Holiday Gift Guide – Favorite Books of 2023 & Giveaway
December 4, 2023 by JennyThe holiday season is in full swing and if you are like me you may be looking for just the right gift for the cook/baker in your life. I want to share a few of my favorite subscription services, cooking kits and favorite books from 2023. Please also see my Holiday Baking post which shares some of my favorite items.
This year I am only going to write about a dozen or so cookbooks because there are just so many fantastic books, as usual. For the giveaway we have the following prize package: Emile Henry modern bread cloche (see earlier promotion and on sale right now at Emile Henry), Lékué sourdough starter set (see Holiday Baking post), More Than Cake, Süss, Sweet France, Bake Smart, Snacking Bakes, and Scandinavian from Scratch.
Samantha Mui, the author of Melting Pot: Stories and Recipes from a Chinese American Daydreamer has created a dumpling kit to help those who are new to the dumpling game: Thirsty Dumpling. Each kit comes with a roller and crimper, dough flour, spices and sauce mix and dumpling filling, a video guide is available, and each kit makes 36 dumplings. Right now you can use the code “LAUNCH10” to take 10 percent off the cost of a kit.
Hot Pot Queen Pantry Gift Box – see my earlier review.
Crate Chef – every other month service – latest review here.
Bake On – review here.
Bake It Better: 70 Show-stopping Recipes to Level-Up Your Baking Skills by Matt Adlard – see my review.
Sweet France: The 100 Best Recipes from the Greatest French Pastry Chefs by François Blanc delivers 100 recipes for irresistible cakes and pastries to satisfy every sweet tooth. The book includes the essentials, classics revisited, pastries, signature cakes, cookies, and other bite-size treats. Indulge yourself with canelés de Bordeaux, Gâteau Basque, traditional fraisier cake, chocolate éclairs, and the legendary Saint-Honoré. Inside, you’ll find recipes for every level of proficiency to try at home, including the favorite creations of Cédric Grolet, Yann Couvreur, Pierre Hermé, Philippe Conticini, and a host of other big names and up-and-coming talents in contemporary French pâtisserie.
Süss: Sweet German Treats For Every Occasion by Audrey Leonard: The founder of the Red Currant Bakery blog and professional food photographer takes pride in her German heritage and dual citizenship. Inspired by the treats her Oma made for her, she began a lifelong journey of sharing the joys of German baking, Audrey makes complex traditional showstoppers simple with easy-to-follow instructions and detailed descriptions. Her premiere cookbook demystifies quintessential European desserts and makes their divine deliciousness accessible to all. This book is beautiful with recipes for a stunning Blackberry poppy seed cake, Bavarian plum cake, and Sweet bread rolls with apricot jam. There are gorgeous photographs throughout. 
Croatian Savoury Baking: 50 Traditional Recipes for Bread, Burek, Pies and Pastries by Andrea Pisac, the author of Croatian Desserts: 50 Authentic Recipes to Make at Home, (see review of latter title) – I want you all aware of this new title (use BUY BOOK button to purchase from Andrea’s shop) – look for a worldwide giveaway soon on this book.
Chinese Pastry School by Yeo Min – this is another amazing book coming out of Singapore. I will be doing a separate review of this book in the next week or so (and will have information about how to order this title).
The Cookie That Changed My Life: And More Than 100 Other Classic Cakes, Cookies, Muffins, and Pies That Will Change Yours: A Cookbook by Nancy Silverton and Carolynn Carreño is the eagerly anticipated baking bible from one of America’s most respected authorities; 100+ recipes for cookies, cakes, breads, breakfast pastries, and much more. Nancy Silverton made her reputation as the original pastry chef for Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant Spago. Two years ago, Silverton bit into a particularly delicious peanut butter cookie and had an epiphany: every single thing we bake should taste this good. And so she decided to return to her roots, and set to work perfecting the rest of the American baking canon. While these are recipes for the classics, they are Nancy Silverton’s recipes with each detailed instructions for every step of the process. As with any “baking canon”, measurements are given in weight and volume.
Bake Smart: Sweets and Secrets from My Oven to Yours by Samantha Seneviratne: Break free from common baking myths, fears, and fussy procedures, with Bake Smart, filled with Sam’s tips and warm reassurances plus 100 achievable, mouth-watering recipes that are surprisingly effortless to put together for any home baker. Chapters are organized by main baking ingredient (Butter; Sugar; Eggs; Flour, Nuts & Cocoa; and Yeast), each starting with a quick intro to break down the fundamentals of baking, as well as core recipes—like Basic Custard, Any-Nut Frangipane, and Rough Puff Pastry—that are easy to master and return to again and again.
