Culinary Gifts That Won’t Fill Your Cabinets
I love a kitchen gift, but I already have the best fish spatula, every appliance one could wish for, and what is known as an investment whisk. So, when it comes to food-related gifting, I always treasure something that can be shared and tasted, and what better way to capture both than in book form. This gifting season, it felt extra icky to clutter up my loved ones’ homes with further plastic things or items that didn’t feel extra special. I wanted to give in a way that was conscious of space, but also environmental and social issues. Books filled my lists. Nothing says joy like a full home library instead of overflowing cupboards. It’s a win-win. You support artists, you support local bookstores (hopefully), and the person receiving it gets to receive in a multitude of ways. The gift continues for years to come if it’s a cookbook! Here are my favorites for everyone on your list.
For Dinner Party Impressors: Dinner in Rome
When you’re blurbed by Lidia Bastianich, Nigella Lawson, and Alice Waters, you know you’ve captured the power of a dish in a book, especially when that dish is pasta. Andreas Viestad’s Dinner in Rome: A History of the World in One Meal captures the power of memory and food in an archaeological sense. With chapters separated by classic ingredients, the reader traverses the table and captures the magic behind each part of a meal Italiano-style. This is the perfect book for the person who loves to regale a dinner table audience.
Dinner in Rome: A History of the World in One Meal (Reaktion Books) by Andreas Viestad is available wherever you purchase books.
For Those That Travel to Eat: Delicioso
Some people travel for the thrill of adventure, some to see something new, but others travel to taste the tradition of a place through food. Maria Jose Sevilla’s Delicioso: A History of Food in Spain will get your culinary travel-loving loved one ready for their next trip. Sevilla’s book explores every era, dish, and history behind each iconic Spanish ingredient. From tinned Basque seafood to paella and the iconic chocolate for dipping churros in, the reader is immediately immersed in what makes Spain truly delicious.
Delicioso: A History of Food in Spain (Reaktion Books) by Maria Jose Sevilla is available wherever you purchase books.
For Earlybirds: The Hoosier Mama Book of Breakfast Bakes
Paula Haney has done it again, and this time the Hoosier Mama Chef and co-owner is serving up your favorite breakfast foods instead of pie. Haney’s newest cookbook is out this month, just in time to wrap up for the person in your life who loves a slow, luxurious breakfast. Filled with recipes for muffins, scones, quickbreads, and more, and featuring local farms, Haney’s cookbook highlights the best of our region’s seasons and how to make those ingredients pop first thing in the morning. You’ll be awaiting your invite over to taste the Olive Oil Orange Cardamom Muffins, Fig, Blue Cheese and Urban Honey Scones, or the Nutella, Peanut Butter Knots.
The Hoosier Mama Book of Breakfast Bakes (Agate Press) by Paula Haney is available wherever you purchase books.
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