Here are three gift-worthy books: one for an aspiring (or seasoned) cook in your life, one for a fiction lover who travels in pages and another just for you—just for the thrill of it. These are what I shared this month on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
by Samin Nosrat
This is not a new book, but it is a great book. It’s also a James Beard Award winner, the winner of multiple IACP cookbook awards and a Netflix series. Nosrat distills her decades of cooking experience into four simple elements to show readers not only what to cook but how to cook. This chef has taught thousands how to cook—from middle school students to professional chefs to fellow food writer Michael Pollan (he wrote the foreword)—using her simple, but effective, philosophy. Master the use of just four elements—Salt, which enhances flavor; Fat, which delivers flavor and generates texture; Acid, which balances flavor; and Heat, which ultimately determines the texture of food—and anything you cook will be delicious. Like the beloved Joy of Cooking, this one book bridges the gap between a professional kitchen and your own kitchen at home. It’s a great gift book for cooks of all levels of experience, and it features more than 100 recipes from Samin and more than 150 illustrations from acclaimed artist Wendy MacNaughton. I suggest gifting this along with an immersion blender (my personal favorite kitchen tool).
By Abraham Verghese
I’ve loved and followed Abraham Verghese for years—ever since he published his debut book, My Own Country. This latest novel from him is one of the best books I’ve read all year. It’s a stunningly beautiful epic work about love, faith and medicine. It’s set in Kerala on South India’s Malabar Coast and follows three generations of one family who share a strange affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning. And in this part of the world, water is everywhere. The book spans the years 1900 to 1977—an impactful time of incredible change in India. What’s more, the family is part of a Christian community that traces itself to the time of the apostles. We see the story play out at home and in the surrounding country through the eyes of the matriarch of this family—Big Ammachi—literally “Big Mother.” She’s a little woman who lives an extraordinary life in her small village in the shadow of world-altering events. And she’s the kind of character you’ll remember long after the book is done.
BONUS: check out this Instagram post from Verghese regarding this book!
By Dandy Smith
Here’s a gift just for you: Read it (or listen to it) to relax during this busy holiday season. It’s a clever psychological thriller (I didn’t quite figure out the twist). Set in Bath in England, it’s the story of a woman named Caitlin whose world is upended when her sister, Olivia, returns 16 years after she was abducted from their childhood bedroom. But the woman who claims to be Olivia seems a bit off somehow. Or maybe Caitlin doesn’t remember it all exactly right? Both sisters are keeping secrets, and it’s hard to figure out which one to believe. One thing for sure: There’s a terrible price to be paid for believing the wrong daughter. FYI, I got the audio version of this book for free with my Amazon Prime membership.
I link to Amazon to show you exactly what book I’m talking about, but I love to shop locally at Church Street Coffee and Books, The Alabama Booksmith, Little Professor, and Thank You Books in Crestwood. And I visit my local library often in person and online!
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