Ok, according to Andrea all the e-mails have gone out: you should all know who you are the Secret Cookbook Santa for. (<--Ended in a preposition, I know, but that's allowed when the topic is Secret Cookbook Santas.)
Can we all take a moment and thank Andrea (our Survivor champ) for all the hard work she did in coordinating this? She put ALL of this together. I did nothing except tell you about it. She e-mailed ALL of you. She deserves a big Amateur Gourmet community "Thank You." Ok, ready, on the count of three...1...2...3.... Line? Line? Oh yes. THANK YOU!
Now then. If you signed up but didn't receive an e-mail from Andrea, it probably means you didn't send her your address. That was silly. Otherwise, you should all have received e-mails. If you haven't, please let us know stat.
I'd like to make a point here and suggest that all of you who haven't sent your gifts yet include a small note of who you are so your Secret Santa recipient can thank you when they receive their gifts. I just ordered cookbooks for my Secret Santa recipient (yes, I'm playing too) and Amazon.com (where I ordered from) lets you include a note for free. It's that easy.
Let's use this posting as the place to post comments as your gifts come in. I'm sure we'd all love to hear about what you've received. Especially if I sent it. I have a terrible short-term memory. Have we thanked Andrea yet? Good luck everyone!
Comments (37)
THANK YOU ANDREA (and AG for thinking it up)!!!!
Posted by savina | December 14, 2004 3:43 AM
Thank you Andrea!
--Nicole
bakingsheet.blogspot.com
Posted by Nicole | December 14, 2004 9:45 AM
Thank you to both Adam and Andrea. My gift went out this morning!
Posted by Kate | December 14, 2004 11:47 AM
I just received my beautiful Barefoot Contessa Cookbook! Thank you so much, Michelle....
Also, thank you to Andrea...this was a great idea.
Happy Holidays to all,
Rhonda
Posted by Rhonda | December 14, 2004 2:28 PM
I just received my Jacques Pepin cookbook! The billing address on the order said Ian, so thank you so much Ian!
Also thank you to Andrea for organizing this. And to the AG, this was a great idea.
Posted by Amanda K | December 14, 2004 2:51 PM
I was a slacker who forgot to email mailing address info... thanks so much for letting me play!
However, now i'm feeling silly for not including a note on who I am in my sent out book. I kept thinking, if I sign my name, I won't be a *secret* santa. ;)
So, not to sound too eager or spoiled, but... how about Christmas in July? And do this all again?
Posted by McAuliflower | December 15, 2004 8:45 PM
You're very welcome Rhonda :) I had fun being a "secret santa."
Happy holidays to all
and
happy cooking in 2005!
Posted by Coco | December 15, 2004 10:11 PM
I am pleased to announce I sent my secret santa her cookbook today! Happy Holidays to all and best wishes for a tasty and healthy new year!
Posted by Neil | December 15, 2004 10:38 PM
I sent my secret santa her new cookbook on the 11th, but haven't heard if she got it yet.
If you get your book, post so I'm not in limbo!
:-)
Lindsay
Happy holidays!
Posted by SLOLindsay | December 16, 2004 2:29 PM
It's lots of fun coming home to an unexpected package from amazon.com...especially when said package contains my shiny new Magnolia Bakery Cookbook.
Thank you so much, Amity!
Cookbook Secret Santa has been great...we must do it again next year!
Posted by luxlis (Jessica) | December 17, 2004 9:58 AM
thank you to andrea! but ashley was my secret santa and i finally have my own How to be a Domestic Goddess. it's awesome. thank you so much! i also will be sending out my book to my person, so watch out!
Posted by barb | December 17, 2004 5:27 PM
Thanks for organizing this Andrea! I'm so happy to say that I came home from work tonight to find a present from my secret santa....I ripped open the package (before even changing out of work clothes, which is usually the FIRST thing I do) to find.....
From Curries to Kebabs.
Thank you Neil!!!
(p.s. made me feel a bit bad 'cuz I just today made arrangements for my cookbook to be sent...it'll be to its owner before Christmas, though, I promise.)
