‘Tis the season to be jolly and there’s no jolly without eating and there’s no eating without cookbooks. Hence my idea for the first ever (as far as I know) internet-wide literary-food-gift-exchange program entitled THE AMATEUR GOURMET’S SECRET COOKBOOK SANTA. (All caps adds to the festivity.)
With the help of Andrea, our Amateur Gourmet survivor champ, we will spread the joy of cooking across continents and into your mailboxes. Here’s how it works:
(1) Sign up in the comments below. List three cookbooks that you’d really like and three cookbooks that you’d rather not get because you already have them. (NOTE: There is no guarantee that you will get a cookbook you put on your list, but it may help your secret santa narrow the playing field. Also, I should say here, there is no guarantee that you will even get a cookbook! Someone will get your address but who knows if they’re evil or not? Maybe they won’t send you anything and simply reap the benefits of being a Secret Cookbook Santa. I can’t protect you from the evil in the world, dear reader. Let’s just put our faith in humanity and hope for the best. OK?)
(2) When we hit 100 sign-ups, that’s it. Andrea has a child, you know. Maybe if there’s interest beyond the initial 100 another food blogger can take over for the next 100.
(3) Once you have signed up, send an e-mail with your address (or mailing information) to cookbooksanta@gmail.com. If you sign up in the comments with a different name than the one in your e-mail, make sure to link the two so your Secret Santa knows who you are and can see the cookbooks you like, etc etc.
(4) Pretty soon you will receive an e-mail from Andrea telling you who to send a cookbook to. Please send it so it arrives before Christmas because that would just make sense. If you’re Jewish and you want your cookbook before Hannukah, you are being ridiculous: Hannukah is in like 5 days. If you are an international person you can participate, but you will be expected to send your cookbook internationally. If you are national (as in you live in America) you will only have to send a cookbook within the contiguous United States and maybe Guam if anyone reading this site lives in Guam.
And that’s it, basically. I think we’ve covered all our bases. If this sounds too complicated, all you really have to do is (1) sign up in the comments and (2) send an e-mail to cookbooksanta@gmail.com with your address. We’ll stop at 100.
Hope this has you fah lah lah lah lah-ing all the way to the stove. Enjoy!
Fondly,
The Amateur Gourmet Elf
What a great idea! Sign me up!
Books I would like:
Nigella Lawson, Feast
Julia Child, The Way to Cook
Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa
Books I already have:
Jamie Oliver books
Donna Hay books
Thanks! Happy Holidays!
Ooo! Me too!
Books I would like:
Moosewood low fat favorites
Nigelle Lawson, Feast
The Essential EatingWell Cookbook
Books I already have:
Gourmet
Cheeseboard collected works
Jamie Oliver books
Looking forward to swapping with my SS!
books I would like:
any by Ina Garten
any by Mario Batali
books I have:
Gourmet cookbook
Olives Table
Magnolia Bakery
Many Martha Stewarts
This sounds wonderful. We’re only sending each other one cookbook, right?
OK, cookbooks I want…
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
The Book Lover’s Cookbook
The Wine Bible
Cookbooks I have (it’s sad, I know)
Williams Sonoma Classics
Betty Crocker/Women’s Day/Better Homes and Gardens basic starter cookbooks
Wok and Stir-fry
Ooh, this is neat. Good luck to you guys keeping this all organized!!
Things I want:
Something by Deborah Madison (anything)
Something by Rose Levy Beranbaum (except The Cake Bible)
The Gourmet Cookbook
Things I have:
Nigella Lawson (all of ’em)
Julia Child (pretty much all of ’em)
An entire bound set of Cook’s Illustrated, which covers most of their books I’d guess.
Fun!
Cook books I want:
Magnolia Bakery Cookbook
any by Ina Garten
Tom Valenti’s Soups, Stews and One-Pot Meals
Cook books I have:
all by Nigella Lawson
several by Martha Stewart
several by Trish Deseine
I’ll play!
Cook books I’d like:
Any Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa
Magnolia Bakery
The Best Recipe
What We Have
Lidia Bastianich
Lots of books on barbecue and grilling
loads of Italian cookbooks
Excellent Idea.
Books I’d Like
Cooking New American
Jaques Pepin:Fast Food My Way
The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen : Recipes for the Passionate Cook
Books I Have:
Many! including
The Babbo Cookbook
Charmaine Solomon’s Asian Encyclopedia
The Bread Bible (Rosy Levy Berenbaum)
This sounds like fun!
I would really really like
Jacque Pepin: Fast Food My Way
Also, the Gourmet cookbook
Basically any other cookbook, especially if it has the words ‘fast’ and/or ‘easy’ in the title.
