A Few of My Favorite New Books
...gift giving ideas for the holidays.....
Hi everyone,
Today is Thanksgiving and I am taking some time to relax and read. And watch football. And snuggle with my little dachshund Lilly. I am also writing this to share with you some of the new books I have found and enjoyed in case you are shopping for holiday gifts and are looking for a bit of inspiration. Here we go!
French Country Cottage Christmas by Courtney Allison
Author of the blog, French Country Cottage, Courtney Allison has created this stunning book that is chock-full of interior design ideas for decorating your home for the holidays. No room in the house is left untouched. From adorning the kitchen to the bedroom, to setting the table, to instructions on how to make cookie ornaments, wreaths, and more. It is so beautifully photographed and designed that it would make a wonderful gift. I have mine on the coffee table for others to enjoy as well.
Baking Yesteryear by B. Dylan Hollis
This book is so much fun!!!! I have been following Dylan on TikTok (@bdylanhollis) for quite a while and so enjoy his love of life and positive energy and curiosity about some really crazy sounding recipes he finds from the past. Others must love him too. He has over 10 million followers on TikTok! You can also find him on YouTube and Instagram.
Gastronomic history takes a wild and wacky turn in Dylan’s hands as he recreates recipes like 7-UP Cake, Chocolate Potato Cake, and Whipped Cream Cake. Sheer entertainment, on top of the fact that, according to his followers, the recipes work and are well-written. Bravo!
Tasting History by Max Miller
Along the same lines as the above cookbook, Baking Yesteryear, this cookbook, Tasting History by Max Miller is an exploration of gastronomic history. He began his foray into cooking by starting to make homemade videos that he posted on YouTube (Tasting History with Max Miller) and quickly found a solid following intrigued by his explanations of ancient dishes and the history behind them. Think parmesan ice cream, Transylvanian beef stew, pre-tomato lasagna, or Aztec chocolate and vinegar candy.
This is a fascinating read and a great gift. If you don’t get the book, make sure to watch a few of his entertaining videos on YouTube.
5 Ingredients Mediterranean by Jamie Oliver
This is a pre-order so I have not received mine yet as it is due to be released in January. However, I have to include it as I have been trying some of the Mediterranean inspired recipes that Jamie Oliver has posted on TikTok and Instagram and they are lovely, as are almost all of this recipes in his cookbooks. So I am looking forward to cooking from this book of recipes using only 5 ingredients when it comes out.
His recipe on TikTok that I tried for Lemon-Tzatziki Chicken is mouthwatering, as is his Chicken and Merguez Stew. Yummmmmmm!!
Seafood Simple by Eric Ripert
When my cookbook, The Hamptons Kitchen came out, Eric Ripert so kindly gave it a lovely review, which floored me having dined in his amazing restaurant with wide-eyed awe. He is a well-loved fixture in the Hamptons and a loyal supporter of its restaurants and farms.
This, his newest cookbook, is a winner. Above all, it educates how to select seafood and how to store it, how to skin and filet a whole fish, how to shuck oysters….how to everything about fish. The book takes you through techniques that include steaming, grilling, poaching and frying. Recipes that stand out are the Crab Gratin, Shrimp Dumplings, Lobster Spring Rolls and Snapper in Curry Sauce. There are scant few good cookbooks about seafood. You need this one if you love seafood.
Last but not least I am recommending my own new cookbook, French From The Market. It just got a great review from Publishers’ Weekly, which I am sharing now with you:
“In this quick and approachable collection, Davis (French Comfort Food) draws on her 13 years in Paris and the South of France to present easy and affordable French home cooking. Her casual approach relies on shortcuts, such as a store-bought crust for fluffy cauliflower and cheese quiche, premade crepes for “last-minute” grand marnier crepes suzette, and Laughing Cow cheese to lend creaminess to Laughing Cow zucchini soup. Classic “haute cuisine” dishes are abridged and made less intimidating, including instant pot beef bourguignon, easy whole duck a l’orange (which still requires an overnight marinade), and coq au vin reimagined as a quick chicken bake with a stove-top wine sauce. Though traditionalists may balk, there’s no denying Davis’s efficiency. Her encouraging instructions make even more complex dishes seem simple, including the festive salad dubbed “A Wreath You Can Eat” and ingenious “beef on a string with horseradish sauce.” Other quick takes include a one-pot salmon in parchment with capers and lemon and weeknight halibut in basil cream. This accessible approach to everyday French fare will appeal to cooks at all skill levels.”
French from the Market by Hillary Davis (9781423664888, March 2024)
Publishers Weekly, online review, November 11, 2023, print TBD: https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781423664888
People can pre-order it online and it will be delivered when it comes out in March. I love the cover, do you?
Wishing all of you a peaceful and happy Thanksgiving! See you next week! Hillary
Tiktok: @hillarydavishillarydavis or/and @milliondollarmansions
Instagram: @hillarydavisny or/and @hillarydavisauthor
Twitter: @marchedimanche
Web site: Hillary-Davis.com
For my books: Hillary Davis books