Seasonal Gift Ideas for the Novice Cook
Looking for some gift ideas for the cook on your list? Or what about that loved one who should learn to cook? Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, or your own unique winter holiday, cookbooks and cooking utensils are a great gift idea. I've got ideas for the novice cook as well as the more advanced cooks who want to explore a bit.
Desperation Dinners my hands-down favorite for quick dinners (20 minutes!) that are easy and taste great! I've recommended this to several people and have gotten good feedback from everyone. The recipes are good and easy and the preparation ideas will prove quite useful.
The Fannie Farmer Cookbook My all time favorite "everything you need to know" cookbook. Off the top of my head, I know I regularly make the spinach salad, corn bread, biscuits, quiche, and roast chicken recipes. The book is full of good ideas on using up leftovers as well. Again, this is a book I've given as gifts and my friends and family have all enjoyed it as well.
How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food This may be inching out my Fannie Farmer in terms of favorites. I'd hate to have to choose between them. What I like about this one is that Mark Bittman gives you a basic recipe and then variations. For example, "Sauteed Pork Chops", with detailed directions on a perfectly wonderful dish. But to top it off, he then has eight different ways to add on to the basic recipe, including sherry-garlic sauce, apples, dried fruit, vinegar, mustard (my personal favorite!), onions and peppers, or butter, chervil and shallots. If you want just the basics try How to Cook Everything: The Basics, a smaller more concise version.
Appliances and Accessories
While the Revere Copper Clad Stainless Steel Cookware Set comes with a 25 year warranty, I have to tell you that my mother still uses her set which she got as a wedding gift 53 years ago! I also got a set as a gift when I was first starting out on my own and just realized I'm nearly at the end of the warranty--but I've had no problems with it and just love it so it's hardly a concern. In fact, last weekend's chore for my youngest was polishing a few of the copper bottoms and they look gorgeous. Get the new cook started out right. To me, it's like playing music on a cheap instrument. With low-quality stuff, you have to work a lot harder for less impressive results. Many new cooks can get frustrated with cheap cookware and just give up.
Good kives are essential as well. When I was first starting out, someone talked me into Henkels knives and I've never been sorry. The 7 piece block set still suits all my needs and is in great shape, although it's nearing 25 years old as well.
More Ideas
Here are more beginning cookbooks ideas.
