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Christmas Gift Ideas 2016: food books

November 18, 2016 5 Comments Filed Under: Food, Recipes, Uncategorized

The art of the cheese plate by Tia Keenan (Rizzoli)
In this game-changing book by New York cheese chef Tia Keenan, cheese is paired with potato crisps, goats’ cheese with matcha marshmallows, blue cheese with smoked chocolate chips, baked Camembert enrobed in Greek kataifi (a shredded pastry). It gives recipes for crazy chutneys, and explores the state of American artisanal cheese making. This is not the cliché ridden rusticity of usual cheese tomes. Inspiring and visually stunning.
Seven steps to happiness by Stella Newman (Headline)
Not a cookbook but a novel in the spirit of Nora Ephron’s Heartburn. North London author Stella Newman, has written her fourth tale about love and food. Whizz through this witty and intricately researched insider’s look at the food world. Intelligent chicklit with an appetite.
The Edible City by John Rensten (Boxtree)
Londoner John Rensten hosts foraging walks around the city. This small book, perfect for slipping into a bag, is a diary and illustrated guide of what to look for on walks and how to cook with those finds throughout the year. November calls for Hawthorn relish and pickled chanterelles, while cockspur berries went into a jelly on Boxing Day. Perfect present for a dad or a foodie.
Pride and Pudding by Regula Ysewijn (Murdoch)
Possibly this year’s most beautiful book. It was written, styled and photographed by Belgian blogger Regula, whose maternal tongue is Flemish, and designed and illustrated by her husband Bruno Vergauwen. Regula is in love with British food and culture and there are both savoury and sweet ‘pudding’ recipes. Mums, sisters and grandmas will love it.
Food worth fighting for by Josh Sutton (Prospect Books)
Josh, better known as Guyrope Gourmet, is an expert on camping food. In this slim volume, he explores the history of hunger in Britain, from food riots and cod wars to today’s food banks. For the serious foodie or activist.
The ethical carnivore by Louise Gray (Bloomsbury)
To my mind, the most important book of this year is by Louise Gray, former environment correspondent for the Telegraph. For a period of 2 years, she was determined to only eat meat or fish from an animal she had killed herself. This is a brave, intimate, visceral and heart-wrenching account of what it means to take a life. It opens up essential questions on the ethics and provenance of the food we eat. It’s also a lively read – not a turgid do-gooder exercise.
Squirrel Pie by Elisabeth Luard (Bloomsbury)
Beautifully written tales and illustrations from award-winning veteran food writer Elisabeth Luard. Each chapter recounts a foodie journey from forest (Maine), island (Crete), river (Danube) or desert (Gujurat). You can dip in and out or gobble down the whole thing in one go.
Persepolis by Sally Butcher (Pavillion)
The fifth book from one of my favourite food writers, the owner of Persian corner shop ‘Persepolis’ in Peckham, flame-haired Sally Butcher. The recipes are creative and easy, even humorous (chip stew!). The tone is irreverent but practical with nuggets of cultural information from the fertile crescent.
A to Z of eating by Felicity Cloake (Figtree)
Felicity, with her Guardian ‘How to make the perfect…’ column, is one of the most useful food writers around, a reference point for the rest of us. Here, she gets to be more creative and delve into her favourite ingredients. I also love the illustrations.
The land of fish and rice by Fuchsia Dunlop (Bloomsbury)
Fuchsia Dunlop went to China to train as a chef, learning fluent Chinese and how to expertly wield a cleaver along the way. This book explores a lesser known Chinese cuisine, more subtle and seasonal than Cantonese or Sichuanese. Jiangnan is the titular ‘land of fish and rice’, which includes the coastal province around Shanghai, rivers and lakes. I’ve tried some of the recipes in this book, and they all work.
The Cardamom Trail by Chetna Makan (Mitchell Beazley)
I don’t usually hold with reality show contestants but Chetna Makan, a graduate of The Great British Bake Off, has talent if this gorgeously photographed, richly styled cookbook is anything to go by. She creates a fusion of British traditional baking and Indian spices. I want to bake it all.
Where to eat Pizza by Daniel Young (Phaidon)
American food writer Young has been researching pizza for years to create this thick encyclopedic volume with a cover reminiscent of a pizza box. He calls in help and essays from pizza chefs, pizza journalists (yes, they exist) and pizza people from around the world.
Brindisa, the true food of Spain by Monika Linton (4th Estate)
Former teacher Monika Linton kick-started the tapas movement in the UK with Brindisa, a shop that provided authentic Spanish food, and, later, several restaurants. This book, five years in the making, has fascinating in-depth explanations of key Spanish ingredients and fantastic recipes.Miso Tasty by Bonnie Chung (Pavillion)