I have:
Southern Living Cooking Light
Some stir-fry cookbook
Six ingredients or less
Betty Crocker’s 30min or less
Great idea!
Cookbooks I’d like:
Vegan Planet
The Artful Vegan
Nonna’s Italian Kitchen
Cookbooks I have:
a variety of the Moosewood books
Sinfully Vegan
um… a lot of other veggie cookbooks. :)
This is fantastic idea.
I would love to receive:
Barefoot in Paris
Barefoot Contessa Parties
The French Laundry Cookbook
I already have:
The Minimalist Cooks Dinner
The Minimalist Cooks at Home
Back to the Table
how fun!!
books i would like!
-anything by nigella lawson
-anything by alice waters
-anything by mario batali
books i have or dont want :)-
-anything emeril
-anything julia child
-barefoot in paris
i cant wait!!!!!!!!!!!!
How exciting!
What I would like:
Either of Pierre Herme’s dessert cookbooks (chocolate or regular)
Something Moosewood
Something by Nigella
(I’ll really appreciate any real cookbooks since the only ones I own are from the bargain bin at Borders.)
What I have:
How It All Vegan (but I’m not a vegan)
As I said, a bunch of cheap ones titled by region or number of ingredients.
How fun! I would like:
The American Boulangerie: Pascal Rigo
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone: Deborah Madison
Butter Sugar Flour Eggs: Gale Gand
I already have:
tons of bread cookbooks
lots of vegetarian books
most of Nava Atlas’ books
alrighty then! this is fab!
I want:
How to be a domestic goddess
Barefoot Contessa
The French Laundry Cookbook
I have:
lots of ‘basics’ books
some ethnic cooking
also some baking
Sign me up, Santa(s)!
I’d like:
1) Claudia Roden’s The New Book of Middle Eastern Food
2) Claudia Roden’s The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York
3) Julia Child’s The Way to Cook
I already have:
All of the Nigella Lawson books
Amanda Hesser’s Cooking for Mr. Latte
Lots of basic cookbooks
me too, me too!
Wants:
Nigella’s Feast
Any Barefoot Contessa
Susan Branch’s Autumn
Haves:
Nigella’s Domestic Goddess
Most of the Williams Sonoma “Complete” Series
Emeril’s Every Day’s a Party
Awesome. I’ve always wanted to do a Secret Santa.
Books I want:
The New Best Recipe
Anything by Nigella Lawson
The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum
Books I have:
Many random, old cookbooks
The Best Recipe
What a cool idea…
I’d love:
Fast Food My Way: Jacques Pepin
Getting Thin and Loving It: Kathleen Daelemans
I’m Just Here for More Food: Alton Brown
What I have:
Tons and tons of cookbooks, from pastry and breads to Jamie Oliver and Donna Hay, classics to new ones (My thought… you can never have too many cookbooks!)
:) Samantha
Love the idea of the exchange. I am looking for a regional one though, the “Listen to the Mrs.” cookbook first one they made back in the 80’s, by Art Lewis and Sue Smith(local radio talk show 790 WSGW )in Central Michigan. I have the rest of them and one extra of the last one willing to give.
Also would like the “too busy to cook cookbook”1981 from Bon Appetit
and I have
Mario Batali- Simple Italian Food
Listen to the mrs. cookbook sixth edition
The Easy Bake oven Gourmet cookbook
Oh, this is crazy fun!
I would like something in the area of:
Jamie oliver
Ina Garten
Anything ethnic
I already have:
Caprial
Tyler Florence
Sushi out the ying-yang
Yay! I love cookbooks!
I would like:
The Minimalist Cookbooks, by Mark Bittmann, including that crazy one where he and Jean-Georges Vongerichten cook together
The Babbo Cookbook
The Zuni Cafe Cookbook
Nigella, Feast
I already have:
Barefoot Contessa
Better Homes and Gardens
Amanda Hesser
Most of Nigella
Plenty of baking cookbooks
Moosewood
Diana Kennedy
Julia CHild
Great idea!
Wants:
any Mario Batali
How to Grill, Steven Raichlen
any Nigella Lawson
Have:
lots of basic cookbooks
Jamie Oliver
lots of dessert books
Oooo, how fun! I wanna play.
Want:
Barefoot Contessa Parties
Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen
Union Square Cafe Cookbook
a good baking book (surprise me)
Have:
All the other Barefoot Contessa books
The Joy of Cooking
How to be a Domestic Goddess
hello! I’m an international person (wow, thanks for giving me the opportunity to say this), so I could probably only manage quite simple wishes in my Rome international bookshop, but probably lots of Italian cookbooks in English.
