HOW did this happen? (How does it happen every year?)
I just had my flip-flops on, making a late-summer trip to the farmer's market, and now here I am: pretending the sound of cash registers ringing is sleigh bells.
That's right - Christmas shopping season is here once again, and while you might think you still have plenty of time, you don't. Draw up that list now, or you'll find yourself buying gift cards at the gas station convenience store late on Christmas Eve.
Now, now, don't panic. I'm here to help.
Without further ado, my annual list of ideal books for the foodies on your list. I'm happy to report that I scoped most of them out during a recent shopping night at Chapters Indigo. Just think: all your gift-buying done in one whirl around the bookstore.
You can thank me later.
. . .
? Had A Glass 2013: Top 100 Wines Under $20, by James Nevison. Published by Appetite by Random House, $19.95.
I kept my first edition of Had a Glass long past when any of the listed wines were easy to find (in fact, I think I still have it now). That's because the book is far more than a simple list of great wines for less than $20.
Like the first edition, Had a Glass 2013 has a whole lot packed into a stocking-sized guidebook: tips on tasting wine; advice on how to navigate the wine aisles, along with tips on how to seek out value in the liquor store; info on serving temperatures and a quick-reference serving temperature chart; a handy rundown of food and wine pairings covering all the major food groups; and of course, author Nevison's top 100 wines under $20 available now.
. . .
? Canada's Favourite Recipes, by Rose Murray and Elizabeth Baird. Published by Whitecap Books, $40.
Give Canada for Christmas. Well-known Canadian food writers Rose Murray and Elizabeth Baird teamed up to create a quintessential Canadian cookbook. Together with chefs from across the country, the authors offer up more than 125 recipes for classic Canadian dishes like Quebec Tourtière and Double-Crust Blueberry Pie. Recipes are rounded out by personal anecdotes and recollections from the contributors, the origins of the ingredients or the importance of the dish in family traditions, culinary heritage or home regions. Oh Canada!
. . .
? The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, by Deb Perelman. Published by Appetite by Random House, $35.
If you love the blog Smitten Kitchen for its inspiring, accessible recipes, dazzling photography and quick wit, you'll love the print edition even more. Author Deb Perelman brings more than 100 new recipes to paper, a few of her online favourites and plenty of those gorgeous photos.
. . .
? Come In, We're Closed: An Invitation to Staff Meals at the World's Best Restaurants, by Christine Carroll and Jody Eddy. Published by Running Press, $35.
After the last meals have been plated, served and cleared, and sated customers are on their way home, a restaurant's staff meal hits the table.
Created on the fly, it's often more inventive than anything on the menu. Get a look at the staff meals - and the recipes for them - served in some of the world's best restaurants in Come In, We're Closed.
This after-hours look at the way professional cooks feed each other includes recipes for skirt steak stuffed with charred scallions; duck and shrimp paella; beef heart and watermelon salad; steamed chicken with lily buds; Turkish red pepper and bulgur soup; homemade tarragon and cherry soda; and buttermilk doughnut holes with apple-honey caramel glaze.
. . . ? Edible Selby, by Todd Selby. Published by Harry N. Abrams, $40.
I put this one on my own wish list for Santa. Photographer Todd Selby has drawn legions of fans to his website The Selby, an insider's view of creative individuals in their personal spaces. Now he turns his lens to food and the people who make it, profiling more than 40 culinary influencers around the world. Each cook shares a signature recipe, accompanied by handwritten questionnaires and watercolor illustrations.
. . .
? Fifty Shades Of Chicken: A Parody In A Cookbook, by F.l. Fowler. Published by Crown Publishing Group, $22.99.
This is likely the best parody of the Fifty Shades trilogy, and it has the added bonus of being a cookbook. It recounts "the adventures of Miss Chicken, a young free-range, from raw innocence to golden brown ecstasy, in this spoof-in-a-cookbook." With recipes like Dripping Thighs, Sticky Chicken Fingers, Vanilla Chicken, Bacon-Bound Wings, Spatchcock Chicken, Learning-to-Truss-You Chicken, Holy Hell Wings and Mustard-Spanked Chicken, this Fifty Shades will be a hit with both fans and critics of the original.
The book includes recipes in three categories: "The Novice Bird" (easy recipes for roasters), "Falling to Pieces" (parts perfect for weeknight meals), and "Advanced Techniques" (the climax of cooking), "repertoire-boosting chicken dishes that will leave you hungry for more."
Deana Lancaster has been writing about food and wine for 12 years, and worked in restaurants for more than a decade before that. She is passionate about good food. Follow her on twitter @deanal, or send her an email at deanal@ telus.net.