Miso is one of my favourite ingredients in both sweet and savoury dishes, acting as instant ‘umami’ deliciousness. Bonnie has written 60 recipes, from the simple sweet white miso grilled aubergine that some might recognise from Japanese restaurants to a miso cheese toastie. She takes you through all the different types of miso from rice to barley, from white to red. For the adventurous cook.
101 Chillies by David Floyd (Octopus)
As a chilli-head, I love this informative little book, which arranges chillies in order of Scoville ratings, from sweet and mild to super hot. Good stocking filler or dad present.
Oranges by John McPhee (Daunt Books)
A reissued paperback classic by American journalist John McPhee, this is an absorbing reportage on the orange business. This ranges from interviews with orchard owners to the history of the fruit, its journey to America and how concentrate overtook fresh. This may sound dull but McPhee obtains sparkling quotes from his interviewees, such as ‘the sex life of citrus is something fantastic’. Instead of a satsuma in the toe of the stocking, pop in this book.

 

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Comments

  1. Regula Ysewijn

    November 18, 2016 at 12:19 pm

    Thanks for including Pride and Pudding in your round-up! Funny you say Mums, sisters and grandmas will love it, since I notice the book is actually very popular with men! I mean, cooking over fire, sausage and haggis making, blood, intestines, bone marrow, and all that 😉 I like it, but then I've always been a bit boyish! Definitely one to look up from 2016 is Harry's 'Carneval', very nice book about meat and also giving plenty to read about animal husbandry and how to eat meat in a more responsible way.

    Reply
    • Kerstin Rodgers aka MsMarmiteLover

      November 19, 2016 at 5:09 am

      I suppose I meant it was so pretty that it would be a beautiful gift. But yes men would love all that stuff too! Fantastic book Regula xxx

      Reply
  2. Rachel Lucas

    November 20, 2016 at 7:21 pm

    Some great and different recommendations here Kerstin, thanks! x

    Reply
  3. Elinor aka Beachhutcook

    November 21, 2016 at 8:08 pm

    Elisabeth Luard's book is on my wish list this Christmas. I adore her books. I have to admit I have a weekness for an illustrated cookbook. Elinor x

    Reply
  4. nancy john

    July 16, 2017 at 2:30 pm

    These are FANTASTIC and are going to make great end of year gifts for my kids. Thank you for sharing

    birthday gift

    Reply

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MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

This is my food and travel blog, with recipes, reviews and travel stories. I also stray into politics, feminism, gardening.

