Sunday, July 6, 2008

Food Lover's and Chef's

Food lovers have a tendency to get oddly excited over an exotic salt collection. I am one of them. We can appreciate the subtleties in flavor, and our imagination goes wild with how the salts can be used. Here is a list of my favorites:

Maldon Sea Salt: They're delicious on sliced Heirloom tomatoes.

Celtic Gray Salt: It's like you can taste the fresh ocean. They're moist and flavor soups beautifully.

Haleakala Red Sea Salt: An unusual and nutty flavor

Himalania Pink Salt: Couples beautifully with fish.

Alternatively, you can make your own salt rub to personalize it. Rosemary Sea Salt is a delicious choice especially for lamb lovers. (I'll post the recipe under Rosemary Sea Salt).

Cookbooks can also be great choices. You have to carefully evaluate your gift recipients, though. I personally prefer specialty cookbooks. That's the beauty and appeal of buying a cookbook because authentic recipes can be found, unlike online sources that don't share a passion to preserve the culture and tell a story through its food. However, busy minimalists may feel otherwise. Having a tangible book increases a person's likeliness to make those recipes, rather searching online. It's all about what works for the recipient.

-Specialty Cookbooks-

A Taste of Guam
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
Classic Indian Cooking
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1
Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook
The Complete Book of Greek Cooking
The Irish Heritage Cookbook
The Silver Spoon
The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen

-General Cookbooks-

Everyday Food: Great Food Fast
O, The Oprah Magazine Cookbook
Rachael Ray Cookbook of choice
The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics

Even a cooking class may spark their interest especially if it's a class on pickling or something obscure like that.

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