Posted by Alice | December 17, 2004 6:41 PM
I just received my beautiful hardback copy of the Book Lover's Cookbook. It's delightful! A novel and a cookbook in one.
Thank you thank you, whoever you are! And thank you Andrea!
Let's do this every year.
Lindsay
Posted by SLOLindsay | December 17, 2004 6:47 PM
sent mine (yours) today, but Italian snail mail really employs the little animals to do the job, and I can't guarantee they'll make it before Christmas. Also, I won't be back home before the beginning of January, so dear secret Santa of mine, please be patient and wait to be thanked.
Posted by savina | December 17, 2004 7:22 PM
Mille grazie to Andrea. My cookbook just went out today and they couldn't guarantee it would be there before Christmas (at least not without paying a zillion dollars for quicker shipping) but this has been fun anyway!
Posted by avril | December 18, 2004 12:08 AM
Jessica, so glad to hear that you got your book. I hope that you will enjoy it.
I have not received anything yet, but I am hopeful that I will have something arrive soon, too.
Happy holidays everyone!
Posted by Amity | December 19, 2004 8:40 AM
Thank you Auntie Bubbie! I got my Nigella Lawson's Feast yesterday. Canada Post delivered on a Sunday! It is a Christmas miracle!
Thanks Andrea for organizing this, oh what fun!
Posted by KarenS | December 20, 2004 9:27 AM
Thanks to you guys for organizing this, and thanks to everyone who is participating. My book is on the way to Keri. Happy Holidays to all!
Posted by Kendra | December 20, 2004 10:43 AM
I recieved True Thai in the mail this weekend! Thank you Kate! Also thanks to Adam and Andrea for such a great idea.
Posted by Nat | December 20, 2004 11:52 AM
i received my cookbook on friday, and sent mine out the same day! thank you thank you thank you! merry christmas to all!
Posted by raspberry | December 20, 2004 11:20 PM
Thanks Julie for my copy of Jacques Pepin's 'Fast Food My Way'... what a great present to come back to after vacation. I brought it with me to work today so I can figure out what to make for dinner tonight! I've sent my present as well, it will get to my person on the 24th (that's what Amazon is guarenteeing). :)
Thanks Amanda and Adam, a great idea. We could do a cookie swap via mail too, or a recipe swap and make up an e-cookbook. Ah, that's a good idea... I'd head that project up if you're interested!
Posted by Samantha | December 21, 2004 3:32 PM
Oh my goodness. I'm not sure but I think my Secret Cookbook Santa is the same Andrea who organized all this which makes me feel very honored. I received my Barefoot Contessa cookbook yesterday and my husband is still puzzled at the excited (and rather spazzy, I must admit) behavior that ensued! Thank you Andrea, whoever you may be.
Posted by avril | December 21, 2004 8:19 PM
Avril, yes, it was me, and you're very welcome. I hope you enjoy it. :)
Also, you're welcome everyone else, too! It's been bringing me lots of extra seasonal cheer to see so many people happy, all because I spent a couple hours with a spreadsheet. :) Let's all give a big round of applause to the Amateur Gourmer, without whose guidance and inspiration this would never have happened!
Posted by Andrea | December 21, 2004 10:58 PM
Thank you so much to whomever sent me The Babbo Cookbook! I was so excited to find it this morning! Also, thanks to the Amateur Gourmet & Andrea for putting this together. Have a wonderful holiday!
Posted by melissa | December 22, 2004 1:28 PM
Samantha, I'm so glad to know you received your book -- enjoy! It sounds like you're going to make good use of it! My Santa was kind enough to email me and let me know that although there was a delay, the package is in the mail, so to speak.
Once again, thanks to Andrea and AG for coordinating this lovely exchange. This is a great way to create community around the holidays.
Posted by Julie | December 22, 2004 2:12 PM
Thanks Brian! I returned today to New York to find Marcella Hazan's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" waiting for me. Awesome! Thanks so much... I'll be cooking from it soon.
