my holiday cookbook wish list

December 1, 2010

Christmas is a-coming and there’s nothing I’d like more this year than a whole lot of cookbooks. I tend to rely pretty heavily on the internet for my recipe and food inspiration but I adore going to the library (as well as to friends’ houses) and leafing through all the crazy and wonderful books they have on their shelves.

What I really want though, is my own collection of books to get stained and dog-eared and loved. I have a few but it’s not what I’d call a collection.

There’s my beloved and much turned to How to Cook Everything, which is a book that I really recommend. Any time that I have needed inspiration or only had what seemed like a scant pantry to work with, Mark Bittman has come through with something awe-inspiring in its simplicity and deliciousness.

Then there’s the hand-typed, home-bound cookbook I was given by Tee, who spent a day teaching me how to cook in Thailand. That one is getting pretty stained and is definitely much loved by Dan and I.

We have a bread-making book that I’d like to use more often and a few others here and there but again, nothing that feels like a real collection of books that I love.

And so it goes that I have my little wish list of books I’d like. We all have those, don’t we? Well, I’d like to share my list with you.

I’d also like to give a copy of one of these books away to you.

This is my wish list, in no particular order:

Ottolenghi: The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

I have been following Yotam Ottolenghi pretty avidly for a while now. Close friends and family are aware of my burning desire to visit one of the London-based restaurants and I follow Ottolenghi’s column in The Guardian avidly. I just love his food ethos. This book is written by the good man himself and Sami Tamimi, and it’s all about big colour, bold flavours, whole grains, fresh and exciting ingredients, and making things from scratch.

The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

This classic vegetarian cookbook was first published in 1977 and still seems to have the same charm and warmth of the original with hand-drawn pictures and handwritten recipes. It also now has bright color photos interspersed among the familiar pages (which I love) and I just love the mix of old-school, homely charm, and Mollie Katzen’s fresh, modern takes on her own classics.

The Gourmet Cookbook edited by Ruth Reichl

In much the same way that I turn to Mark Bittman whenever I need a standard, awesome recipe for something, I imagine that The Gourmet Cookbook could provide me with oodles of amazing recipes to turn to in a pinch.

Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes by David Lebovitz

As much as I like to cook, I love to bake, and frankly I think I’m a much better baker than cook. As I learn and develop, I would love to have this book by my side! I love reading David Lebovitz’s blog; I adore his witty writing style, his beautiful photos, his tales of French living and the fact that he introduced me to the best banana bread recipe ever. I’m guessing this book is one I should own.

A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg

Of all the cookbooks and memoirs that have been coming out in spades by food bloggers, this is the one I want to read most. Molly Wizenberg is the lovely lady behind Orangette, a blog she started waaaay back in 2004 before I even knew blogs existed, let alone thought about starting my own. You’ve seen her lemon buttermilk cookies on this blog before and if I get my hands on her book, you’re likely to see more of her wonderful creations.

I hope to add more and more to my cookbook collection in the coming year so that I can report back with some of my favourites.

And here’s where you come in.

Are any of these books on your own wish list? As much as I’d love all of these books for myself, I’d super love for you to have one too.*

There are three ways to enter:

1. Post a link to this giveaway on Facebook and tag Eating for England in your post (you will have to “like” Eating for England before you can tag me).

2. Link to the giveaway on Twitter and mention @Eating4England in your tweet.

3. If you have a blog, mention this giveaway and link back to this post.

A winner will be chosen at random from all entries next week.

Oh and if you’re thinking about buying any of these cookbooks for yourself, might you consider going through my site? If you buy anything on Amazon through these links, I’ll receive a small amount of money for each purchase, which would help amazingly with all the butter and sugar I go through to bring you new posts every week.

Thanks so much for reading!

* Please note that this is not a sponsored post. I’d just like to share the love with you wonderful readers. All costs will come out of my own pocket. Open to U.S. and U.K. residents only.

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