Books For Cooks – Gift Guide
How many of you are looking for:
- The perfect gifts for the foodies and hostesses in your lives?
- Fresh ideas for entertaining during the holidays and new year?
- Recipes that will help make party planning and preparation more enjoyable?
- Books that will deepen your understanding of basic cooking techniques?
- Books that will help you create a healthier, happier home?
As usual, Quirk Books – innovative publishers of books that entertain, amuse and inform – has you covered!
Today I’d like to share a fabulous collection of books for cooks that you’ll want to add to your personal library and share with your family and friends! I am excited about each of these books and can’t wait to incorporate the tips and recipes I’m learning from them into my plans for the new year!
Please let me know – which of these books would you most like to receive as a gift?
Tiny Food Party! – Teri Lyn Fisher & Jenny Park
Recently I’ve begun to rethink how I host parties. As much as I love formal dinner parties where I get to use all of my best china and serve fancy foods – sometimes, I just want to plan something informal and fun!
Enter Tiny Food Party! Bite-Size Recipes For Miniature Meals. When you want to convey an atmosphere of informality, fun and play at your gatherings, tiny food is the way to go!
There are a number of things that I love about this book. First and foremost – the recipes are mouth-watering! The authors have truly prepared food you would want to serve and eat at a party! The recipes are creative and the presentations are beautiful.
If you’ve never hosted a Tiny Food Party before – there are several menus to get your creative juices flowing! Whether you host a Tiny Snack Party – a Tiny Dinner Party – a Tiny Dessert Party – or a Tiny Cocktail Party – you’ll be hard-pressed not to be hooked on tiny after you get through perusing this book!
I think that I foresee a lot of big fun on little plates in the future!
On A Stick – Matt Armendariz
On A Stick – 80 Party Perfect Recipes boast more informal fun in a different package. All of the recipes in this book boast are full-sized servings on sticks and skewers (great news for the dishwasher and for those who don’t like touching finger foods!)
The first thing that struck me about this book was the diversity of recipes. There are American favorites and international delights. There are dishes for the health-conscious and desserts that will delight you. There’s fanciful fruits and there’s fried fare. There are classic meals you would never imagine could be served on a stick (such as Spaghetti and Meatballs – I kid you not!). There are dishes that are plated so beautifully, they will make you feel like you are dining at a fine restaurant!
Each recipe is beautifully photographed (a plus for any cookbook by my standards!) The author also provides great tips! For instance, you’ll learn how to pick the right stick or skewer for the dish you are serving, and how to match the proper dips and sauces to your recipes.
If you love parties or know someone who does, this is a book you’ll reference time and time again for great entertainment ideas!
The Geometry Of Pasta – Caz Hildebrand & Jacob Kenedy
I am going to let you in on a personal bias I have when it comes to cookbooks. In general, I like to see glossy photographs of each and every recipe in the books I buy! It really helps me to know what the recipe I am cooking is supposed to look like when it’s done. It also helps me to determine if I will “like” the recipe before I even try it out!
Now, I’m going to let you in on another secret: there are exceptions to every rule! When you come across a book with a concept as fresh as this one, you’re bound to give it treasured space on your kitchen bookshelf, even though there isn’t a single glossy photo in the book!
Instead of glossy photos, The Geometry of Pasta – The Perfect Shape, The Perfect Sauce is filled with clever black and white illustrations that highlight its unusual premise:
If you understand the mechanics of the shape of the pasta you are working with, then match it to the perfect sauce for that shape, you will serve the perfect pasta dish every time!
If you love pasta (and honestly – who doesn’t?) – you will delight in exploring over 100 authentic Italian recipes as you learn the science, culture and philosophy behind these dishes!
Home Economics – Jennifer McKnight Trontz
If you or a loved one ever missed out on Home Economics class and now wish you had a way to recapture all of that information that you’ve discovered IS practical in the real world – this book’s for you!
Home Economics – Vintage Advice and Practical Science for the 21st Century Household is a handy little manual filled with tips and practical advice that will help today’s families run more efficient and healthy households!
All of the information in this book is drawn from vintage collections of home economics books. The book is filled with remnants of “lost arts” that were once considered a fundamental part of education.
You’ll find tidbits on everything from Successful Economical Living to Kitchen Arts and Sciences; Care of Clothing and Textiles to Management and Furnishing of the Home; you’ll even find a section on Leisurely Pursuits!
No matter what your status or stature in life – there’s a useful tip for you in this book!
For additional reviews on Quirk Books, check out:
- Blank Books For Writers And Artists
- Craft A Day by Sarah Goldschadt
- Crafting With Cat Hair by Kaori Tsutaya
- Microcrafts – Tiny Treasures To Make And Share
For more great books, visit Create With Joy – Book Reviews!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of these books from Quirk Books for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review, nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
I have so many cookbooks. But I wouldn’t mind adding these too. XO Thank you for sharing at the hop 🙂
You’re welcome! I have a huge collection too – but these are keepers! 🙂
The Tiny Food Party Book has me intrigued. You’re right when it comes to sometimes hosting a party with little bits and bites rather than a formal meal.
Thank you for sharing and linking to the Empowered Living hop. I hope to see you back in the new year. Happy Holidays.
Love the Tiny Food Party Book Jesse – so glad you stopped by – hope to see you in the new year too!
Loved this so much, I featured it this week on Mom’s Library Link-Up! Head on over and grab a Featured on Hey Mommy, Chocolate Milk button to proudly add to your post/site!
Can’t wait to see what you have been up to this week!
Be blessed,
Julie @ Hey Mommy, Chocolate Milk
http://heymommychocolatemilk.blogspot.com/2013/01/moms-library-link-up-11.html
Thank you so much Julie – you just made my day! 🙂
I love cookbooks, and can’t resist them as gifts for myself or others. I also look for cookbooks with lovely pictures but my favourite and most used has no photos either 🙂
It must be an extra special one then – would love to know which one it is! 🙂
Thanks so much for linking this up at the Brighton Park Monthly Literary Link Up.~~Katie
I would love to have these in my collection too! Thankyou for sharing them, I have bookmarked Quirk books so I can have a closer look 🙂
You’re welcome Alicia – Quirk has some very interesting and unusual books – I hope you enjoy them!
I love cookbooks, and you can never have too many! 🙂 Thanks for sharing the great ideas at A Bouquet of Talent. Awesome choices.
Hugs
Kathy
Can’t agree with your cookbook philosophy more! Have a great day Kathy!
I got a preview copy of Tiny Food and it was adorable. I love everything Quirk Books does, they’re the best.
That home ec book is hysterical, I have to get a copy for my daughter!
I’ve always been a big fan of Quirk books. Good selection.
Thanks Beth! I’m looking forward to joining your What’s In a Name challenge!
The On A Stick book sounds fun, but the Tiny Party Food one looks cute too. I love fun cookbooks like these!
They are both fab books! I can’t wait to delve in. I am particularly enamored with the Tiny Party Food cookbook at the moment! 🙂
Of these books, I think I’d be most interested in Food on a Stick. Not that I’d make corndogs, but I’m sure there are other fun ideas. Thanks for sharing!
You’re in luck Cecelia – they have lots more to offer than corndogs (although I do believe I saw that in there too!
Thanks for stopping by!
I love cookbooks and have tons of them! Thank you for sharing at All My Bloggy Friends last week. I look forward to seeing what you share this week 🙂