3 ways to make gifting cookbooks more personal

I used to hate cookbooks. I remember thinking, “why would I use a cookbook when I could just google a recipe, read reviews, and find the best one?!”. In today’s “digital world”, slowing down and reading a cookbook seems like a lot of effort, but once you dig into cookbooks, you’ll see how much beautiful storytelling is there to enjoy. You’ll also realize how much you can learn from the chefs describing their techniques, backgrounds, and modifications. Now I love gifting cookbooks to loved ones because it’s a special way of sharing something that’s really important to me. Here are a few ways I’ve made gifting cookbooks more personal over the years:

Choose a cookbook you love and add sticky notes to your favourite recipes.

Rather than giving someone a cookbook and generally saying, “I love it!”, add sticky notes to the pages of your favourite recipes and explain what you love about it. Examples:

• This is my favourite weekday meal. Super tasty and fast to cook.

• I make these pancakes anytime I feel like something a bit fancier for brunch.

• This salad dressing is amazing! I make it every Sunday so that I have it in the fridge for the week!

This will help your friend or family member navigate the cookbook easily, plus it allows you to share your favourite recipes.

Package up ingredients featured in the cookbook and stock their pantry!

Some cookbooks call for ingredients that you know your friend likely doesn’t have on hand -  especially if it’s a regional cuisine cookbook that may call for whole spices or pantry items like ghee, tahini, or a specific type of lentil. Depending on your budget, you could bundle some of these ingredients with the cookbook when you gift it so they’re ready to start cooking right away.

Choose a cookbook you’ve been eyeing as well, and schedule a virtual cooking hang with your friend!

Is there a cookbook you’ve been wanting to buy for yourself? Gifting the same cookbook to your friend can allow you to schedule time to explore the recipes together. Maybe you do a monthly cookbook club where you Zoom while trying out the same recipe. Or if you’re in the same city but still social distancing, you could each choose different recipes to cook and swap half the portions with each other. Exploring a new cookbook together can be a great way to connect!

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I hope you find this guide helpful! Leave a comment if you’d like to see more content like this!

Glazed Chicken Meatballs

These chicken meatballs are moist, flavourful and just.. so good! I’ve been making them weekly, often serving them with roasted veggies or a side salad. You can play around with the spice combo, but overall the ratios below are perfect. The key to these meatballs is mixing together the egg, panko and spices before adding in the meat. This allows for the spices to be evenly distributed and avoids overmixing the ground chicken. They are glazed versus super sauce-y, so they would also make a great appetizer at a gathering.

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Glazed Chicken Meatballs

Serves 4, 30 mins

 Ingredients:

1 package of ground chicken

½ cup panko crumbs

1 egg

½ tsp of each: garlic powder, paprika OR curry powder, red pepper flakes (OR ¼ tsp if you don’t like spicy things), kosher salt

Pepper

¼ cup of jelly/jam (grape, fig or quince are best!)

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp water

Method: 

1. Mix together the egg, panko and spices until well mixed. Add ground chicken and mix until the breadcrumb mixture is well distributed. Roll into meatballs the size of your choice – I like 1.5 tbsp ish!

2. Heat non-stick pan to medium heat, add 2 tsp of olive oil. Brown the meatballs, turning often to maintain their round shape. Continue to cook until cooked through (165F meat thermometer) - typically 12-15 minutes for the size above. While the meatballs are cooking, make the glaze!

3. Mix together the glaze (you can use boiled water if you need help breaking down the jelly).

4. Once the meatballs are cooked through, pour the glaze into the pan and continue to cook until it thickens and coats all the meatballs. If you want it more sauce-y you can add water a tbsp at a time to the pan!

Honey Pepper Butter

It may look like mashed potatoes, but it is in fact a delicious, sweet butter! This condiment is super simple but really adds a special touch to any dinner. Perfect on freshly baked rolls or fresh bread from the bakery. The honey adds sweetness, the pepper adds heat, and the salt balances it out to make an additive spread for your next dinner party.

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Honey Pepper Butter

10 mins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp*
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 tbsp honey

Method:

Mix together until well combined! Serve room temperature.

If you have salted butter, just skip the salt!

Red Lentil Tomato Soup

The ultimate comfort food for me is tomato soup. When I’m upset or stressed, there is nothing better than a nostalgic tomato soup. There is a restaurant near my apartment that used to have an amazing tomato soup on their menu, and they always topped it with fresh ricotta. I took a page out of their book with mine this week, but a delicious grilled cheese would also go perfectly on the side. Added in red lentils to keep it hearty and a bit more filling than the classic!

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Red Lentil Tomato Soup

Serves 4, 30-45 mins cook time

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

2 carrots, diced

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 x 28 oz can of whole, peeled tomatoes (ideally San Marzano)

1.5 cups water

Parmesan rind (optional)

1/2 cup red lentils

1 cup milk

1 tsp dried basil (or handful of fresh!)

Salt n pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and carrots and sautee until onions are softened (5-7 mins).

2. Add smoked paprika and let it cook out for 1-2 mins.

3. Add canned tomato, water and stir. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender. If you have a Parmesan rind in your freezer, add it now!

4. Once carrots have softened, add red lentils, stir and cover for another 15 mins or until lentils are soft.

5. Remove parm rind and transfer to a blender (or use a hand blender!). Add milk and basil and blend until smooth.

6. Taste and adjust seasoning.

7. Serve with fresh ricotta, olive oil or other topping of choice (perhaps, grilled cheese?!)

Zucchini & Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

I love quesadillas but always find my homemade attempts have led to inconsistent filling and structural issues (read: the filling falls out when I flip them). Inspired by Smitten Kitchen’s method, this veggie filling has the cheese folded in, which allows it all to stick together and create more even quesadillas. The cooked down zucchini makes these taste almost cheesier than they are because it takes on a jammy texture. Super filling with all that veg, but you would hardly know it’s there!

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Zucchini & Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

Makes 4 quesadillas, This recipe is inspired by Smitten Kitchen’s Zucchini Quesadillas

Ingredients/Method:

Chicken marinade:

• 2 chicken breasts

• 1/2 tsp ancho chilli powder (or any chilli powder)

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1.5 tbsp olive oil

Let the chicken marinate for 30 mins at room temp (or in the fridge for 30 mins - 4 hours). Grill on bbq until internal temp reaches 165F.

Quesadilla filling:

• 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced

• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced

• 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

• 1 clove garlic minced

• 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or havarti would work)

• Olive oil

• Salt n pepper

Sautée onions with olive oil over medium heat until soft. Add in garlic and red pepper, continue to cook until peppers are softened. Add in zucchini and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Continue to cook 5-7 minutes over medium until zucchini is translucent and jammy. Remove from heat and fold in shredded cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

To assemble, scoop 1/4 of veggie/cheese mixture onto flour tortilla (I used whole wheat!). Add sliced chicken. Top with another flour tortilla. 

Bring a clean non-stick pan to medium heat, with a little bit of oil. Cook one side of the quesadilla until crispy, about 3 minutes. Flip with confidence! Cook the other side until crispy. Remove from pan and keep warm in the oven on a cookie sheet while you repeat with the others.

Serve with sour cream, salsa and top with shredded lettuce with lime juice and a pinch of salt!