Great Last-Minute Gifts: Best Cookbooks of 2009
Dec. 22, 2009— -- Cookbooks make great holiday gifts for family and friends. Here are some of my favorites from 2009 that will impress home cooks and aspiring chefs alike.
CLICK HERE for 15 more great cookbooks to gift from Sara Moulton, only on ABCNews.com!
"Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book" by Chris Lilly
Clarkson Potter, $24.99
This is a book for both the serious barbecue fanatic as well as the beginning cook. It is based on years of experience from Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Ala., as well as knowledge learned on the competition trail. I met Chris Lilly at the Memphis in May competition years ago and was so impressed that I had him on my show and adapted one of his recipes for my first book. There are a wide range of recipes in here. Meat lovers will rejoice.
"My Bread" by Jim Lahey
W.W. Norton, $29.95
From the man who popularized the no-knead bread-making method made popular by Mark Bittman in an article in The New York Times, comes this very accessible book for the home cook. As advertised, there is no kneading involved. You just mix the ingredients and then let the bread rise slowly. There are many delicious variations to choose from. "My Bread" will get nonbakers baking. After all, what is better than home-baked bread?
"The $5 Dinner Mom" by Erin Chase
St Martin's Griffin, $14.99
Erin shows you how to size up the best supermarket deals, clip coupons that will really save you money and create a weekly dinner menu plan. She lists prices for all the ingredients and offers hundred of appealing recipes based on fresh foods.
"Family Feasts for $75 a Week" by Mary Ostyn
Oxmoor House, $17.95
A pennywise mom shares her recipe for cutting hundreds of dollars from your monthly food bill.Ostyn has 10 children, and so she really has to manage her food dollars. She offers amazing information on navigating the food aisles and tons of general tips. This is a great how-to for cooking healthy affordable meals.
"Kitchen Express" by Mark Bittman
Simon and Schuster, $26
There are two kinds of cooks: Those who like to follow a detailed recipe exactly, and those who like to improvise. This book is for the latter, which includes me. The recipes are written in a casual fashion without exact amounts or times. They are meant to be ideas -- starting off points. It will provide just enough inspiration to help you plan and cook dinner.
"Well Preserved" by Eugenia Bone
Clarkson Potter, $24.95
Given these lean economic times, more and more people are not only growing their own fruits and vegetables, they are also canning, freezing and preserving them. As someone who has always been sure I would kill someone if I tried to "put up" and serve some jam or tomatoes, this book is the perfect no-scary guide with really good-looking homey recipes.
"Gluten Free Italian" by Jacqueline Mallorca
Lifelong Books, $18.95
Many of Italy's best-loved foods contain wheat flour, so they have been off limits for the gluten intolerant. Mallorca has tackled this problem head on and transformed and lightened traditional recipes for fresh pasta, rustic breads and desserts so that they are delicious but also wheat-free.
"Craft of Baking" by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox
Clarkson Potter, $35
Even though I am a nonbaker, this book made me want to get right in the kitchen and fire up the oven. DeMasco is a professional pasty chef who has worked in some of the best restaurants in New York City. But her approach is simple, building upon traditional recipes and familiar home-baking techniques to create new modern-day treats, all of them within the reach of the novice. DeMasco also gives you the tools to experiment.
"Slow Cooker" by Diane Phillips
Chronicle Books, $24.95
Slow cookers are making a comeback because more people are doing their own cooking. Homemade meals are not only more economical, they're also more healthy. And so easy with the slow cooker -- you just prep and throw all the ingredients in the cooker in the morning and then come home to a comfort meal that night. Diane Phillips really understands how to get the most out of a slow cooker, and she has set you up with so many recipes you won't have to think about dinner for a whole year.
"Thirty Minute Pasta" by Giuliano Hazan
Stewart Tabori and Chang, $27.50
This book includes recipes for every season of the year, including hearty pasta soups, fresh-from-the-green-market-vegetarian dishes and meat and seafood sauce. This is a book for home cooks who are pressed for time yet still want to enjoy tasty, elegant pasta dishes several nights of the week.
"The Silver Spoon" for Children
Phaidon, $19.95
This nice-looking picture book is especially adapted from "The Silver Spoon," the best-selling bible of Italian cooking. Simple, authentic and delicious recipes for children to cook with charming illustrations.
"Baking Kids Love" by Cindy Mushet
Sur La Table, $20
Thirty kid-tested, kid-approved recipes designed for kids 6 and older that are easy to read and understand. Grown-ups will be happy with these treats as well.
"Love Soup" by Anna Thomas
W.W. Norton, $22.95
Thomas is the author of "The Vegetarian Epicure One" and "Two," which were my cooking bibles when I was in college and chose to eat vegetarian simply because I couldn't afford meat. The recipes in "Love Soup," like the recipes in those earlier books, are absolutely delicious. The vegetarian part is secondary. There are tons of soups to choose from in this book, from light and refreshing to thick and hearty.
