Gifts Cooks Love

Recipes for Giving

by Diane Morgan, Sur La Table

Price: $25.00
ISBN-13: 9780740793509
ISBN-10: 0740793500
Format: Hardcover
Size: 8 1/2 x 10 1/2 in.
Page Count: 192 Pages

“The gorgeous photos left our mouths watering from foods we wanted to make on the spot, from homemade bacon to cinnamon-coated graham crackers to rhubarb compote made with Côtes du Rhône. And because the holidays are nigh, we gobbled up the ideas for themed gift kits built to please anyone who loves to cook and eat.” ––Oregon Live http://bit.ly/hc7knq

“From sweet and savory gifts to drinkable delights and smoked, cured and dried goodies, Gifts Cooks Love is packed with ideas for year-round gift giving. Gifts Cooks Love offers recipes for every level of cook—providing accessible recipes delivered with helpful kitchen tips and techniques, detailed ingredient notes, as well as guidance for artfully wrapping and presenting the forty edible gifts.” ––Fun, Crafts & Recipes http://bit.ly/gaKRdA

“Bollywood-style curried popcorn seasoning. Apricot bourbon mustard. Hand-crafted rosemary crackers. With Hanukkah starting Dec. 1, Christmas just around the corner and scores of holiday parties ahead, it’s not too early to start thinking about making a few gifts to tuck under a tree, drop in a care package or bestow upon a party host. Homemade preserves and cookies are always well received, but there’s so much more a home cook can create. Think outside the jam jar, says award-winning food writer Diane Morgan, author of the new “Gifts Cooks Love“” ––Mercury News http://bit.ly/bGpSv0

“From Orange Cardamom Marmalade and Salmon Gravlax to Rustic Rosemary Parmesan Crackers and Blueberry-Blackberry-Basil Margarita Puree, the recipes in Gifts Cooks Love will help you create the perfect gift for any occasion. Because making a handmade gift takes time–one of life’s most precious commodities–Gifts Cooks Love emphasizes that giving a handmade offering expresses something very personal. In this beautifully presented book, Sur La Table and Diane Morgan offer something for every level of cook, providing accessible recipes delivered with helpful kitchen tips and ingredient notes, as well as guidance for artfully wrapping and presenting these edible gifts. Gorgeous full-color photographs encourage and motivate creativity, while the 40 recipes inside Gifts Cooks Love are certain to please all palates any time of year, from the sweet and simple to the gourmet.” — NTV Good Life http://bit.ly/d79lgx

“Holiday gifts from the kitchen are such personal expressions of kindness. Not only are they homemade and delicious, they also send the recipient a message that you put a lot of thought into their present long before the celebration. “You aren’t going to the mall and grabbing something; instead, it is a gift of your time,” says Diane Morgan, author of Sur La Table’s “Gifts Cooks Love: Recipes for Giving“. “And you don’t have to be an experienced cook to make great gifts.” ––The Orange Country Register http://bit.ly/aO4rCQ

“Gifts Cooks Love, offers just what the title suggests. It presents homemade goodies that make great gifts and ideas for packaging them as well. There are preserved gifts like aleppo pepper-peach chutney, apricot-bourbon mustard, and cotes du rhone-rhubarb compote. The smoked and cured options include homemade bacon, salmon gravlax, and a smoky ketchup. Of course there are baked goods like double fudge brownie pops, panforte, and a very cool-looking biscotti Christmas tree. You’ll also find confections, homemade liqueurs, spice blends, and gift kit ideas.” ––Lisa is Cooking http://bit.ly/cfHeH8

“As you gear up for the holidays and start making your gift list, check out “Gifts Cooks Love: Recipes for Giving” to offer deliciously homemade treats. The new cookbook by kitchenware retailer Sur La Table and author Diane Morgan offers gift-giving ideas including Mexican drinking chocolate, double-fudge brownie pops, pasta kit, cheese kit, blackberry-merlot jellies and apricot-bourbon mustard.” ––Detroit News http://bit.ly/c4Q7cp

“I’ve been browsing through this book every since I got it a few weeks ago. It’s called “Gifts Cooks Love – Recipes for Giving” by Sur La Table and Diane Morgan. I love homemade gifts and I love food so this is a big hit with me! Lots of beautiful photography also. I’m really excited to try some of the projects like “Eight-Hour Butter-Braised Onions” in a jar or “Apricot and Crystallized Ginger Quick Breads” – yummy! These are gifts for those who appreciate fine food, but they are also easy enough for me to make them.” ––Scrapbook Lady http://bit.ly/aiAYPk

