7 Holiday Gift Ideas for the Home Cook in Your Life | Cookbooks

One of our favorite things about traveling (remember when we could do that lol) is immersing yourself into another culture and customs via food. While there are many ways of doing this and supporting the local economy, we value insights into how home cooks around the world prepare their food. Often, it can be the most honest reflection of that culture’s food.

For the curious cook, there is no better tool to realize that feeling within the comfort (and safety) of one’s own own than to dive into a good cookbook. Odds are that if you are reading through this gift guide looking for inspiration, you probably have someone in your life who loves to cook. If you are looking for some inspiration for the perfect present for the home cook in your life, we recommend the following.

Disclaimer: Coconutsandcaviar is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This program allows us to fund our passions around food, travel, and content appreciation. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Man’oushe: Inside the Lebanese Street Corner

Levantine breads are seriously underrepresented in the landscape of our Western food discussion. While there is a fixation and fascination with naturally leavened sourdough and pastries, this region offers some of our favorite breads including the namesake of Barbara Massaad’s book, man’oushe.

During our travels through Lebanon, we devoured some form of man’oushe everyday for two weeks. For two individuals who seldom eat the same thing twice in a 30-day span, this is the ultimate co-sign of a quality product.

When done right, Levantine breads are complex in flavor and texture. It’s truly an art, and and the perfect breakfast, snack, or meal accompaniment. While we are ultimately fortunate for the opportunity to learn more about Lebanese culture and history through food, reserving space on your book shelf to expand your reading selection is the next best option (also probably the best option given the state of the world).

While this may not be the starter guide to opening your own Lebanese corner bakery, it will certainly elevate your home cooking and provide some insight into one of the globe’s oldest cuisines and food traditions.

japan: the cookbook

One of the pleasures of exploring global home cooking comes from the exposure to different techniques, dishes, and ingredients not popularized by restaurants. For us, diving further into Japanese cooking via Nancy Singleton Hachisu’s “Japan: The Cookbook” illuminated an approach to food that resonated with how we like to eat. Vegetable-forward cooking using the freshest ingredients to create a balanced plate.

This book is highlights the rich history of Japan, and grants readers insight into its wide-ranging cuisine. The dishes we found ourselves cooking the most were ones that we have yet to see on American menus. It is a worth investment for any homecook.

Taste vietnam: the morning glory cookbook

What’s the story with morning glory?

Well if you ask the Vietnamese, they will probably give you something more substantial than an easy joke about a 90s throwback.

Although we spent a lot of time looking for resources about cooking around the world, Vietnamese cuisine proved to be one of the most elusive for us. That is until we stumbled upon Taste Vietnam: The Morning Glory Cookbook.

Turns out all it took was a summer trip to Vietnam in which we visited a cooking school to learn first hand. That experience not only left us with a wealth of knowledge, but also with a pretty awesome souvenir.

Pro tip - Account for international shipping time and order early!

Takashi’s Noodles

In terms of foods that are significantly better handmade than store bought, noodles rank very high on our list. There is nothing that can compare to the texture and chew of fresh noodles (although in the previous sentences we definitely tried to compare the two).

But with Takashi Yagihashi’s noodle cookbook by your side, homemade noodles are no longer for the faint of heart. Featuring a collection of 75 recipes from the James Beard Award winner, it contains both traditional and modern takes on both hot and cold noodle dishes.

Basically there’s a noodle for every situation. Time to explore.

Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories

At their best, cookbooks have a means of transporting you to another world. They can be simultaneously personal, creative, and informative, giving voice to an author and a culture. In her debut cookbook Bottom of the Pot, Naz Deravian not only invites readers to her kitchen table, but passes along the Persian history and tradition that is steeped into each dish.

For those interested in learning more about Persian cuisine and culture, there is no better resource to fulfill that curiosity. We valued the perspective and hospitality put into crafting each story and recipe, and were not the only ones. In 2019, Deravian earned the IACP Cookbook Award from the Julia Child Foundation for the book as well.

cooking by hand

It’s an oldie, but a goodie. Paul Bertolli’s 2003 release is still one of the benchmarks for classic Italian cuisine. In “Cooking by Hand,” the acclaimed chef takes the reader through Italy’s deep food history.

Throughout there is an emphasis on technique and stressing the importance of relying on ones senses in the kitchen. As we have improved as home chefs, these two principles have served as pillars of our approach. Understanding techniques is pivotal in order to execute a wide variety of dishes. Additionally, there is no better judgement than your own senses.

Observe, react, respond, and then enjoy the final product. Except this time there’s a fancy fance chef walking you through everything.

the vibrant caribbean pot

Food blogger turned YouTuber Chris De La Rosa has been publishing his Caribbean home cooking online since 2009. Inspired to share his knowledge of Caribbean cooking for his family and community, De La Rosa began documenting his recipes.

Since then, his scope as expanded to include Caribbean riffs on modern dishes as well as showcase the range of flavors that exist in the spectrum of Caribbean cuisine. In the Vibrant Caribbean Pot, that focus is passed onto the reader via his culinary traditions to create healthy meals rich in flavor using the most local ingredients.

We’re always on the lookout for new cookbooks. Let us know some of your favorites below! And if you enjoyed our roundup, please comment your favorites!