Pacific Sun 12.18.2009 - Section 1

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HL LIDAYS i N tHe SUn

Open up

and say eat!

Our express-lane gift list for the food lover in your family

Give the Gift that Gives Back

an EVO SPA Gift Card For all gift cards purchased in December, a percentage of the proďŹ t will be donated to the Marin Food Bank.

Help feed people in our community in need.

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16 PACIFIC SUN DECEMBER 18 – DECEMBER 24, 2009

L

by Pat F usco

ast minute shoppers are in during her 50-year career. This beautifully luck when it comes to selecting produced little book is an argument for takgifts for people infatuated with ing great care of oneself by dining properly food and wine. From ďŹ ne books to vittles, se- as a singleton, using the best ingredients and lections abound around Marin for these ďŹ nal always enjoying every meal...The largest and days of the seasonal shopping rush. Fortu- costliest book on the list is My New Orleans: nately, most of the ones I’ve chosen to write The Cookbook (Andrews McMeel, $45) about are available in smaller venues, a deďŹ - by chef John Besh. There’s no impartiality nite plus: It’s less stressful here: I love NOLA and its to avoid giant stores and food and Besh is one of malls, and the dollars go my heroes. This collection to independent merchants of memoir, history (with who are neighbors. priceless vintage photos), Local bookstores know food talk and 200 recipes their demographics and is a very singular take on stock wide assortments a unique American cuiof cookbooks. This year sine. It’s also a look into everyone has seen or read how the city and its people about Thomas Keller’s Ad survived Katrina and the Hoc at Home or David aftermath. (A portion of Chang’s Momofuku; I recproceeds from sales will go ommend a few less exalted to a youth service program suggestions. Italy remains in the ďŹ elds of hospitality friends will be jacked when they open a favorite inspiration in Your and restaurants.)...A poptheir Cowgirl Creamery cheese board. our kitchens. Those who ular guide, Hugh Johnwatch Lidia Bastianich on son’s Pocket Wine Book her PBS food show—part travelogue, part 2010 (Mitchell Beazley, $14.99) covers 6,000 instruction—know she is free of ego-driven wines with a supplement on South America; showmanship, a cook who revels in her sub- handy, extraordinarily thorough. ject. Her newest work is Lidia Cooks from the No broad discussion of wines here, but a Heart of Italy (Knopf, $35), covering lesser- few ideas from a nearby source. Dessert wines known regions where she learned from cook- from Quady Winery in Madera are ďŹ ne ways ing with ordinary people, then shared their to end feasts: Essensia—Muscat wine with recipes. Irresistible. Another Italian choice is oral peachy overtones—and Elysium from Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta: 100 black Muscats, berry-like, good with cheeses.

Quick and Easy Recipes (Stewart, Tabori & Quady recently introduced artisanal verChang, $27.50), more exciting than it sounds. mouths—Palomino Fino, with amontilladoThe son of Marcella Hazan, doyenne of Ital- like avor, and Purple, good aperitifs. ian cooking in America, he teaches here and Kitchen goods: chef Eric Ripert (Le Berin Italy and his expertise on countless uses of nardin) delighted me with his practical holipasta is impressive. The book has an excellent day gift nomination in a slick magazine: the glossary on types, shapes and uses; there are Cuisinart Convection Toaster Oven ($179 lots of vegetarian and kid-friendly recipes, all regular retail, “a very efďŹ cient, overlooked apwith concise instructions...Speaking of veg- plianceâ€?)...Marche aux Fleurs in Ross is selletarians, any of them should appreciate Love ing housemade pickles and preserves in rustic Soup, by Anna Thomas (Norton, $22.95). baskets ($25 for one, $45 for two)...Cowgirl One of the ďŹ rst writers to take vegetarian Creamery carries cheese boards made from recipes to a sophisticated level back in the salvaged hardwoods by Howard Foote of ’70s, she presents 160 soup choices arranged Tomales; $30 and $50. by season, versatile and useful for all of us...

Last but not least: gift certiďŹ cates! Give one One of the most personal works of 2009 is for dinner at a favorite restaurant or a homeJudith Jonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The Pleasures of Cooking town store with upscale temptations. Wrap for One (Knopf, $27.95), from a star in the it cleverly for your recipient. A guaranteed food world. As an editor she introduced us win-win solution. < to Julia, James (Beard) and other innovators Share gift ideas with Pat at patfusco@sonic.net