Mother’s & Father’s Day Gift Guide

It’s almost time to celebrate the special people in our lives, mom/mum and dad, and if they are cooks and bakers, I have a few ideas for gifts they will enjoy (and not return).

Let’s touch on some great new cookbooks this Spring (see my Valentine’s gift guide for other ideas and book suggestions) as well as our current promotions which feature newer titles worth gifting:

Why We Cook: Women on Food, Identity, and Connection by Lindsay Gardner: This treasure features 112 women in the culinary field with essays, kitchen profiles, interviews, recipes and more. It is brilliantly illustrated and a delight to read and savor.

Wild Sweetness: Recipes Inspired by Nature by Thalia Ho, award-winning food blogger behind Butter and Brioche, delivers a unique and beautifully designed full-color cookbook that brings wild flavors to seasonal desserts. Thalia comes from a long line of European bakers and her cooking combines her European and Asian heritage. This title is elegant and approachable and has a dream-like quality to its pages and prose.

Zoë Bakes Cakes: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Favorite Layers, Bundts, Loaves, and More by Zoë François is my dream baking book. You can read more about this fantastic title and enter our giveaway to win a copy along with a set of bakeware from Anolon here.

Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day by Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie celebrates the James Beard award-winning chef’s incredible culinary legacy through his life story, family traditions, and unmatched dedication to his craft. There are many barbecue cookbooks – there are many cookbooks period – but this one is special.

One: Pot, Pan, Planet: A Greener Way to Cook for You, Your Family and the Planet by Anna Jones has published in the UK and AU and will be released in the US in November as A Greener Way to Cook: Joyful, Delicious Recipes for One-Pot Meals That Are Good for You and the Planet. Award-winning cook Anna Jones blazes the trail again for how we all want to cook now: quick, sustainably and stylishly. In her exciting new book, the ‘queen of the greens’ gives over 150 recipes alongside dozens of ideas for super-quick one-pan, one-tray suppers.

In Good Company: Simple, Generous Recipes and Ideas for Get Togethers and Good Times by Sophie Hansen is filled with all the recipes and inspiration you need to encourage you to throw open your doors and invite people in, because there’s never been a better time to bring people together.

Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat by Molly Baz breaks the essentials of cooking down to clear and uncomplicated recipes that deliver big flavor with little effort and a side of education, including dishes like Pastrami roast chicken with schmaltzy onions and Dill, chorizo and chickpea carbonara, and of course, her signature Cae Sal. There are dozens of QR codes throughout the book accessed through the camera app on your smartphone, that link to short technique-driven videos hosted by Molly to help illuminate some of the trickier skills. The recipes in this book are dripping with deliciousness.

Australia: The Cookbook by Ross Joseph Dobson: Australia is a true melting pot of cultures and this is reflected in its cooking. This recipe collection is relevant to home cooks everywhere. I have paged through this book several times and find that almost every recipe is highly approachable and the desserts and baking chapters extraordinary.

Getaway: Recipes + Drinks to Transport You by Renee Erickson invites you on a culinary journey via the acclaimed chef’s favorite places in the world Rome, Paris, Normandy, Baja California, London, and her hometown, Seattle. Equally aspirational travelogue and practical guide to cooking at home, the book offers 120 recipes and 60 cocktail recipes for simple meals that evoke the dreamiest places and cuisines. Since traveling is still difficult Getaway provides a vacation for our families in our own kitchens.

The Pepper Thai Cookbook: Family Recipes from Everyone’s Favorite Thai Mom by Pepper Teigen and Garrett Snyder is everything I hoped it would be. Take a little Cravings and a lot of Pepper’s love of food and you have one great title and the photos of the Legend/Teigen family are a bonus.

Milk Street: Tuesday Nights Mediterranean: 125 Simple Weeknight Recipes from the World’s Healthiest Cuisine by Christopher Kimball for more about this fantastic book see our promotion and giveaway.

How to Grill Vegetables: The New Bible for Barbecuing Vegetables over Live Fire by Steven Raichlen: America’s grilling guru offers a primer for how to grill vegetables – with lots of creative flavors and techniques – whether you’re eating main dishes that highlight vegetables, or you’re rounding out the barbecue menu with grilled garden-fresh sides. Not a vegetarian book, but vegetable-forward (and with vegetarian and vegan adaptations)

It’s Always Freezer Season: How to Freeze Like a Chef with 100 Make-Ahead Recipes by Ashley Christensen and Kaitlyn Goalen: Make the cook in your family’s life easier with this stellar book from Southern chef extraordinnaire Ashley Christensen.

