Looking for gift ideas for the gourmand readers in your life (other than, naturally, all the latest Zagat guides)? Fret not, here are some recent books about cooking, dining and food that will fill the bill.
For the Foodie on the Cutting Edge
A Day at el Bulli, Ferran Adrià (Phaidon Press, $49.95): In hundreds of pages and photos, a day in the life of one of the most influential restaurants in the world is vividly captured. Though recipes are few and far between, the sheer scope of the book reflects el Bulli's reputation as a mecca for culinary innovation, and helps explain why it's virtually impossible to get a reservation there.
Alinea, Grant Achatz (Ten Speed Press, $50): Re-create otherworldly dishes from Achatz's Chicago hot spot with this gorgeously photographed cookbook that offers recipes that come directly from the restaurant's kitchen. It's the ideal gift for the aspiring molecular gastronomist in your life.
Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide, Thomas Keller (Artisan, $75): The art of sous vide – cooking food in airtight bags – is explained to the home cook with beautiful photographs and careful instructions from the chef behind The French Laundry.
For the Foodie in Search of Something Different
Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin, Kenny Shopsin and Carolynn Carreno (Knopf,
$24.95): Kenny Shopsin runs one of NYC's most unique restaurants, and his famous 900-item menu is reproduced here in a 12-page spread. In this surprisingly touching book, the chef
dishes not only on his business and world philosophy
but also reveals recipes for some of his most famous dishes,
including Blisters on My Sisters, his take on huevos rancheros.
The Hungry Scientist Handbook: Electric Birthday Cakes, Edible Origami, and Other DIY Projects for Techies, Tinkerers, and Foodies, Patrick Buckley and Laura Bins (Collins, $16.99): For creative chefs who are bored with the same old dishes, this romp of a cookbook should spark inspiration with recipes for dishes like edible origami, glowing lollipops, cryogenic martinis and more.
For the Know-It-All Foodie
Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba: The Biography of a Cause, Tom Gjelten (Viking
Adult, $27.95): In this intriguing new tome, NPR correspondent Gjelten
explores the rich history of Cuba through the lens of the politically
active rum maker.
The Bagel: A Cultural History, Maria Balinska (Yale, $25): The journey of the bagel from Jewish bakeries in Poland to the American breakfast table is one full of surprising anecdotes, not to mention cameos from the likes of Shirley Temple and 17th-century king of Poland Jan Sobieski.
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food, Jennifer 8. Lee (Twelve, $24.99): The New York Times'
Lee takes a journey through the cultural and culinary history of one of
the most enduring cuisines in America with side ruminations on topics
like the enduring relationship between Jews and Chinese food.
A Geography of Oysters: The Connoisseur's Guide to Oyster Eating in North America, Rowan Jacobsen (Bloomsbury, $16): This exhaustive history of the mollusk covers everything from cultivating pearls to the art of shucking with plenty of historical detours.
For the Francophile Foodie
The Complete Robuchon, Joël Robuchon (Knopf, $35): The world-famous chef brings his entire philosophy to the table in this dense but not daunting guide to cooking French food well.
French Milk, Lucy Knisley (Touchstone, $15): To celebrate her and her mother's birthdays, the author traveled to Paris for a month to eat and explore. The resulting graphic novel brings to life the joys of a Parisian adventure – and the sweetness of the eponymous drink.
For the Bad-Tipper Foodie
Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter, Phoebe Damrosch (Harper, $13.95): From learning how to politely interrupt diners at Per Se to dealing with "anonymous" restaurant critics, this book casually invites you into the intimidating world of four-star service.
Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip–Confessions of a Cynical Waiter, Steve Dublanica (Ecc, $24.95): After three years of blogging anonymously, Dublanica has come out into the open to tell diners what your servers really think of you.
For the Media-Junkie Foodie
Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously, Julie Powell (Back Bay Books, $13.99): In one year Powell cooked every one of the 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and the resulting blog and book have proved so charming and popular that a movie with Meryl Streep as Julia and Amy Adams as Julie is coming to theaters next year.
Top Chef: The Cookbook, The Creators of Top Chef (Chronicle, $29.95): For the loved one who just can't get enough of Tom, Padma and the gang comes a cookbook with 100 recipes from the first three seasons of the popular cooking competition.
For the Nostalgic Foodie
Amarcord: Marcella Remembers, Marcella Hazan (Gotham, $27.50): Known as the "Italian Julia Child" thanks to her wildly influential cookbooks, Hazan has written a memoir that reflects upon her childhood in Cesenatico, her marriage and, of course, her rise in the gastronomic world.
Dining at Delmonico's: The Story of America's Oldest Restaurant, Judith Choate (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $45): Choate provides the history of NYC's 1837 landmark restaurant, from major culinary innovations like eggs Benedict to its revolutionary dining practices like using tablecloths.
Eat, Memory: Great Writers at the Table: A Collection of Essays from the New York Times: Edited by Amanda Hesser (W. W. Norton, $24.95): Conventional but well-written descriptions of meals mix with idiosyncratic tales in this collection of 26 stories that will both entertain and enlighten.