msmarmitelover

Just had this window built by @odgjoinery and stai Just had this window built by @odgjoinery and stained glass window to match the front door by @wstoneglass beautiful work. Thank you so much. #edwardianhouse #victorianhome #stainedglass #joinery #restoration #london #kilburn
Stuffed peppers: filled with soaked fine bulgur wh Stuffed peppers: filled with soaked fine bulgur wheat, hazelnuts, sherry soaked sultanas, preserved lemon, smoky paprika, garlic, dill, coriander leaves , mint, and ground seeds, cumin,pumpkin seeds baked in the oven for 45 minutes. Serve with yoghurt. Delish! #latesummer #recipe #vegetarian #vegan #middleeasternish
My book Msmarmitelover’s secret tea party is now My book Msmarmitelover’s secret tea party is now available on @ckbk which is like Spotify for cookbooks - check it out or buy a signed copy from my website #afternoonteaparty
Next door there are 2 damson trees in the grounds Next door there are 2 damson trees in the grounds of the council flats. The ground smelled like jam. I picked a few kilos, 3 kilos after sorting through. I put them, crushed, stones included, in a clean glass container, with 1.5 kilos of sugar and 2 litres of gin ( I may add another), I’ll leave them for 3/4 weeks then filter. Damson gin for Christmas.
Fig, chocolate and chestnut tart- recipe in my boo Fig, chocolate and chestnut tart- recipe in my book Msmarmitelover’s secret tea party. This is rather adult, using bitter dark chocolate ganache, chestnut flour and figs from my garden. #figrecipes #chocolate #baking
Went for an evening of Turkish music and entertain Went for an evening of Turkish music and entertainment @kibele.london Fantastic margarita cocktails, great food, generous portions and wonderful entertainment. In the end we all got up and had a go at belly dancing, #turkishfood #london #londonnights
I’ve got Covid (day3) so not much food in the ho I’ve got Covid (day3) so not much food in the house. I found some floppy- going black- carrots in the salad drawer, so I peeled and resuscitated those. Chopped them into a saucepan with a couple of cubes of vegetable stock and a litre of hot water. Then I added a couple of tablespoons of smooth peanut butter, a clove of garlic, 1 tsp of ground cumin, half a preserved lemon. Just stuff I had around. Simmered till the carrots were soft then blended in the @vitamixuk I can honestly say the vitamix is my most regularly used bit of kitchen kit. Anyway- hey presto- a high protein soup with fibre. I hope I test negative before I totally run out of food. #solo #covid #highprotein #soup
I wrote this long read for @scotnational about the I wrote this long read for @scotnational about the anti G8 camp in Stirling to protest against the G8 in Gleneagles. I partipated in the camp & protest along with my daughter @siennamarla playing in the samba band, part of the Pink Bloc. The camp was an incredible experience- the possibility of a different type of politics, of horizontal democracy. It was also a lot of fun. But our protest was tragically overshadowed by the 7/7 bombings in London. We wanted to create a new world but by the actions of a few disaffected British Muslim terrorists our positive movement for change was drowned out by hideous violence against normal ordinary people. Here is my account. 20 years anniversary #7/7 #londonbombings #scotland #antig8 #protest #gleneagles
Cheap stuff. Since the pandemic money has been tig Cheap stuff. Since the pandemic money has been tight. I shop at Lidl and aldi for food, Vinted, Portobello and Primark for clothes. The first pic is gazpacho with a banderilla from Lidl. They often have Spanish weeks and other nationality foods at a bargain price. I love those huge cartons of gazpacho- I glug it down like juice, especially in the heat. The banderillas are sold by the jar. Second pic is me in a primark vest, cardi, with an Anthropologie sale belt and old denim shorts from 10 years ago. Sorry about the mess behind, I sold a piece of furniture, a desk I found on the street, painted enamel green with ‘bamboo’brass handles which I sold on eBay for £225 #needsmust #thrift
My tea book Msmarmitelover’s secret tea party is My tea book Msmarmitelover’s secret tea party is now out on the cookbook app @ckbk it’s now out of print but you can still buy some print copies via me or Amazon. However you can see all the recipes ( like my sour cherry icecream which I served last week) on this site which is like a Spotify for cooks. Arguably afternoon tea is a meal which the English do better than any other country. #cookbooks #afternoontea #supperclubs
