e n t e rta i nm e n t

cookbooks make delicious gifts BY JULIE CHERNOFF Every year, hundreds of new cookbooks

are released. Are they all worthwhile? Of course not! But hidden among the throng are always a few great books, ones that you will refer to again and again… or at least gaze longingly at and drool upon. Here are some of my favorites from this year’s crop.

Baked Elements: Our Ten Favorite Ingredients Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito If yours include pumpkin, booze, caramel, cheese and banana, this book is in your sweet spot. And if Whiskey Peach Upside-Down Cake and Cream Cheese-Chocolate Snacking Cookies don’t appeal, you might want to rethink your palate.

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust Ina Garten Not sure how she keeps cranking out these cookbooks filled with things I can’t wait to eat…I just know I have to have this book. Cellulite be damned!

Bouchon Bakery Thomas Keller and Sebastian Rouxel If you’ve been to a Bouchon Bakery, I don’t have to explain to you why you have to buy this book. It’s worth it for the “Better Nutters” recipe alone… trust me.

Burma: Rivers of Flavor Naomi Duguid Award-winning cookbook author/photographer Duguid knows her way around Asia. Let her expose you to the complex cuisine of Burma, which combines elements of China, Vietnam and India, full of exotic flavors and textures.

Carnivore: 120 Recipes for Meat Lovers Michael Symon Maybe you recognize this devoted carnivore from ABC’s The Chew. For meat lovers, this book is a must, filled with useful information and terrific recipes, all meat-centric. Not for your vegan friend!

Roots Diane Morgan Everything you always wanted to know about root veggies, and more. It’s not subtitled a “Definitive Compendium” for nothing! Fascinating history, yummy recipes.

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook Deb Perelman Popular food blogger Perelman has a knack for making home cooking approachable and creative—she still tests recipes in her tiny NYC apartment kitchen. She’s found and simplified all the recipes you’d like to make at home.

This is a Cookbook: Recipes for Real Life Max and Eli Sussman The perfect gift for the twenty-something that needs help demystifying the kitchen. Cooking is fun; it needn’t be a chore. As a plus, the ingredients are all readily available and prepared with a decided lack of fuss and an emphasis on flavor.

88

88_books.indd 88

december 2012

makeitbetter.net

11/6/12 6:51 PM