Hook Line and Supper by Hank Shaw could be the only fish and seafood cookbook you’ll ever need, from the author of the James Beard Award–winning website Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. Pub date May 7, 2021

Food x Fire: Grilling and BBQ with Derek Wolf of Over the Fire Cooking by Derek Wolf: Join live fire cooking expert Derek Wolf – creator of the popular website and social media handle Over the Fire Cooking – for an exploration of techniques and recipes built around the fire. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced live fire enthusiast, you’re sure to learn something new. Couple this book with a collection of Derek’s spices and you’ll be a star.

Cheese, Wine, and Bread: Discovering the Magic of Fermentation in England, Italy, and France by Katie Quinn: In this delightful, full-color tour of France, England, and Italy, YouTube star Katie Quinn shares the stories and science behind everyone’s fermented favorites – bread, cheese, and wine – along with classic recipes.

A Table in Paris: The Cafés, Bistros, and Brasseries of the World’s Most Romantic City by John Donahue is a dreamy book filled with lovely illustrations and a virtual getaway to the city of lights.

Keto BBQ: Real Barbecue for a Healthy Lifestyle by Myron Mixon (May 2021): from the BBQ master comes a healthy look at BBQ.

Pizza Czar: Recipes and Know-How from a World-Traveling Pizza Chef by Anthony Falco is a pizza lover’s dream – vibrant, fun and filled with quirky illustrations and lovely photographs – this is 2021’s pizza book! Pub date May 18, 2021.

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Baking School with Brian Hart Hoffman of Bake From Scratch is a wonderful gift for the baker in your life. These classes are in collaboration with Williams Sonoma and I have added these dates and particulars to our calendar. You can read more about the classes and the participants here.

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A cooking or baking box from Hardcover Cook is the gift that keeps on giving. Choose from one of the quarterly options – or make your own box from HCC cookbooks and cookbook pantry and impress your recipient.

The Summer selections are shown in the photograph above and will be shipping in June and include a new category the Essentials Box that features cookbooks that provide everyday solutions for unfussy and delicious meals. Recipes will range from easy to medium difficulty. Paired products will help you upgrade your pantry staples with a range of artisanal products and may contain seafood or meat.:

• Omnivore Box: Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus by Yasmin Khan
• Essentials Box: Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat by Molly Baz
• Vegetarian: To Asia, With Love: Everyday Asian Recipes and Stories from the Heart by Hetty McKinnon
• Baking: Bread Toast Crumbs: Recipes for No-Knead Loaves & Meals to Savor Every Slice by Alexandra Stafford

Be sure to check out the site for all the great ingredients each of these boxes will share by clicking on the links above in bold you will be taken to the proper pages! See Hardcover Cook’s other cookbook and ingredient bundles and see this page for more information on the subscription service.

See Hardcover Cook’s other cookbook and ingredient bundles and see this page for more information on the subscription service.

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Through Hardcover Cook, I have had the pleasure of trying spices from Diaspora Co. Not only are the spices incredible – the work being done by this company is spectacular. Find out more at their website. I just ordered ten of their spice spoons and that vibrant towel set as I already have many of their spices in my pantry.

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LeCreuset has just released their Major League Baseball collection. Right now ball fans can choose from the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. Hey, LeCreuset – what about the New York Mets or Colorado Rockies? Maybe next time?

If the price of a MLB Dutch oven is out of your league (see what I did there?), LeCreuset is having its Factory-to-Table sale right now and prices are great on many items!

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One Potato is a meal plan service by Catherine McCord who is the creator of the Weelicious brand. New subscribers will receive a Spring cookie decorating kit – three rolls of sugar cookies, two cookie cutters and a jar of sprinkles – by using SPRING21 at checkout. These cookies are fantastic – I could smell the vanilla and lemon when I opened the package. Each roll makes about six cookies depending on the size you prefer and they were a hit here. One Potato has a variety of plans all made with organic ingredients and with vegetarian and gluten-free options as well. One Potato sent me a cookie kit to try and if the meals are as tasty as the cookies – they would be a hit. COVID is still causing issues with restaurants and gatherings, so maybe treat mom to a week or two of meals with some cookies thrown in for good measure!

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Support your favorite local worldwide bookstore and order a book or twelve, preordering is available at most bookstores.

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Of course, a gift certificate for Eat Your Books is always a thoughtful present for the cookbook lover/cook. If you need help purchasing a gift certificate, see this help section or email info@eatyourbooks.com.