. Home cooking and baking themes rule, while Persian and Middle Eastern is the international flavour of the year.
Here are some favourites for holiday gift giving.
HOME COOKING
Simple: Effortless Food, Big Flavors by Diana Henry (Octopus Books). It’s simple. From the first recipe I read, I knew I wanted to make everything in this book. It is for everyone.
Everything I Want to Eat: Sqirl and the New California Cooking by Jessica Koslow (Harry N. Abrams). Everyone I send to Sqirl in Los Angeles says they serve everything they want to eat. This cookbook is for people who want to feel like they live in California.
Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten (Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony). It’s hard to resist any new cookbook from Ina Garten, especially one filled with her Jeffrey’s favourites. For people who love Ina and Jeffrey.
Food52 A New Way to Dinner: A playbook of Recipes and Strategies for the Week Ahead by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs (Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony). Everyone is looking for a way to make the time and have the energy to cook weeknight dinners. This book is an update of the old way of cooking on the weekend and using what you cooked on weeknights. It will be best for harried cooks looking for a new way.
The Vegetable Butcher: How to Select, Prep, Slice, Dice and Masterfully Cook Vegetables from Artichokes to Zucchini by Cara Mangini (Workman). For people who believe, as I do, that the one thing you can easily do to improve your health is eat more vegetables.
Scandinavian Comfort Food: Embracing the Art of Hygge by Trine Hahnemann (Chronicle). In our ever-increasing stressful world, the art of hygge (relaxing with family and friends, while surrounded by food) should take a bigger role. For anyone who is stressed out, get a head start with this book.
Taste & Technique: Recipes to Elevate Your Home Cooking by Naomi Pomeroy (TenSpeed). This book is filled with professional cooking techniques and great recipes from an award- winning chef. For good home cooks who want to cook better.
The Spice Companion: A Guide to the World of Spices by Lior Lev Sercarz (Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony). An exciting new book from the founder of La Boite, the finest spice market in New York. Everything you need to understand about seasoning food – including spice blends and creative recipe ideas. For chefs and excellent home cooks.
BAKING BOOKS
Breaking Breads: A New World of Israeli Baking by Uri Scheft (Artisan). Scheft combines his training in Danish, French, Israeli and North American pastry to create his very special baked goods. This book is for anyone searching for the best chocolate babka recipe ever.
The Baker in Me by Daphna Rabinovitch (Whitecap). As a pastry chef and Canadian Living alumna, Daphna’s recipes are well-written, easy to follow, well-tested and delicious. For everyone who loves to bake.
Dorie’s Cookies by Dorie Greenspan (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). This highly anticipated book has a cookie recipe for everyone. Get this one for the cookie monster in your family.
Bobbette & Belle: Classic Recipes from the Celebrated Pastry Shop by Allyson Bobbitt and Sarah Bell (Penguin Canada). This book isn’t just for fans of the beloved Toronto bakery. It works well for any bakers who want to up their game.
Bake with Anna Olson: More than 125 Simple, Scrumptious and Sensational Recipes to Make You a Better Baker (Appetite by Random House). Anna Olson has been baking on television for many years and this collection is for all her fans everywhere.
PERSIAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN
Taste of Persia: A Cook’s Travels Through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Kurdistan by award winning author Naomi Duguid (Artisan). A travel, photography, history and recipe book combined, Taste of Persia is for both armchair tourists and cooks who love to travel.
Soframiz: Vibrant Middle Eastern Recipes from Sofra Bakery & Cafe by Anna Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick (Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony). The food at this Cambridge, Mass. cafe is a treasure for anyone in the Boston area. This book is for anyone who has ever been to or heard of this café and finds themselves in desperate need for their recipes.
Palestine on a Plate: Memories from my Mother’s Kitchen by Joudie Kalla (Interlink). This book is about food, family, history and traditions. It’s one of the few Middle Eastern cookbooks that feature Palestinian cooking. For anyone who wants a complete Middle Eastern food library.
Sirocco: Fabulous Flavors from the Middle East by Sabrina Ghayour (Appetite by Random House). Along with Ghayour’s first book, Persiana (Interlink), this is for people who want a great collection of highly flavoured, user friendly recipes.
Tahini by Adeena Sussman (Short Stack Editions). This tiny cookbook features recipes and information about tahini, the superfood that everyone loves. It’s perfect for hostess gifts.
Related
- A dinner inspired by Scandinavian hospitality
- The holidays are just around the corner, which mean it’s the season for bakers
Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Zahav is from the restaurant of the same name in Philadelphia. Solomonov is also the host of the documentary In Search of Israeli Cuisine. This is a great Hanukkah gift.
The Gefilte Manifesto by Jeffrey Yoskowitz and Liz Alpern (Flatiron Books). This book includes traditional Ashkenazi recipes that are updated and delicious. Once again, it’s perfect for Hanukkah gifts.
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