Saturdays midsummer supperclub was mostly a bbq on Saturdays midsummer supperclub was mostly a bbq on the @biggreenegguk I divided the meal into fragrance families: vegetal, fougere (fern), green notes, fresh: asparagus, garden artichokes on the bbq, dolmades made from my garden vine leaves. Then citrus fragrances with yuzu, 🍊 🍋 bergamot glaze, salmon, smoked tofu steaks, vegan smoked salmon carrot. Next spice which in perfume is oriental spices: bbq mini aubergines with paprika seed oil, home ground garam masala, a tahini caper dressing. Then wood and resinous fragrances using rosemary oil brushed bbq mini peppers, pine syrup on labneh, mushrooms a la grecque with juniper, finally the floral family of fragrance with sour cherry and rose icecream, lavender shortbread  hearts and orange flower water meringue kisses. It was a lively warm evening- children were welcome. There was a bonfire, lots of wine and laughter. I buy welding gloves £12 from Amazon  to use with the bbq. I also use @pomoragoodfood oils #london
With my home grown artichokes, grown from seed for With my home grown artichokes, grown from seed for tonight’s supperclub.
Sour cherries from the garden for my midsummer sup Sour cherries from the garden for my midsummer supperclub in the garden this Saturday 21st June. Tickets available, link in bio. Also at this link: https://substack.com/redirect/5a700a44-49c1-4e6d-834f-8d4851f98f45?j=eyJ1IjoiMWUzYm4ifQ.njFJL9K8WpzSqVZ5HFSvq84gnJeUD7reFZV9LrDwYtI #midsummernightsdream #supperclub #og #sourcherry
Can’t wait to delve into this by one of my favou Can’t wait to delve into this by one of my favourite food writers @kitchenbee it’s got everything: kitchenalia, divorce and food. Did you know that what we call heartache is actually stomach ache? It’s now recognised that rejection actually causes physical as well as psychological pain. A study shows that pain relief medications such as paracetamol can alleviate heartache. Some of our emotional pain is autonomic: it’s referred to as polyvagal theory. #heartbreak #foodwriting #lovehurts #takotsubo #dopaminewithdrawal
Midsummer supper club 21st June. The theme is frag Midsummer supper club 21st June. The theme is fragrance and scent. Tickets are £45  and you can bring your own drink. Starts 7.30pm and the nearest tube is Kilburn on the jubilee. Parking is free outside. Exact address given on booking. https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsummer-supper-club-2025-scent-and-fragrance #london #supperclub
Oil portraits of me painted at Burning Van festiva Oil portraits of me painted at Burning Van festival by artists @cristina_vercesi (left) and YouTube sensation and Royal Portrait gallery exhibiter @alex_tzavaras. It was an utter privilege to sit for these wonderful artists- a real highlight. I’m taking them home and framing them. It was easy to sit still for 90 minutes with the amazing DJ set @leonidas_lovetoparty More deets later. #portraiture #festivals #oilpainting
Went with influencers to @standrewslakes in Kent w Went with influencers to @standrewslakes in Kent with @ourfinland @lakelandfinland @pcagency to experience Finnish food such as Karelian pies with egg butter, cinnamon buns, blueberry pies, and pea soup which they have with mustard and sour cream. We did zip lining, kayaking, saunas, whipped ourselves with birch sticks, ate in a gorgeous wooden bbq shed @arctic_cabins at the end of all this activity we were all tired but happy. @miramakeup @holidaywiththeheathers @amie_jane__ @onehungryasian @iamtimchung @travellingtuesdays @helimendetravels @charlotteemilyprice #presstrip
@camille.osullivan @camilleosullivanpics and @grah @camille.osullivan @camilleosullivanpics and @grahnort @wiltonsmusichall god this woman is talented. She did a solo show of The Rape of Lucrece. Her voice! #theatre #shakespeare #london
My latest article on Hungarian cuisine, a unique m My latest article on Hungarian cuisine, a unique meeting of east and west, for @ckbk It's a blend of Ottoman, Eastern and middle European, Austro-Hungarian empire and cowboy food. #food&travel #foodanthropology #hungary
Made Fermented Cucumber dill pickles from @nickvad Made Fermented Cucumber dill pickles from @nickvadasz book The Pickle Jar. At @katzsdeli in New York they sell half sours and full sours. I reckon these are 3/4 sour. The white mould is fine btw. These are delicious #pickleperson #fermentation #guthealthy
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