Holiday Gifts for the Cook or Baker (Or For Your Own Kitchen)

Mastering The Art of Cooking by Julia Child 2-volume set (Screencap via Alfred A. Knopf Publishers)

Cookbooks

I am a cookbook addict. I want them all. Luckily for my wallet, we now have recipes on the internet, but there are some cookbooks that are still worth buying. You can take them into the kitchen and they’re full of scrumptious food pictures. Even if you aren’t a recipe-follower, cookbooks are great for inspiration and instructions for unfamiliar techniques.

Classic Cookbooks
Every chef needs a copy of Escoffier, often called the bible of French cuisine. With recipes like Oefs Benedictine, Brandade de Morue, Mousses and Mouselines, this classic, first published in 1903, is perfect for the beginner and for professionals. Another French classic is Mastering the Art of French Cooking by the beloved Julia Child. This is the book that young Julie Powel cooks through in the 2009 film Julie & Julia.

Celebrity Chef Cookbooks
Celebrity chefs are the people we see cook on TV, mainly on the Food Network, Bravo and Public Television. They’re famous because other chefs admire their cooking and love to eat their food. Here’s a list of some of the most recently published celebrity chef cookbooks.

Ruhlman’s How to Saute: Foolproof Techniques and Recipes for the Home Cook, by Michael Ruhlman

The Broad Fork: Recipes for the Wide World of Vegetables and Fruits, by Top Chef Hugh Acheson

Appetites: A Cookbook, by Anthony Bourdain

Alton Brown: EveryDayCook, by Alton Brown

Cooking for Jeffrey: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, by Ina Garten

The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem, by Chopped judge Marcus Samuelsson

Mario Batali–Big American Cookbook: 250 Favorite Recipes from Across the USA, by Mario Batali.