12 Cookbooks Good Enough to Give

‘Tis that gift giving season again, and nothing warms a cooking person’s heart like a new cookbook. Here is my completely subjective list, in no particular order, but arranged by delicately nuanced categories, of favorite books to give to deserving friends.

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Kitchen Independence on the 4th of July

Mark Bittman got it wrong. The 4th of July isn’t about eating meat, it’s about celebrating summer. And summer is about eating outdoors, with watermelon juice running down your chin, garden tomatoes tinting yellow and hinting at next week’s ripe red, casual dinners with friends, late night laughter in the piazza and incredibly star filled nights.

If there is ever a time to cook simply and eat simply, it’s now.

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Memorial Day: It’s a Wrap!

First things first, take a moment and give a prayer of thanks to everyone who serves or who has ever served our country. Memorial Day isn’t just about going to the grill, it’s a time to remember those who have protected the United States. We also grilled, made paella and enjoyed our friends & family!

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Aroma Cucina Giveaway: We have a winner!

Thank you everyone who participated in our giveaway. Great answers, and we agree this is an awesome basket of goodies from Gustiamo; but it is a contest and that means there has to be a winner. Only, we couldn’t decide between two commenters, so we decided to give a basket to each.

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Shooting Our Next Cook Vook

We’re on the move again; this time back to NYC to shoot the video for our next cook Vook. I hope we have half as much fun shooting this as we did last summer. At least this time, if a light bulb blows out it won’t be catastrophic. After three days of working perfectly, with a major converter box, the main lights blow. In four minutes we went through our entire stash of back up bulbs. It’s just like watching cash burn.

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Bye-Bye City Life

Our nomad urges can no longer be denied; it’s time to go plant tomatoes and other yummy things. So we’re heading back to Montone to open the windows and hear bird song instead of car horns. I’m looking forward to fava beans, artichokes and other spring surprises in the market. But I know I’m going to miss those blueberries and mangoes that have flooded the Chinatown markets.

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What’s in your olive oil?

Even the most casual wine drinker probably knows the difference between a chardonnay and a white zinfandel. If this is the case, why don’t the most passionate chefs or home cooks know more about their olive oil? Maybe the chefs know a brand name, but do they know what variety of olive is used?

The concept of terroir or terrain or terreno (French-English-Italian) is frequently discussed with grapes and wine; why not with olive oil? If sun, soil and climate affect a grape, it stands to reason it would affect the flavor of an olive and it’s oil.

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Apple iBooks is featuring Cooking Simply The Italian Way!

Apple likes “Cooking Simply The Italian Way” so much we’re featured as “New & Notable” in the iBook Store! My name is on the same page as Agatha Christie….mamma freakin‘ mia that is amazing! OK, I hear you, “Uh, what’s a CookVook?”
It’s a cookbook with videos. “Cooking Simply The Italian Way” is a talking cook book that is designed for home chefs who need a little confidence boost and who like good food.

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Cooking Simply: The Italian Way is live. It’s an App! It’s an iBook!

Our CookVook, “Cooking Simply: The Italian Way!” is in iTunes and iBook!

In iTunes, search “Cooking Simply” and you’ll see our CookVook in all its gorgeous, tasty glory.
Twenty six recipes, 11 videos, a zillion photos, a glossary, a list of kitchen essentials. You can even order a Pantry Essential basket at Gustiamo.com to get your pantry stocked for making these recipes.

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