USING GIFT CARDS: Cookbooks...cuisines to try

Now that The Big Day's come and gone, lots of us have some giftcards, or some actual filthy lucre, to spend. There being no better way to spend that haul than on books, here are some reasonably priced options you might not've thought of to get your dining needs met.
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GERMAN HOME KITCHEN: Traditional Recipes That Capture the Flavors of Germany
SOPHIE SADLER
Rock Point (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$28.00 all editions, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: German Home Kitchen offers authentic yet easy-to-make recipes that bring the rich culinary traditions of Germany to your table. Relish the luscious aromas, hearty flavors, and festive traditions of German cooking with this authentic yet approachable cookbook.

In German Home Kitchen, Sophie Sadler shares over 65 savory and sweet recipes inspired by the foods of her childhood in Germany, featuring all courses, including Frühstück (breakfast), Für Zwischendurch (snacks), Main Dishes, Beilagen (sides), Sweet Meals, Kaffee und Kuchen (afternoon coffee and cake), and Abendbrot (traditional cold dinner), along with street food, recipes for the joyful Christmas season, and specialties from her Oma’s kitchen. The recipes are designed with simplicity and accessibility in mind and include easy-to-recreate German classics such as:

Franzbrötchen (Croissant-Style Cinnamon Rolls)

Leberwurst (Liver Paté)

Gebackener Camembert (Baked Camembert)

Jägerschnitzel (Pork Schnitzel with Creamy Mushroom Sauce)

Bratkartoffeln (Pan-Fried Potatoes)

Roggenmischbrot (Rye and Wheat Bread)

Currywurst (Bratwurst with Curry Ketchup)

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cherry Cake)

Käsefondue (Cheese Fondue)

German Home Kitchen has dishes for every occasion, whether you’re looking to impress your guests with a celebratory holiday feast, enjoy a cozy dinner with family, or simply satisfy your craving for authentic German flavors. With this charming cookbook, learn how easy it is to incorporate German delicacies into your cooking repertoire beyond pretzels and bratwursts.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Exploring the wonders of German cookery is a long-term project of mine. A lot of the kosher foods I eat daily have their roots in German cooking, so I'm curious to explore deeper if and when I get access to some sort of cooking space.

The recipes in this volume are very interesting to me, and the design makes the book quite appealing as an object:

Hearty ways to start your day indeed. Remembering how very far nortth Germany is, it's very sensible to fill up on good-tasting stodge early in the day.

I'm most interested to try some of the griddled bready things Germany's gifted to the world:

Of course there's always lunch and dinner to refresh you anew:

I'll assume I've either piqued your interest or killed it entirely by now. I'll say I enjoyed looking at the book on my tablet, so can vouch for its utility on such a device. I myownself would always like a tree-book of something this lovely. I was most taken by the section that represennted a look into one's grandmother's recipe box:

A very usable, useful cookbook, and great for exploring new cuisines in the New Year.

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THE 30-DAY MEDITERRANEN MEAL PLAN AND COOKBOOK: A Beginner’s Guide to the World’s Best Diet for Long-Term Health and Longevity
ALEXANDIA ZOZOS
Fair Winds Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$24.99 all editions, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Featuring four weekly meal plans and over 75 delicious recipes, The 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan & Cookbook is the ultimate onboarding guide to the healthy-boosting, longevity-promoting Mediterranean diet. Unlock the secrets of the Mediterranean diet and discover a lifetime of health benefits with this beginner’s guide and cookbook, written by a registered dietitian nutritionist.

The Mediterranean diet has long been regarded as one of the healthiest eating patterns on the planet. Crowned the best diet in the world by U.S. News & World Report seven years in a row—and now being recommended by healthcare professionals as an ideal complement to GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Ozempic—no other diet beats it when it comes to supporting heart health, brain health, weight management, and the prevention of diabetes and other chronic diseases. Emphasizing a balanced approach to nutrition, the importance of whole, unprocessed foods, moderation, social connections, and the enjoyment of fresh, plant-based meals, the Mediterranean diet is not only good for you but for your community and the planet. But knowing it’s the best diet around and knowing how to start following it are two different things. That’s where this book comes in.

Written by Alexandria Zozos, a registered dietitian nutritionist who comes from a Greek family and specializes in the Mediterranean diet, The 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan & Cookbook unveils the compelling research behind the reign of this sustainable, plant-forward diet and provides a simple, flexible blueprint so you can start following it—and reaping the incredible health and longevity benefits!—immediately.

In the first part, Alexandria offers a 4-week plan to gradually introduce you to the diet. Each week features a complete 7-day meal plan and shopping guide for you to follow while introducing a different aspect of the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle, including the fundamentals of the diet, nutritional guidance, lifestyle and holistic health practices, and sustainability. The flexible meal plans include suggestions for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and desserts, so you can be assured you’ll find satisfaction (super important on the Mediterranean Diet!) while you explore the life-changing benefits of this way of eating. In the second part, Alexandria includes over 75 simple recipes, from comforting family classics to nutritionally-optimized entrees, including:

Mediterranean Granola with Hemp Seeds

Herbed Olive Oil Focaccia

Yiayia’s famous stuffed peppers

Avgolemono Soup

Vegetable Pasta e Fagioli

Crunchy Chickpea and Kale Salad with Tahini Garlic Dressing

Ratatouille Provençal

Sicilian-Inspired Eggplant Parmesan

Chicken Souvlaki & Veggie Skewers

Tuscan “Butter” Shrimp

Sesame Tahini Cookies

Citrus Olive Oil Cake

And more!

Brimming with practical advice, gorgeous photography, and enough clean, whole-food recipes to make anyone happy, The 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan & Cookbook includes everything you need to set yourself up for a lifetime of success with the world’s healthiest diet.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Practical advice abounds in this easy-to-use introduction to the widely touted "Mediterranean" diet. Apparently the touting elides a lot of national cuisines' variations in service of the region's broad use of extremely healthy and very delicious ingredients, like olive oil...you'll see it a lot in this comprehensive guide to getting yourself onto a good thing.

It's all like this...graphically easy to parse, full of good information and methods to enact the ideas in your kitchen.

I was looking at it on my tablet, so can vouch for the design's legibility on that device. I think the photos would probably look better in tree-book form, but they ain't half bad:

Main courses aren't the only things one can Mediterraneanize of course, though we tend to hear less about those desserty things that make dining so much fun:

This eminently practical and very helpful guide to starting your journey into Mediterranean cooking and eating is very, ver easy to use as well. The inclusion of shopping lists, the ease of following the simply-explained recipes, all make this a terrific choice to launch yourself into a new cuisine with the minimum of fuss, and the most reasonable and unwasteful cost.