What to Get the Food Book Lover in Your Life | Gift Guide 2017
- Allie
- Nov 13, 2017
- 3 min read
I may be biased, but in my humble foodie opinion, the best gift you can get someone is a food book. There's something for literally everyone, from young kids to people who don't even know how to cook, to experienced and accomplished chefs. They're beautiful and practical, and it just might be the thing that encourages someone to break out of their shell, or step out of their comfort zone, or, hey, cook more real food at home.
I keep a running list of food books I hear and read about throughout the year, simply because it's so well known in my family that it's my favorite thing to receive. I've pulled from that list to bring you another Gift Guide this year, of 10 great options for the food book lover in your life. Want more ideas? Check out last year's 12 Food Books of Christmas post for more amazing picks!
This book follows the seasons with vegetarian food that is so satisfying that one reviewer claims even staunch meat eaters won't feel left out. What I've seen of the recipes inside looks like there are some of the most interesting and unexpected, hyper-seasonal flavor combinations. She doesn't stop at food, but also gives readers ideas for playlists and even what flowers to be on the look out for! This would make a wonderful gift for anyone that loves to host.
Anna Jones, again. This one is full of easy, weeknight-worthy vegetarian dinners that don't include a million ingredients, and are sectioned by cooking time. Umm... YES! Also, I love Nigella Lawson, so the claim that Jones is "the new Nigella"definitely caught my eye. If her style is as sexy and easy-going as Nigella's, sign me up.
This book was suggested to me by a friend who is part of a group we have Sunday Dinner with every week. Here's how she described the storyline: A woman walks into a grocery store and looks into people's shopping carts to see what they're buying (ummm, I do this), but she doesn't stop there and silently judge them... when she asks why their carts are full of packaged foods, she learns that they don't know how to cook whole foods. So, she teaches them. I kind of want to cry just thinking about that.
It is suggested that this New York Times Best Seller be read from start to finish, like a novel. Alice Waters sums it up perfectly with her review: "This beautiful, approachable book not only teaches you how to cook, but captures how it should feel to cook: full of exploration, spontaneity and joy. Samin is one of the great teachers I know."
Part cookbook, part memoir...My Kitchen Year may be Ruth Reichl’s most stirring book yet—one that reveals a refreshingly vulnerable side of the world's most famous food editor.
I love a good food-centric novel, and this one sounds so charming. It's about a girl who takes a job as an editor for an iconic food magazine in NYC. She falls in love with the city and with the magazine, but then the mag is abruptly shut down. She agrees to stay in the empty office as the hotline operator for reader complaints, and discovers a collection of letters written during WWII, by a twelve year old girl to chef James Beard. The letters are a lesson in history and in facing hardship and fear.
This is one of those gorgeous food books that can easily be a coffee table book. I know I've posted a lot of vegetarian books in this list, but I had to add just one more. Over the past three years, I have started to adopt a more plant-based diet -- not all the time -- but I love finding new, inventive, and approachable ways to rely solely on fresh vegetables for a hearty meal. As a follower of Sarah's Instagram account, I know I can rely on her for exactly that.
I was telling a friend the other night that I don't typically buy Food Network Chefs' books because the information is so accessible for free online. This one, though, is a new arsenal of easy tips for hosting like only The Barefoot Contessa can provide. I've said it before and I'll say it again: If I ever meet Ina Garten in person, I will just weep.
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