Holiday cookbooks for the food lover on your list
Few things – short of a feast at a four-star restaurant – will make the foodie on your gift list happier than a beautiful cookbook. Here are a half-dozen of the season's tastiest new titles.
MAKE IT AHEAD
By Ina Garten
(Clarkson Potter, $35)
In the kitchen: The "Barefoot Contessa" is a Food Network star; Make It Ahead is already a best seller.
What's cooking: French Chicken Pot Pies, Herb-Roasted Fish, Make-Ahead Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Our takeaway: A clever idea for harried cooks: tips on making sophisticated recipes in advance.
AROUND THE TABLE: RECIPES AND INSPIRATION FOR GATHERINGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
By Martina McBride
(William Morrow, $29.99)
In the kitchen: The country star says she would be a party planner if she weren't a singer.
What's cooking: Butternut Ravioli, Asparagus with Toasted Almonds, Peaches with Lemon Shortbread
Our takeaway: Accessible recipes and tips – plain and fancy — for entertaining for family and friends.
MARCUS OFF DUTY: THE RECIPES I COOK AT HOME
By Marcus Samuelsson with Roy Finamore
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $35)
In the kitchen: Samuelsson owns the Red Rooster Harlem restaurant and is a judge on ABC's The Taste.
What's cooking: Philly Steak Sandwiches My Way, Seared Scallops with Bacon and Egg, Pumpkin Seed Soup
Our takeaway: With his Ethiopian-Swedish background, Samuelsson brings a distinct international flavor to his home cooking.
AMERICA FARM TO TABLE
By Mario Batali and Jim Webster
(Grand Central Life & Style, $35)
In the kitchen: The Italian restaurateur known for New York hot spots Babbo and Eataly also appears on ABC's The Chew.
What's cooking: Tomato Focaccia, Apple Salad with Salami and Wine-Marinated Mushrooms, Braised Chicken with Sauteed Apples and Prosecco
Our takeaway: Batali leaves the Big Apple to survey the trendy farm-to-table movement across the country.
THE POLLAN FAMILY TABLE
By Corky, Lori, Dana and Tracy Pollan
(Scribner, $30)
In the kitchen: The Pollan sisters are home cooks. (Their brother, food writer Michael Pollan, wrote the foreword; actress Tracy is married to actor Michael J. Fox.)
What's cooking: Smoky Sauteed Shrimp, Bite-Size Turkey Meatballs, Golden Baby Artichokes with Lemon Zest
Our takeaway: Good, healthy food is definitely a family affair for the Pollan clan.
DOMINIQUE ANSEL: THE SECRET RECIPES
By Dominique Ansel
(Simon & Schuster, $35)
In the kitchen: The French pastry chef behind the eponymous New York bakery, famed for inventing the Cronut (a croissant-doughnut hybrid).
What's cooking: Cotton-Soft Cheesecake, Mini Madeleines, Chocolate Caviar Tart
Our takeaway: With this collection of elaborate après-dinner concoctions, Ansel proves he's more than a one-dessert wonder.