If you know someone who likes to spend their time cooking up new recipes then buying a cookbook will be a great gift for them. Even in the digital age where we can find so many recipes online, people still love the look and feel of a book in the kitchen which they can follow. Every chef in the game has their own recipe book out, and top chefs like Adam Seger breakdown their books into themes to make it easier to cook low fat meals, recipes from around the world and fine dining books for entertaining guests. It is important however that if you are buying a cookbook, that you make the right choice so that they enjoy it to the max, and here are some tips on doing just that.
Ingredients List
One of the most important things to check for when you first have a look at the recipes in the book is the kind of ingredients which are asked for. There are unfortunately some recipe books out there which call for such a wild array of exotic ingredients that it does put people off cooking those recipes. The last thing anyone wants to do is get out to buy these ingredients which they will only be using for a single meal. Check to see that in the main, the ingredients are easy to get or likely to already be stocked in the cupboard.
Skill Level
It is worth considering what kind of level the person who you are buying for is at in the kitchen. If you are buying for someone who is just beginning in the kitchen then a book which has recipes requiring a high skill level may put them off doing them. Keep this in mind and pay attention to what kind of skills are needed to complete the recipes.
Food Choices
Another consideration which you’ll have to make is whether or not they actually like the food which is in the books. Most books cover a wide range of dishes but there are some which really hone in on certain styles and cuisines. There is nothing wrong with trying to introduce someone to some new flavors and cooking styles, but buying a BBQ book for someone who never does it is unlikely to really get them to use the book at all.
Older Books
Whilst it can be a cool idea to pick out newly released books, these are going to be a lot more expensive. This is fine if there is a certain book which you want, but don’t feel under pressure to buy a brand new book. Older books can still provide a great deal of value and will have some brilliant recipes. Food choices may slightly differ from decade to decade in professional kitchens, but at home most recipes can be cooked for many years, which is why older cookbooks can be a great option.
Take your time choosing in order to get the best cookbook.
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