The Cookbook Issue

The holidays will be here sooner than you think. One of the nicest gifts you can get any dedicated home chef is recipe book. Luckily, the New York Times Food section has just put out its' cookbook issue with dozens of choices.There may even be some you'd want as a birthday or Christmas gift.

Four  writers were featured in this informative issue.One was Nik Sharma who has just come out with Season, Big Flavors, Beautiful Food. which tells of his journey from his birthplace of Indian to Oakland, California. Mayukh Sen, a James Beard winner of food writing, interviewed this creator of the food blog, A Brown Table. This is a must have for those who like the variety of different foods from all over India and celebrating his Goa and Utar Pradesh heritages. He also throws in other cuisines  as we see in his Bombay frittata, a rich creation of eggs, creme fraiche turmeric and garem masala. Tejal Rao, a Food section regular contributor, interviewed one chef , one food website editor, and one cookbook writer, about cooking for one. Chef Anita Lo, author of Solo: A Modern Cookbook for a party of One, Erik Kim, editor at Food52 which should be classified as a cookbook and Klancy Miller,creator of Cooking Solo: The Fun Of Cooking For Yourself. Usually a cookbook for singles is chock full of sad recipes. All three have dishes full of lush ingredients such as duck confit and warmed almonds. Chef Lo's also recommends using only half the veggies and save the other halves for another recipe.Also leftovers can be used over in such exciting dishes as Chef Lo's cauliflower chaat, ripe with garlic and cilantro.

The other cookbooks are just as interesting and informative.There's a semi-vegetarian one called Almonds, Anchovies and Panchetta; A Vegetarian Cookbook Kind Of  by Cal Peternell, chef of the famed Chez Panisse.It even has dad jokes and weed references along with such cool recipes as egg herb anchovy toasts and eggplant al mattone with scallions and spicy peanut sauce. The popular eatery, Los Angeles' Bestia has come out with a cookbook along with the Brooklyn hipster hangout, Emily. Middle Eastern cooking is red hot right now. For those wanting to learn about it consider buying, Najinieh Batmanglij's Cooking in Iran: Regional Recipes and Kitchen Secrets which feature cooking with such ingredients as smoked rice and lemony barberries and Isreal Soul, Easy , Essential and Delicious by the highly successful Zahav  authors, Michael Solomov and Steven Cook, There's even a five minute hummus made with canned chickpeas and a lot of tahini sauce. Craziness reigns in Joe Beef; Surviving The Apocalypse: Another Cookbook of Sorts. from Frederick Morin and David McMillan. The book is full of odd and brilliant recipes from their Montreal restaurant of the same name. Bakers will love Sister Pie: The Recipes and Stories of a Big-Hearted Bakery in Detroit, by baker,Lisa Ludvinski which has such unique recipes as rhubarb blondies and peanut butter- smoked paprika cookies.

There are many cookbooks coming out right in time for gift giving. Look through the  New York Times Food section  for ideas. You many even see some for yourself.

Times Food Gift Guide

Buying the right gift for the foodie or home chef is always a tough deal.You're in a quandary about what to get pots, pans, gadgets foods? Or would they like embroidered linens to create a pretty table?Thank heavens for the New York Times Food section gift guide.There are some really interesting choices made by the sections staff of writers.

One of the things I love about the Times is that there is a variety of truly unique items.Personally I. Would love to wake up to a stocking full of Kikerland Lollipops.These are unique lollipops with  a whole orange ,kiwi, lemon or pineapple slice encased in a crystalline lozenge.The company also has herb and fruit flavor s like rosemary and lavender along with dried strawberries.For more of the child in your favorite foodie or for the child foodie in your life there is the book entitled .Julia Child. It was written by Kyo McClear and illustrated by Julie Mortstad, with the story being about Julia Child's friendship with Simone Beck aka Simca.It's a whimsical take on America's greatest chef in child form zipping around on roller skates making cheese soufflé and peach compote. Another neat kid foodie gift is the Kukkia Crepe Shop Kit which has a chalkboard crepe griddle and  a wooden trowel for spreading batter.There are also fabric crepes to be filled with fabric fruit and pretty ribbon  for tying.