” In this divinely inspired book written by Diane Morgan for Sur La Table, there are plenty of wonderfully homey, elegant, sensationally delicious and easy-to-prepare gifts that won’t stretch the pocketbook and will be appreciated long after the holiday season is over. GIFTS COOKS LOVE exceeds any previous book I’ve seen on this subject and is a generous collection of gifts from the kitchen encompassing sweet and savory preserved jams and curds, chutneys, mustards, sauces, ketchups, fish, cakes, cookies, bars, breads, breakfast treats, cookies, crackers, candies, drinks, cocktail purees, liqueurs, flavored butters and popcorn, spice blends and bbq rubs, pastas, and gift kits.” ––Stovetop Readings http://tinyurl.com/29wbcg7

“While the title Gifts Cooks Love might sound like it is a catalog of baking gadgets and cooking tools, but it is actually a book of homemade gifts that you – as someone who loves to cook or bake – can make and give as gifts for any occasion, from housewarmings and birthdays to holiday parties. The recipes range from the simple to the gourmet, but you’ll find plenty of things in here that you might want to make as gifts or simply try first and keep around the house. The recipes in the book are detailed and not difficult to follow along with. Many of them are gourmet twists on simple recipes that stand out as something special, not to mention that it emphasizes the fact that you can’t buy these things in a store. The photos are beautiful and by the end of the book you might find yourself wondering who else needs to go on your holiday gift lists.” ––Baking Bites http://bit.ly/9ua5Rk

“What’s better than a lovingly crafted foodie gift from your own kitchen? A homemade gift says that you care enough to give of your time and talent, and feeding someone has always been a symbol of love. This season, gourmet toy store Sur La Table and award-winning cookbook author Diane Morgan have come out with an entire book of great foodie gift-giving ideas for year-round sharing. Sweet, savoury, baked, cured and smoked, even drink gifts are covered - all with gift tag, recipe card, and decorative packaging ideas to make any holiday special.” ––Living in the Kitchen with Puppies http://bit.ly/d0Wz0o

“”Gifts Cooks Love: Recipes for Giving,” by Sur La Table and Diane Morgan, is packed with ideas for the holidays and beyond and designed for cooks of all levels. The gorgeous full-color photos are packed with ideas, as is a chapter on decorative packaging. This is a book that will keep on giving.” ––The Modesto Bee http://bit.ly/duRzfc

“Cookbook author, culinary instructor and restaurant consultant, [Diane Morgan's] latest book is “Gifts Cooks Love: Recipes for Giving”. The book has suggestions for tools, techniques and decorative packaging for simple but sophisticated food gifts that can be given year round. Recipes are for all skill levels (some recipes take months of curing time while others require no cooking at all). There are ideas for gift kits, such as breakfast and retro popcorn. Each recipe details what to write on the gift card about storing the gift as well as gift-presentation tips.” ––Kansas City.com http://www.kansascity.com/2010/09/04/2191021_qa-diane-morgan-portland-ore.html

“As we enter into the fall and winter holiday season, one question is burning on everyone’s mind: “What do I give my loved ones?” This year national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table and award-winning author Diane Morgan guide you through the essentials of gifting from the heart with their new cookbook, Gifts Cook Love: Recipes for Giving. From sweet and savory gifts to drinkable delights and smoked, cured and dried goodies, Gifts Cooks Love is packed with ideas for year-round gift giving. Recipients need not be culinary aficionados to welcome the gifts—they must simply enjoy food and drink. Gifts Cooks Love offers something for every level of cook—providing accessible recipes delivered with helpful kitchen tips and techniques, detailed ingredient notes, as well as guidance for artfully wrapping and presenting the forty edible gifts. Recipe categories include Sweet Preserved Gifts; Savory Preserved Gifts; Smoked, Cured & Dried Gifts; Baked Gifts; Confections & Chocolate Gifts; Drink Gifts; No-Cook Gifts; and Make-A-Gift.” ––Things We Get http://tastecincinnati-food.blogspot.com/2010/07/gifts-cooks-love-recipes-of-giving-new.html

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread with Honey Butter recipe

Introduction

1 The Gift-Giving Kitchen
2 The Gift-Giving Pantry
3 Decorative Packaging
4 Essential Tips & Techniques  for Preserving & Dehydrating
5 Sweet Preserved Gifts
6 Savory Preserved Gifts
7 Smoked, Cured & Dried Gifts
8 Baked Gifts
9 Confection & Chocolate Gifts
10 Drink Gifts
11 No-Cook Gifts
12 Make-a-Gift Kits

Acknowledgments

Metric Conversions & Equivalents

Index

Benjamin Bettinger is a star on the Portland, Oregon, food scene. He is the executive chef at Beaker & Flask, named Restaurant of the Year by Willamette Week in 2009, the restaurant’s first year of operation. He also happens to make spectacular homemade bacon! We wanted to learn how to make bacon and thought how fun it would be to give homemade cured and smoked bacon as a gift. Ben generously shared his recipe. What sets Benny’s bacon apart is the blend of spices, as most bacon recipes, whether commercial or homemade, do not include any spices other than black pepper in the curing rub. Pork bellies are available by special order from most butcher shops. They are usually about 10 pounds. This recipe will work without adjustment, give or take up to 1 pound. Use kitchen gloves to rub on the curing salt, as it can be highly irritating to the skin. Use pulverized wood chips sold for stovetop smoking, not the larger chips meant for outdoor grills.