Posted by Adam | December 26, 2004 11:09 PM
Thank you thank you thank you to whomever sent me The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook! I can't wait to use it in the new year.
Thank you to Andrea and the AG for this fabulous idea!
Posted by Cara | December 27, 2004 11:25 PM
Just a little note... Gretchen, I sent your book and it arrived at your house on Christmas eve... let me know if you've gotten it. I tried to send you an email but it got bounced back to me. :) Just wanted to make sure you get your cookbook!
Posted by Samantha | December 28, 2004 4:34 PM
I have not heard if Loretta received the book I sent. According to Amazon, it was delivered....
Posted by Rhonda | December 29, 2004 11:36 AM
i'm not sure if mine was received or not....
Posted by raspberry | December 29, 2004 1:22 PM
Kelli, thanks so much! The doorbell just rang, and it was the mail carrier with my beautifully wrapped and gorgeous copy of "The New Book of Middle Eastern Food". I can't wait to make some of the luscious tagines, rice dishes and other goodies in here...
Posted by Julie | December 30, 2004 1:18 PM
Sorry to be so slow posting -- I've been away a lot... but my book came last week, and it's GORGEOUS! Thanks so much, Loretta, for sending "The American Boulangerie." It has all my favorite pastry recipes from Paris. I can't wait to try making macarons with my new Kitchenaid mixer. =)
Posted by Kelli | December 30, 2004 5:20 PM
Oh, and many thanks so Adam and Amanda for arranging this. It was a lot of fun!
Posted by Kelli | December 30, 2004 5:22 PM
Applause and cookies to Andrea, and a huge thank you to my secret Santa (Lindsay, if I remember correctly--the note has since disappeared somewhere in the house) for the gorgeous book - Nigella Lawson's Feast. I've been gazing at all the pictures and showing the book off to guests, and I baked four batches of the cutout cookies in the past two days and roped in friends and family to help me decorate the cookies. Pictures!: http://webdisk.berkeley.edu/~classystar/Holiday04/index.html
Posted by lisa | December 31, 2004 4:14 AM
I got Deborah Madison's Greens Cookbook from my secret santa (whoever you are!! Thanks!!) and as soon as I return to the wilds of New Hampshire I'm heading down to the co-op to buy all kinds of crazy organic junk and have me a field day.
And then to balance out all that healthy stuff, I'll be making a half-sheet pan of Barefoot Contessa brownies!!
Adam, my recommendation to you, young man:crack that Hazan book open to the butter and onion tomato sauce recipe, drag out your dutch oven and make enough sauce to last the entire new year. GLLRAGHHHMMGGGHHLLLRRRGHHHMMMM. (That's my impersonation of Homer Simpson drooling)
P.S. Another big sale just started over at:
http://caplanduval2000.com/cgi-bin/cart.pl?db=newyears_special_123104.txt
5 qt dutch ovens for ninety bucks! They definitely owe me a damned commission by now.
Posted by brian w | December 31, 2004 3:48 PM
My secret santa is helping me ring in the new year with great recipes! Thanks so much for the Jamiie Oliver book Nina. It took my breath away!
Posted by McAuliflower | January 4, 2005 8:01 PM
Yay!!
I received (before Christmas, but my husband wouldn't let me open it till the 25th, and now we are back from holidays, so I can finally say Thank You) a very big and beautiful funky looking book called "Taste: Pure & Simple. Irresistible recipes for good food and good health" by Michel Nischan.
I'm going to make the miso salmon tomorrow, and the cardamom shortbread the day after.
So, thank you so much to Secret Santa who lives on Ladner Trunk Rd. in Delta. And of course to the AG for the idea and to Andrea for the execution.
My mom gave me Nigella's How to be a Domestic Goddess, and my chef brother one all about truffles and caviar, so I have a lot of work to do in the New Year. :-)
bubbie
[Karen in Toronto, I'm glad you liked the Feast book, smiles all around]
Posted by Bubbie | January 5, 2005 12:33 AM