Our top three cookbooks to give this year
The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo
We at Sweet Paul are sure many readers join us in our dream of packing a case and
moving to Paris to attend cookery school. Six years ago Rachel Khoo did just that, and now
her new cookbook documents the recipes she’s mastered in her little Paris kitchen over
the years. Rachel’s refreshingly modern take on French classics such as Tarte Tatin and
Coq au Vin will give you the confidence to recreate the dishes at home—no matter how
small your kitchen!
Home Made Winter by Yvette van Boven Yvette van Boven not only wrote the recipes in the second of her Home Made series of cookbooks, but also did the food and prop styling, the design, and all the illustrations, which results in a very personal and engaging read. Packed with recipes from her days living in Ireland, the book is split into recipes to enjoy at different times of the day, as well as ideas for holiday cooking, such as Driekoningen (the Dutch word for the Three Kings Day).
The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman
Deb Perelman started her blog, Smitten Kitchen, after continually feeling overwhelmed
by the number of recipes to choose from. Deb’s motto is that there are no bad cooks, just
bad recipes—and her aim is to create the best recipes for the everyday cook. She has
brought this philosophy to her first cookbook, which is written with the same warmth and
encouraging tone as her blog. This is an ideal book for a busy family cook, with accessible
meals to inspire weekday meals such as ratatouille dressing up a sandwich or cauliflower
masquerading as pesto. There’s plenty of ideas for entertaining, too—Deb shares her
favorite cocktail and provides tips on how to lose your fear of cooking for a crowd.
Look at what Sweet Paul spotted!
1. Festive knits
These knitted Santa gnomes from Severina Kid’s latest
collection are ideal stocking fillers.
These animal ornaments from West Elm are crafted from
natural bottle-brush fibres in the Philippines and will make
tree-trimming fun for all the family.
Westelm.com, $6 each
3. Tabletop jewels
We love the jewel-like hues of these hand-blown glasses from
Toast—a great way to add festive cheer to a tabletop.
Toast.co.uk, $40
4. A Ham Made Christmas
Why not send holiday cards to raise a smile this festive season?
These quirky cards are from Ham Made, a new homeware and
paper goods brand that captures unexpected moments from
the contented lives of a pig, a horse, and a rabbit.
Hammade.com, $5
