Shed for the Holidays: Cookbook Wish List

All right, there are two big shopping weekends till Christmas and if you’re on your shit, you’ll probably be getting a good amount done this weekend. Since I like both cooking, reading, and spoiling people, I decided to post some of the cookbooks and food memoirs I love and would recommend giving and receiving.

**I am a member of the Amazon Associates Program, which means if you buy any of this stuff after clicking on my links, I get a (very small) percentage from Amazon. Just FYI!

For the Budget-Conscious, Shabby-Chic, Maybe a Little Hipster (ugh, hipsters) Girl

OK, I love, love, love vintage cookbooks! They are such a cool gift. I want to have a big collection some day. This is perfect for the girl you know who loves her vintage clothes (or pretend-vintage clothes from Urban Outfitters) and who is just discovering all the wonders her kitchen holds. I ordered two new ones on Etsy this week, and each cost $5. Five dollars! One is from 1967 and one is from 1957. Amazing! I also really like the idea of finding a vintage cookbook that ties into someone’s heritage — Greek, Italian, German, etc. Then it’s just more personal. Because it’s kind of small — and, well, secondhand — this is a fantastic start to a gift. You could pair it with a vintage-inspired apron or a vintage/vintage-inspired piece of cooking ware. Etsy has some fabulous kitschy casserole dishes, and Anthro and Target have great selections that aren’t actually 50 years old! You can also get cute stuff from Fred Flare (like this adorable panda skillet) and they have awesome stocking stuffers (like this $6 “French” toast stamp — so cute to go with a French cookbook)! Mxyplyzyk is an NYC shop I love visiting, and they have a ton of cute housewares. I am so into this line of cooking tools “The Greens”…particularly the wine opener, which would be so cute with a book about wine or a just a bottle of wine!

For Everyone On Your List

These are the books I love and I think would work for a range of people you might need to gift! I think they are pretty non-intimidating and anyone who spends, like, 10 minutes a day in his or her kitchen would appreciate them.

Cooking Light Complete Cookbook: A Fresh New Way to Cook

The All-New Complete Cooking Light Cookboook: The Ultimate Guide from America’s #1 Food Magazine (I love Cooking Light, obviously! A subscription to that magazine would be a great gift for anyone who is just getting her first apartment.)

How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking (Nigella…I love you.)

A History of the World in 6 Glasses (History was my specialization in college; I wish I had gone to grad school for it, so that I may have written this book myself. World history + drinks = too much happiness.)

Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories (Better than the original Hungry Girl cookbooks, and an awesome, inexpensive gift.)

Hungry: A Young Model’s Story of Appetite, Ambition and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves (LOVE HER! This is a great gift for the high school or college girls in your life who you just want to realize how BEAUTIFUL they are!!)

Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis Extra Easy Italian (DVD) 3 disc set

Giada’s Kitchen: New Italian Favorites (So…anything Giada. Seriously. I recommend it all.)

Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously (This book is awesome and is great for helping people understand why cooking is so powerful. Plus, Julie Powell is hella funny. I already own it, so I am asking for the DVD, which, don’t get me wrong, is awesome, but really…the book is just great!)

What’s on My List

I haven’t read most of these, but from what I know about them, I think they are gifts more suited to foodies, kitchen goddesses, or, well, you, lovely!

I Know How to Cook (This book is on a ton of “must-gift” lists; it’s a French cooking book and sounds like a dream…it’s also wayyyy cheaper on Amazon BTW!)

So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week (The new Ellie Krieger cookbook; so excited for this one!)

How to Cook Everything Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food (Mark Bittman = awesome. This is also a good book for gifting to non-foodies, and especially male relatives/boyfs/hubs who don’t believe that cooking is not just for women and healthy does not equal rabbit food.)

Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table (Food memoir!)

Fork It Over: The Intrepid Adventures of a Professional Eater (Funny food memoir!)

The World Has Curves: The Global Quest for the Perfect Body (Dying to read/gift!)

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen (I want to know the difference between baking soda and baking powder.)

How to Eat: The Pleasures and Principles of Good Food (Nigella, please tell me how to eat!!!)

Spice: The History of a Temptation (History + food = WIN.)

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence (Why are the Sedarises the most amazing family ever?!)

The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution (I don’t think I can even wait for Christmas to read this; may hit the library.)

Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition – 2006 (It’s like the Bible.)

Happy gifting!