Of course there are suggestions for adult home chefs. Any woman would appreciate a whimsical whisk charm on a gold or sterling silver chain. It's a great conversation started and attention getter. for serious home chefs there is the handground and made Cut Brooklyn knife from the artesenal cutlery company, Cut Brooklyn.They are beautifully crafted and long lasting, truly a gift that will become an heirloom. a colorful spatula by  is another   good gift These come in a rainbow of colors, from black and white to orange and purple and are made of durable and sturdy silicon.Also recommended is the Le Creuset Braiser, perfect for braising and also browning, Linens make memorable Christmas and Chanukah gifts, Sam Sifton recommends a tasseled and richly embroidered table runner from Anthropologie while Melissa Clark suggests cute sackcloth tea towels from Etsy.

Consider some of these  gifts when shopping for the foodies and home chefs in your life. They make interesting holiday gifts. They're different , and a fun deviation from the standard kitchen and food presents.

Gifts For The Home Chef

With the holidays a mere two months away, it's time to think about what to get the home chef. To be honest , someone who loves to cook and bake is about the easiest person to shop for. He or she  may need new gadgets to replace the old ones or may need new pots or pans.There's also new inventions and ingredients that make surprising and exciting gifts.

Before you even think about shopping, assess what the receiver has or needs in the kitchen. If their blender is not working up to par, then you know what to buy for them.Are their knives getting dull? Then either gift them with a sharpening stone or a new set. Do they like working with spices? Time to get a new improved spice rack. Another must is fishing. Ask about the kitchen in general or if they've tried any new dishes. If your favorite home chef is into Mexican  then get a fajita pan  along with different chiles.If they're swooning about French cuisine, then you know they'd be over the moon about a crepe pan. Also look around their kitchen as well. Frayed dish towels tell you a replacement set would be well appreciated.A shortage of microwave dishes means  you that buying a new, more diverse set . Also check their stocks. Nothing beats gift baskets full of much needed olive oils or bags of soup ingredients. Appliance gifts are a bit different.If you're thinking about giving a new stove, dishwater or fridge , bring the home chef with you. Mak for this e sure all warrantees and insurance are in your home chef's name too.

Then there is the fun side of foodie and home chef gift giving. There are so many cooking centric items out there, it really is hard to pick any kind of gift. One of the best and most comprehensive stores  for this  kind of shopping is Sur La Table. I highly recommend it because it has a cornucopia of appliances  plus food stuffs such as the kit for making doughnuts (along with the doughnut pans to make a tasty baked treat) The store also carries a broad variety of rubs from a lively espresso to a Parmesan one for roasted veggies. Sur la Table also has an extensive collections of special pots and pans along with excellent quality cutlery and carving boards. Of course cookbooks are a must give. Nothing is as fun as an old fashioned cookbook that can be leafed through or pored over. There are ones for almost every taste , both literally and figuratively. My favorite is Dr. Mayim Bialik's (Amy Farrah Fowler on "The Big Bang Theory") Mayim's Vegan Table.This is a great book for both vegans and non vegans alike, with her cool  takes on pancakes , tofu sausage and sprout and potato croquettes/ There are some other greats from Chris Kimball of America's Test Kitchen , along with Women's Day,.

Shopping for a foodie or home chef is the  easiest chore. You can buy them anything kitchen related or food centric and it will be a big hit. With any luck they will use it right away to make you a tasty thank you treat!

Holiday Gifting

This was supposed to be published yesterday, December 5th. The $%$##% site wouldn't let me publish this!

What to get a foodie for Christmas?

There are so many things. One we love to cook so gadgets, and even small appliances wouldn't go amiss. Personally I'd love to have some silicone bakeware and a small panini press. There are many who would love Caphealon skillets and frying pans.

Food gifts are always perfect. There are some new items out there like absinthe lollipops or red velvet cupcakes. Sometimes the old school stuff like homemade fudge or a pecan kringle are also good gifts.Cookbooks are another good idea. There are so many out there that it's fun to pick and choose. There are also blank recipe books where you can fill in favorite recipes (see Borders Bookstore for this)

No matter what you give us , it'll always be appreciated. Actually the best foodie gift of all is donating your holiday time to a sou p kitchen or giving money to a food bank.