Cookbooks And Recipes To Convince People You Know What You're Doing
I picked up my love of cooking from my grandparents, one on either side of the family. My mother's mother always had the ingredients on hand for a cake or a fresh batch of dinner rolls, and it didn't take much to convince her to bust them out. My fat...
Baking Books
Baking is a science, and it takes time to learn how to get those astonishing results you see at the local bakery. I'm still mystified by some of the more esoteric desserts out there- don't talk to me about caramel, it's my nemesis- but these books he...
I come from an Irish-Canadian family. The sort that tracks the family tree back to the old country, has a coat of arms, and still cooks the old favorite meals. My dad used to make soda bread on the weekends, and every family gathering had a simmering...
I was always intimidated by baking bread. This book fixed that. It contains simple, easy to follow instructions for all of the baking basics; breads, flat breads, pie crusts, flaky pastries, you name it! This teaches you the rules so you can go on to...
Another gift from my partner! We both get a serious kick out of watching Dylan's videos, both for the recipes and just for his outrageous sense of humor. He's an absolute riot, and he frequently has us both crying with hysterical laughter. The recipe...
I keep a hardcover copy of this book on the shelf right outside my bedroom. I don't often bake bread, but when I do, I go digging through this beauty for inspiration. It's chock full of recipes, baking tips and personal anecdotes from the author. If ...
Cookbooks
My partner and I are total nerds. We have a little tradition for gift giving occasions. We give each other one normal gift, something cute and meaningful…and then we also give each other a nerdy cookbook. We have quite a collection!
You may have noticed by now that I'm a gigantic nerd. The Elder Scrolls series is easily my favorite game series of all time; I spent my childhood days playing Morrowind, I geeked out when Oblivion launched (I can't wait for Skyblivion) and Skyrim? W...
I love the Song of Ice and Fire books. I'm obsessed. George R. R. Martin has a knack for describing incredibly delicious food, and the authors of this book managed to turn those descriptions into fantastic recipes. The onions in gravy side dish is ph...
The Hannibal show is delightfully disturbing and creepy to watch. This cookbook was the first nerdy cookbook my partner gave me, back when we first started this tradition. Getting a cannibal cookbook as a gift might sound weird, but it's chock full o...
I bought this book for my partner as part of our little nerdy cookbook tradition. There's a huge range of great recipes in here, all inspired by Dungeons and Dragons. It's a great resource for snacks and meals for gaming nights with your friends!
The illustrations and lore in this book are fantastic, great for any lover of the God of War games. The recipes are also fantastic- I'm especially fond of the spice mixes included in the opening pages.
Favorite Recipes
I love simple, rustic recipes. I'm a sucker for a hearty beef stew, a fresh Greek-style pasta salad, and anything to do with chicken. I'll throw my favorite recipes in here to spread the love!
My partner hates the texture of tomatoes. I can't get enough of them. Fortunately, we can compromise on a rich and creamy tomato soup…provided I strain out the goopy bits.
I whip this salad up for my family all the time. Although, I modify it a little bit by throwing in a couple handfuls of crumbled feta cheese. I find it adds a little zing of salty tang. It'd be especially good with some chopped black olives…although ...
You can't beat a good chicken soup with dumplings. I tend to use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts, and I favor sour cream dumplings over buttermilk- but that's just personal taste. Otherwise, this recipe is good home style stick to...
You can't beat an Irish stew. While it's traditionally made with lamb, it is expensive and many people refuse to eat it for ethical reasons. It's simple enough to replace it with a good beef chuck, which takes plenty of good flavor from the beer.
Simple recipes are the best. This is a quick and easy pasta recipe- by the time the pasta is done cooking, the sauce and chicken are done and the whole thing is ready to toss together and serve. Rich, creamy and filling.