Holiday gifts
  • Now that the holidays are behind us, I'm curious what other Cookbookers received as gifts.

    I got three new cookbooks: The Homesick Texan, The Casserole Queens Cookbook and Essential Pepin. Pepin lives in the same town as my inlaws and my mil was kind enough to get me a signed copy of the book.

    I also received a new pepper mill and a gorgeous blue 3 qt. Lodge Dutch Oven.

    My stocking was filled with yummy jams, mustards, peppercorns and chocolates.

    It was a great foodie holiday for me.
  • A great foodie holiday indeed......a Pepin signed copy...wow!

    I received 2 cookbooks: Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi and the Food of Morocco (Paula Wolfert). The latter came with a beautiful tagine, (frequently hinted about but never expected to receive), which I can't wait to use - just waiting for my preserved lemons to cure!

    The William Sonoma Heritage Bundt pan and a madeleine pan were also under the tree for me.

    I also received from my thoughtful daughter, the Body Shop line of almond hand and nail care products to help my hands recover after a cooking/baking spree!


  • Nice scores! I received Essential Pepin (unsigned) from my son, the America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family cookbook from 13 daughter, and Here is America's Test Kitchen: all new recipes... from my sister. Also received a can of Helix escargo (!), and a lovely apron from my mother. I also lucked upon several very inexpensive used cookbooks (but after looking at reviews, they might not find a permanent home on my bookshelf).

    But what might be the nicest - I think I've found a group of friends who are game to try a cookbook club! We will start with "Around My French Table" at the end of January.

    Happy new year, my cookbook friends!
  • Happy New Year, everyone! Great to hear there are good cookbooks being given as presents. I didn't get any cookbooks, ironically (probably because everyone I know assumes I always have all the latest ones, which isn't actually true...). I did get some kitchen equipment - a nice new digital thermometer with a metal wire to the temperature probe so I can leave it in a piece of meat and it will beep when it gets to the proper temperature.

    I also cooked from lots of well-reviewed Cookbooker recipes - made Stollen from Peter Reinhart's Bread Baker's Apprentice, World Peace Cookies from Smitten Kitchen, a bunch of side-dishes for Christmas Dinner from Epicurious and last night for our New Year's first dinner, made the delicious Pumpkin Chiffon Pie from the Pie and Pastry Bible.

    Looking forward to reading everyone's reviews from their new cookbooks!
  • Hi all,
    Well, I didn't get any cookbooks, probably because, like Andrew, nobody is game. I did get a new spice grinder, thank goodness, as sometimes the mortar and pestle can be hard work. The best part about it, is that it is the same model as my last one, which I burnt out, but I can use the old one's grinding bowl for cloves, and the new ones for the less strongly perfumed spices. I just click them in and out.
    Happy New Year!
    DG
  • I have it easy -- I just tell Santa what I most want and that's what I get. He's a bit lazy and finds that easier than looking through all my Wants lists. :-) So, I got Reinhardt's Bread Baker's Apprentice, and The Geometry of Pasta, and The Olive and the Caper. Starting with a serious read of Reinhardt; have only thumbed through the other two, but happy with what I've seen so far.
    The 2011 "best cookbooks" lists don't seem to have much that I'm really really wanting. Wolfert's Morocco is appealing, but I've read there's a lot of duplication from her Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco. (Can anybody with access to both books comment on this?) Also possibly interesting is the Homesick Texan. I've just recently found the blog and been enjoying it. I gave a copy to another displaced Texan, but haven't had a report back yet.
    Hope everyone has a healthy and happy 2012, with lots of good food involved!
  • No cookbooks for me this Christmas since my New Year's resolution this year is to cook from the many books already on my shelves especially the ones from which I have never made a single recipe -- but we spent the holidays in California where I have Christmas carte blanche to purchase ingredients and so I came back with some lovely artisanal vinegars and some really nice dessert wines.
  • This isn't technically a holiday gift but, today, while out thrift shopping with my husband I ran across a like new copy of The New Laurel's Kitchen for $3.99. I picked it up off the shelf and gave it a big hug like it was a long lost friend. Many, many years ago I loaned this book to a friend and never got it back. I'm quite happy to have it back on my shelves.
  • Yay - I'm so happy for you! Karma!

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