Ingredients
3 ½ tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
1 ½ tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
6 bay leaves
1 (10-pound) pork belly
2 teaspoons curing salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
2 cups sweet pulverized wood chips, such as apple, cherry, alder, or oak

Implements
Medium Sauté Pan, Measuring Cups and Spoons, Spice or Coffee Grinder, Large Rimmed Baking Sheet, Disposable Gloves, Plastic Wrap, Cutting Board, Slicing Knife, Stovetop Smoker, Tongs, Meat Fork

Prep Time: 25 minutes  |  Curing Time: 5 days  |  Smoking Time: about 2 ¾ hours  |  Makes four (2 ½-pound) slabs of bacon

1. In a medium, dry heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, toast the fennel seeds, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and bay leaves over medium-low heat. Swirl the spices in the pan until they release their aromas and take on a slightly darker color, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately transfer the spice mixture to a spice or coffee grinder and grind to a powder.
2. Place the pork belly on a large rimmed baking sheet with the fat side down. Sprinkle the top (meat side) with about 40 percent of the curing salt, and then 40 percent of the spice powder. Wearing disposable gloves, rub the salt and spices into the meat. Next scatter about 40 percent of the brown sugar over the spices. Using muscle power, firmly press and rub the brown sugar into the flesh. Sprinkle about 40 percent of the kosher salt over the brown sugar and firmly press and rub the salt in, getting as much sugar and salt to absorb into the meat as possible. Flip the belly over so that the fat side is up and repeat this coating process with the remaining 60 percent of the curing salt, spice powder, brown sugar, and kosher salt.
3. Wrap the belly in several layers of plastic wrap; or place it in a food-safe plastic bag, squeeze out as much air as possible, and tie it closed. (This is how Ben does it.) Refrigerate the wrapped belly on the baking sheet with the fat side up for 5 days.
4. Slice the cured belly into 4 equal slabs, about 2 ½ pounds each.
5. Set up a stovetop smoker with the wood chips scattered on the bottom and the drip tray set on top. Wrap the wire rack in aluminum foil and set it over the drip tray. Working with one slab of belly at a time, place the belly on the foil-wrapped rack, close the lid of the smoker tightly, and turn the burner to medium-low. Smoke the belly for 20 minutes, then open the smoker lid, flip the belly over, and smoke it on the other side for an additional 20 minutes. At this point, check whether the belly is easily pierced with a meat fork. If it is, then remove it from the smoker. If not, flip the belly again and continue smoking until it is easily pierced. Remove the bacon from the smoker, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Repeat this process with the 3 remaining slabs of belly.

Storing: Refrigerate for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 1 year.

Gift Card: This homemade spiced bacon was smoked on [give date] and can be enjoyed for up to 1 month, kept in the refrigerator, or 1 year if frozen. Slice it into ¼-inch-thick slices and pan-fry for breakfast. It is also delicious wrapped around a grilled filet mignon, and it makes the best BLT you’ll ever taste!

Gift-Giving Tips: Wrap each slab of bacon tightly in plastic wrap, and then wrap neatly with butcher paper. Tie each package with raffia or ribbon and attach a gift card. To turn this into a gift basket, consider including a dozen brown eggs fresh from the farmers’ market and a breakfast-appropriate loaf of artisan bread. To make the gift more elaborate, include a butcher-block cutting board and a slicing knife, or see page 161 for a gift kit idea.

The saying goes, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” We say, “When you are handed lemons, make limoncello and lemonade.” It takes 15 lemons to make limoncello, and since only the peel is used, that leaves all the fruit to juice for a refreshingly large pitcher of homemade lemonade—that’s the beauty of making limoncello in the summer! In addition, since it takes 40 to 80 days for the mixture to infuse, if you make it over the summer you’ll have bottles of limoncello ready for holiday gift giving. Use the freshest, most blemish-free, most fully ripe lemons you can find. In addition, buy organic ones if possible. Since the limoncello is made from the lemon peel, you want to make sure they haven’t been coated or sprayed with pesticides.

