In this post, I’m sharing with you a list of cookbooks for your Christmas gifts. Here you’ll find my choice of the best cookbooks from around the world! My Amazon list of the best cookbooks to give this year.
All the cookbooks on this list* come from my kitchen: cookbooks from around the world for unique Christmas gifts. I’ve tried, cooked from, and enjoyed reading each one of them.
*This Amazon list has associate links (I get a little something if you order one). But you can be sure there were plenty of choices (I collect cookbooks) and research before compiling this guide.
My house is full of cookbooks: not only I collect them since I was 14, and I purchase one in any place I travel, but I get cookbook gifts from my friends and family for my birthday, Christmas, or any other occasion. They know it’s a foolproof gift.
I added the dish you should ask the receiver to cook for you, a lovely note to add to your greeting card.
She’s my heroine, the queen of vintage, in an unconventional, delicious way.
The book is magical, not only because of the recipes but also because browsing it is an experience. I could go from the beginning to the end multiple times a day, so fabulous the atmosphere it drives you in!
The unconventional spirit of English people in a book.
Laduree: Entertaining: Recipes, Ideas & Inspiration (Cuisine Et Vin)
Ask for the Pea and Green Tea Gazpacho!
Do I need to sell you this book? I mean, it’s a collection of French style and elegance.
I love that each chapter is dedicated to a special occasion: Family Lunches, Winter Dinners, Elegant Picnics. Also, for each gathering, it gives you tips and learnings: how to serve tea, new uses for common objects, how to choose flower bouquets for the table…
the French lady cookbooks for Christmas gifts
If Angel is my heroine, Mimi is my muse.
Her blog, books, and lifestyle pics have the power to make you want to improve your life. They make you want to use your best dishes when setting the table, wear a cute apron while cooking, and red ballerinas when serving dinner. Plus, everything is rustic, no big effort for plating, just good old chinaware and candles. I included both her cookbooks in the list.
A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse
Ask for the Garden Cake!
French Country Cooking: Meals and Moments from a Village in the Vineyards
Ask for the Pumpkin Quiche with Bacon!
Japanese cookbooks in English
Attention people, these are not books for sushi lovers. These are a step further into Japanese food culture.
Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking
Ask for the Salmon and Hijiki Rice!
Donabe is the new goop-y kitchen trend. It’s a Japanese clay pot that introduces a new way to cook rice, meats, and fancy casseroles. Ok, not so new if you have already used a tagine.
You don’t necessarily need the Donabe pot. I don’t have it and have made a few recipes without a problem.
Ask for the Zaru Soba!
This book is just like Tokyo: a huge assortment of tradition and modernity, so fun you could spend a lifetime there, without ever getting bored!
the new English cuisine (luckily)
I remember the first time I visited London, I was about 16, and it was a family vacation.
My family of origin is a foodie family; everyone loves to cook, eat, and gather around a table. But those days in London were a nightmare. Eating decently in the UK was a mirage.
But things have changed significantly. Now we have Nigella and Jamie, and all the expertise of years and years of intense cultural fusion.
The Cook Book: Fortnum & Mason
Ask for the Pea Panna Cotta with Cheese Straws and Quail Eggs!
Fortnum & Mason is a magical place to have a High Tea in Piccadilly, a little gourmet shopping, and an infusion of elegance. And they made a cookbook!
Jamie Oliver’s Christmas Cookbook: For the Best Christmas Ever
Ask for the Carbonara Cake!
Who’s not in love with his energy, his cute face, and his efforts to make the foodie world a better place?
If you’re looking for a Christmas cookbook with fun recipes and lovely ideas, look no further.
authentic Italian Cookbooks for Christmas gifts
No cookbook list is complete without an Italian cookbook in it.
Sicilia in Cucina: The Flavours of Sicily
Ask for the Pasta with Breadcrumbs!
Between my 5+ Sicilian cookbooks, this is my favorite. I love the recipes, the pictures, and the storytelling. I bought it on one of my trips to Syracuse, a magical place where everything is beautiful, and every dish is an adventure.
Simposio | The Alba & Langhe Issue
Ask for the Brasato al Barolo!
Simposio is my Italian recipes, travel and culture book series.
This is the Alba and Langhe (Piedmont) Simposio, and there are many others.
Give a tiny piece of Italy or an annual subscription to the Italian cook in your life!
classic and modern Mediterranean cookbooks
Cooking with Loula: Greek Recipes from My Family to Yours
Ask for the Moussaka!
Imagine visiting a Greek friend at her family’s house and spending there a couple of weeks… learning everything about the Greek food culture.
Ask for the Salmon Burger!
This book was released by Blend, a famous Paris hamburger spot.
We are talking about Paris, so expect the best of the best. Gourmet Burgers.
This burger cookbook introduces you to the art of preparing perfect hamburgers. It is a collection of exquisite and juicy delights.
You’ll keep it (ops, sorry, your friend will keep it, if you’ll give it away, once you have it in your hands) in the kitchen for the rest of your life.
Enjoy giving, cooking (together, perhaps?), and tasting delicious food!
Claudia