My wishes are:
anything my secret santa really likes and thinks one can’t live without
have:
alice b toklas cookbook
fannie farmer
w00t! w00t! sign me up too! I’m very excited :-)
Books on my list:
-anything by Ina Garten
-anything unique and original (even home-made)
-anything international
Books I already have:
-Rebar Modern Food Cookbook (highly recommended) and other vegetarian ones
-Just about everything published by the Australian Women’s Weekly
-Lots of “cookie” books
looking forward to it! Thanks kind TAG fans :-) Bubbie
Oooh! Me too, me too!
Want:
Flavors of Korea (Korean Vegetarian)
Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen
Most anything vegetarian/ethnic (esp Asian)
Have:
Bread Machine Baking
Classic Indian Vegetarian & Grain Cooking
Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces
How nice!
Would like (not limited to–but vegetarian-friendly please!):
Alice Waters, Chez Panisse Vegetables
any good dessert book with beautiful pictures
Nigella Lawson, How to Eat
Have:
other Chez Panisse books
Fannie Farmer
Shirley Corriher, CookWise
Thank you!
What FUN!
Here’s the info:
Books I Would Like
French Laundry Cookbook
Anything Nigella Lawson
Anything Barefoot Contessa
Books I Have
A few Jamie Oliver Cookbooks
A few Martha Stewart Cookbooks
A few Julia Child Cookbooks
Of course I didn’t put all my Italian cookbooks in the have list, my secret Santa wouldn’t be so daft as to send a pasta cookbook or anything similar from the US to Turin, Italy, would he??
oh me too! me too!
want:
– Moosewood cookbook book of desserts
– anything jamie oliver
– barefoot contessa
have:
– all the other moosewoods
– the rebar cookbook (seriously, you want this cookbook)
– any “light” or “lowfat” cookbooks
– the wholefoods market cookbook
What a great idea!
Books I’d like:
The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen : Recipes for the Passionate Cook
The Whole Foods Market Cookbook
Any Cooks Illustrated books
Books I Have
Lots of Slow Cooker books
Jamie Oliver’s Dinners
The first Alton Brown book + the Gear book (I’ve asked Santa for the baking one)
What I’d love:
any by Ina Garten
The Weekend Baker by Abigail Johnson Dodge
Any cookbook that my secret person has used frequently and had good results
What I don’t want:
Anything by Rachael Ray
Anything that is prone to having horrid results (I’m new at this cooking thing)
What I have:
The Joy of Cooking
Better Homes and Garden
The Flying Biscuit Cafe Cookbook (yum!)
It looks like the sign-ups are slowing down. Are you going to stop before you reach 100?
I want to start shopping! :-)
Happy Hanukkah!
i live in guam. on guam. within the borders of guam. do i get to sign up?
Oh yay!
Books I have:
How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella
Moosewood cookbooks
All Martha Stewarts
Books I want:
Any from The Barefoot Contessa
Feast from Nigella
Any Julia Childs
Nice site!
uh. mah. gad. lesse…
barefoot contessa
marcella hazan (any)
mimi sheraton
stalking the green fairy
anything by mfk fisher
arthur schwartz’s nyc food
Cool!
Wants:
A good Thai cookbook.
A cookbook of South American Food.
An ethnic or regional cookbook from someplace that’s not on the list of the top ten ethnic food categories.
Have: A wide variety with favorites being Alton Brown, Jamie Oliver, Moosewoods, Madhur Jaffrey, and Rick Bayless.
Your Secret Santa assignments have started going out. A number of you did not email your addresses to cookbooksanta@gmail.com. If you’d still like to participate, please get us your address right away so that we can tell your Secret Santa where to send your cookbook!
It’s still not to late to join in, but time is running out…
Count me in!
I want:
I’m just here for more food – Alton Brown
Anything by Julia Child
Any Marcella Hazan
Don’t need:
Anthony Bourdain’s latest
Moosewood Cookbooks
Sauces
This is a great idea!
I’m playing too!
Cookbooks I’d like:
The Gourmet Cookbook
Bouchon Bakery
Anything my Marcella Hazan
Already have:
Barefoot Contessa books
Nancy Silverton books
The books you see above on the left.
Thanks!
Fun, Fun, Fun!
I want:
From Curries to Kebabs
The Compleat Squash
On Food and Cooking
I already have:
a ton of bread books
a ton of baking books
I’m happy to make it in time!
I love cookbooks and would appreciate any of the following:
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Bertholle & Beck
American Boulangerie by Pascal Rigo
Maccioni Family Cookbook by Egi Maccioni
The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne
I have a LOT of other cookbooks but Im really not picky and I think this cokbook swap is going oto be fun. Happy Holidays everybody and good eating and drinking to all!