Snacking Bakes: Simple Recipes for Cookies, Bars, Brownies, Cakes, and More by Yossy Arefi contains 60 accessible, anytime recipes for delectable cookies, cakes, brownies, and bars that need only one bowl and easy-to-find ingredients, from the award-winning author of Snacking Cakes. Yossy covers all the baked-good bases with recipes that feature a wide range of enticing flavors (even savory!) and are each accompanied by gorgeous photography shot by Yossy herself.
Scandinavian from Scratch: Rustic Yet Refined Recipes for Buttery Cookies, Tender Cakes, Flaky Pastries, and Hearty Rye Bread by Nichole Accettola is a collection of 75 recipes for luscious cookies, cakes, tarts, pastries, breads, and smørrebrød at the heart of Scandinavian baking traditions. I was so excited to get this stunner of a book in my hands and look forward to baking these beautiful recipes soon.
More Than Cake: 100 Baking Recipes Built for Pleasure and Community by Natasha Pickowicz: The author is a three times James Beard nominated pastry chef. In this her debut cookbook, she draws on her Chinese and California background and delivers recipes that are sure to impress. Measurements are given in weight and volume which is always appreciated. Chapters include – cookies, sweet & salty, single layer cakes, modern layer cakes, fruit, baking with vegetables, creamy and elegant desserts and yeasted treats. I am in love with this gorgeous book.
And a few savory titles that make great gifts!
Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook: A Cookbook by Sohla El-Waylly is practical, information-packed, and transformative guide to becoming a better cook and conquering the kitchen, Start Here is a must-have master class in leveling up your cooking. I am awe-struck by this volume! 656 pages of the brilliance that is Sohla. Across a dozen technique-themed chapters – from “Temperature Management 101” and “Break it Down & Get Saucy” to “Go to Brown Town,” “All About Butter,” and “Getting to Know Dough” – Sohla explains the hows and whys of cooking, introducing the fundamental skills that you need to become a more intuitive, inventive cook.
Noon: Simple Recipes for Scrumptious Midday Meals and More by Meike Peters is spectacular title for more information see my review in my preview post,
Company: Recipes Menus Advice: The Radically Casual Art of Cooking for Others by Amy Thielen is a must-have for fans of the James Beard Award winning author and chef. See more details about this title in my preview post earlier this month.
Latinísimo: Home Recipes from the Twenty-One Countries of Latin America by Sandra A. Gutierrez is an encyclopedic cookbook celebrating Latin American home cooking – the first to cover the cuisines of all twenty-one nations. Divided by ingredient, Sandra delivers over 300 recipes with many variations along with an extensive pantry section that establishes the fundamentals of Latin American cooking. This is the book on all things Latin American – a must have.
Joshua Weissman: Texture Over Taste by Joshua Weissman: Joshua is one of my “new” favorite cookbook authors. His latest title is brilliant, covering all aspects of texture – crunchy, chewy, aerated, creamy, fluid and fatty. When I have a craving it is almost always for something crunchy. That crispy shattering bite into a crispy piece of fried chicken is perfection. I always order my fries well done and feel there is nothing worse than an anemic floppy French fry – if I am going to have fries then they had better be worth every well-deserved bite. Joshua Weissman’s books need to be on our bookshelves.
Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third-Culture Kitchen by Jon Kung is exciting and unexpected collection of 100 recipes that re-examines Chinese American food. From dumplings to the most decadent curried mac and cheese, Jon inspires millions through his creative recipes and content.
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.
Special thanks to the publishers and product vendors who have provided the following in our giveaway: One winner will receive a Emile Henry modern bread cloche and Lékué sourdough starter set (open to US) and another winner worldwide will receive a set of the following titles: More Than Cake, Süss, Sweet France, Bake Smart, Snacking Bakes, and Scandinavian from Scratch.
Entry options include answering the following question in the comments section of this blog post.
What cookbook or kitchen item is on your holiday wish list?
Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won’t be counted. For more information on this process, please see our step-by-step help post. Once you log in and enter your member name you will be directed to the next entry option – the blog comment. After that, there are additional options that you can complete for more entries. Be sure to check your spam filters to receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on January 31st, 2024.
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