Ingredients
15 organic lemons
2 (750-milliliter) bottles 151- or 190-proof grain alcohol, such as Everclear (see page 182)
4 cups granulated sugar
9 ½ cups water

Implements
1-Gallon Glass Jar, Vegetable Peeler, Long Wooden Spoon, Measuring Cups, Large Saucepan, Four (1-Liter) Glass Bottles, Fine-Mesh Strainer or Coffee Filter, Large Bowl, Narrow-Neck Funnel, Ladle

Prep Time: 15 minutes  |  Infusing Time: 40 to 80 days  |  Makes four (1-liter) bottles of limoncello

1. Wash a 1-gallon glass jar and lid in hot, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Alternatively, run the jar and lid through the regular cycle of your dishwasher.
2. Scrub the lemons in warm water and pat dry. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from each lemon in wide strips. Be careful not to remove the white pith, which will impart a bitter flavor to the limoncello.
3. Place the lemon peels in the prepared jar. Pour in 1 bottle of the alcohol, and push down the lemon peels with a wooden spoon to completely submerge them in the liquid. Tightly secure the lid, and set the jar in a cool, dark place to steep. Stirring is not necessary.
4. After 20 or 40 days, add the second bottle of alcohol to the mixture. Place the sugar and 7½ cups of the water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Decrease to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes to ensure that all the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool.
5. When the sugar syrup is completely cool, add it to the lemon and alcohol mixture in the jar. Tightly secure the lid, and return the jar to a cool, dark place to steep for an additional 20 to
   40 days. Over time, the liquid will absorb the flavor from the lemon peels and turn bright yellow in color.
6. To bottle, first wash the bottles in hot, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Alternatively, run the bottles through the regular cycle of your dishwasher.
7. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer, or coffee filter set in a strainer, into a large bowl. Add 1 2/3 cups of water to the limencello if you used 151-proof grain alcohol; add 2 cups of water if you used 190-proof. (Note: The addition of the water will turn the liquid cloudy and pale yellow in color. This is the desired outcome.) Let it rest for a moment so that any remaining sediment will fall to the bottom of the bowl.
8. Using a narrow-neck funnel, ladle the limoncello into the prepared bottles, leaving 1 inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean, secure the lids, and label.

Storing: Store the bottles in a cool, dark place, or keep in the freezer until ready to serve. Limoncello will keep for several years.

Gift Card: This homemade Limoncello was bottled on [give date] and can be enjoyed for several years to come. Store it in the freezer, and enjoy it as a refreshing liqueur to sip after dinner.

Gift-Giving Tips: Tie each bottle with raffia or ribbon and attach a gift card. To turn this into a gift basket, add a set of cordial glasses.

Who doesn’t want to wake up to a homemade food gift? Imagine brightening someone’s morning with yummy, ready-to-eat breakfast or brunch fare. There is a bounty of recipes in Gifts Cooks Love that would be ideal to package and expand into a larger gift: the Meyer Lemon Curd; the Orange-Cardamom Marmalade; the Boysenberry and Lemon Verbena Jam; the Salmon Gravlax; Benny’s Bacon; the Mini Apricot and Crystallized Ginger Quick Breads; the Jalapeño and Cheddar Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter; the Coconut Granola Crunch; and the Mexican Drinking Chocolate.

As a thank-you gift, Benny’s Bacon, wrapped in butcher paper and tied with butcher’s twine and accompanied by brown eggs from the farmers’ market, could be packaged in a large cast-iron skillet and wrapped with a colorful kitchen towel.

Heading to a friend’s home for the weekend? Bring a teatime offering of Meyer Lemon Curd or Orange-Cardamom Marmalade packaged with scones or even a scone mix, a porcelain teapot, and a selection of herbal teas. Consider a breakfast basket overflowing with Coconut Granola Crunch, a set of bistro-style breakfast bowls, containers of yogurt, and fresh fruit. Boysenberry and Lemon Verbena Jam and a crusty loaf of artisan bread ready for toasting would certainly be another breakfast favorite.

Mini Apricot and Crystallized Ginger Quick Breads, a favorite to make at holiday time, would be a welcome hostess gift packaged in a rustic, earthenware bread basket lined with a tea towel and tied with a coordinating bow. Another holiday favorite is to give the Mexican Drinking Chocolate along with a set of festive red cappuccino cups. Any time of year, the Jalapeño and Cheddar Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter, baked and delivered in a cast-iron skillet, would also delight a host.

For the late sleepers in your life, for whom breakfast looks more like brunch, let them wake up to a Scandinavian or Jewish meal of Salmon Gravlax, artisan cream cheese, and either bagels or rye flatbreads. Package it all in a rustic bread basket; or you could arrange the salmon on a wooden board and include a decorative slicing knife and spreader, wrapping the gift  in cellophane with the spreader tied into the bow.

Recipes
Meyer Lemon Curd on page 57
Orange-Cardamom Marmalade on page 63
Boysenberry and Lemon Verbena Jam on page 67
Salmon Gravlax on page 79
Benny’s Bacon on page 81
Mini Apricot and Crystallized Ginger Quick Breads on page 93
Jalapeño and Cheddar Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter on page 105
Coconut Granola Crunch on page 119
Mexican Drinking Chocolate on page 171