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