Cookbooks For All Occasions

Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make

by: Karen Tack, Alan Richardson

Amazon Price: $7.00 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $15.95

No baking skills or fancy pastry equipment is required! Anyone can make them.

Witty, one-of-a-kind imaginative cupcake designs using candies from the local convenience store. This book has an easy-to-follow techniques, even the most kitchen-challenged cooks can:
- raise a big-top circus cupcake tier for a kid's birthday
- plant candy vegetables on Oreo earth cupcakes for a garden party
- trot out a line of confectionery "pupcakes" for a dog fancier
- serve sausage and pepperoni pizza cupcakes for April Fool's Day
- bewitch trick-or-treaters with chilly ghost chocolate cupcakes
- create holidays on icing with turkey cupcake place cards, a white cupcake Christmas wreath, and Easter egg cupcakes

What's New, Cupcake?: Ingeniously Simple Designs for Every Occasion

by: Karen Tack, Alan Richardson

Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $16.95

The endlessly imaginative duo who turned cupcaking into a national pastime is back, surprise the family with Christmas decorated cupcakes on your dinner party! You'll end up with cupcakes so striking that you won't want to eat them--but so delicious you'll have no choice!

So what is new, Cupcake?

Dozens of "EZ" projects that use just a few ingredients--perfect for kids and parties.
- More pictures, brighter colors, bolder designs.
- More faux-food creations--so real you won't believe they're cupcakes!
- More comical critters and the cutest pets ever!
- More irresistible party centerpieces to celebrate hobbies, from golf to knitting.
- More spectacular holiday cupcakes: Valentine's, Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats

by: Bakerella, Angie Dudley

Amazon Price: $7.74 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $19.95

What's cuter than a cupcake? A cake pop, of course!

Cute little cakes on a stick from decorated balls to more ambitious shapes such as baby chicks, ice cream cones, and even cupcakes these adorable creations are the perfect alternative to cake at any party or get-together. This book shows how easy it is to create amazing threats right at the comfort of your home with step-by-step instructions and photos of more than 40 featured projects, as well as clever tips for presentation, decorating, dipping, coloring and melting chocolate, and much more.

Small Bites

by: Jennifer Joyce

Amazon Price: $11.35 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $22.00

Celebrating the delights of tapas, sushi, dim sum, antipasti, and many other finger foods from around the world, this no-fuss cookbook is packed with ideas for small, healthy, and delectable dishes that are perfect for chic but informal meals, snacks, picnics, or eating on the go.

Hors d'Oeuvres

by: Victoria Blashford-Snell, Eric Treuille

Amazon Price: $8.48 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $14.95

From spicy cilantro shrimp to eggplant caviar crostini, this uniquely practical guide includes full-color, step-by-step instructions to ensure successful party food whatever the occasion.

Bite Size: Elegant Recipes for Entertaining

by: Francois Payard

Amazon Price: $6.81 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $19.99

Easy to make miniature food and many of them can be prepared one day ahead of time and reheated on the day of your Christmas party!

Recipes such as Ratatouille in Parmesan Cups, Chilled Tomato Soup with Guacamole, White Anchovy and Tomato Crostini, Cherry Tomatoes filled with Goat Cheese and many more.

Nigella Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home

by: Nigella Lawson

Amazon Price: $10.32 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $35.00

190 mouth watering and inspiring recipes, including more than 60 express-style recipes (30 minutes or under), Nigella Kitchen offers plenty of choice--from clams with chorizo to Guinness gingerbread, from Asian braised beef shank to chocolate key lime pie, from pasta alla genovese to Venetian carrot cake.

Release Date: 10/12/2010

Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook

by: Jamie Oliver

Amazon Price: $13.97 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $37.50

A conversational style that favors general guidelines over strict instructions-recipes often call for a "knob of butter," a "handful of shelled peas" or "a big handful of freshly grated Parmesan"-Oliver's friendly and enthusiastic approach handily deflates new cook anxiety.

Loaded with photos that cover common skills like cleaning and preparing fresh lobster, discerning degrees of doneness in meat and crafting homemade pasta, Oliver's patient explanations leave little room for confusion. His dishes, many of which are updated versions of classics, are impressive and accessible.

Release Date: 10/02/2007

Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California

by: Giada De Laurentiis

Amazon Price: $17.59 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $35.00

Make a delicious Italian Food at home.

Recipes include: steak involtini; Chianti-marinated stew; pecorino and bean salad; and limoncello granita, as well as a selection of such modern dishes as grilled asparagus and melon salad; pea pesto crostini, and lemon hazelnut tiramisù.

Release Date: 03/30/2010

Christmas with Paula Deen: Recipes and Stories from My Favorite Holiday

by: Paula Deen

Amazon Price: $0.12 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $23.00

Cooks will find the cookies and desserts familiar but richer, like eyebrow-raising but delicious Chocolate Cheese Fudge and creamy Chocolate Sandwich Cookies.

Snacks and breakfast dishes are crowd pleasers, like gooey Praline French Toast Casserole and Cheese-coated Bacon Wraps.

Several pages of baking hints are included, but most of the recipes are simple and straightforward enough, with readily available ingredients, that even novices should be able to put together a generous Christmas spread.

Release Date: 10/30/2007

Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home: 52 Quick Meals to Cook for Family and Friends

by: Martha Stewart

Amazon Price: $4.83 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $35.00

Showcasing 13 menus for each season, Stewart groups recipes into meals, with each including a starter, main course, side dish and dessert. Especially helpful are the preparation schedules that head each menu and provide a to-do list for the entire meal, not just one dish.

Sample menus include spring's salad with fresh mozzarella; turkey and pancetta meatballs; pasta with mint pesto and fava beans; and coffee ice cream affogato.

As a summer dish, one can create a menu of salmon with creamy leeks, dilled rice salad, sugar snap peas with toasted almonds, and raspberry-mint gelatin cups.

For a fall meal, there's warm Swiss chard and bacon dip, braised chicken Marsala, sage polenta, and sautéed pears in honey syrup.

Throughout, Stewart provides helpful hints on a variety of topics such as how to make espresso, roast vegetables and make caramel. She also includes a helpful Basics section that covers how-to instructions for stocks, bread crumbs, toasting nuts and more. Gorgeous full-color photos (225 of them) add to the book's appeal.

Release Date: 10/13/2009

Rachael Ray's Look + Cook

by: Rachael Ray

Amazon Price: $10.10 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $24.99

Cook yummy food all under 30 minutes! Follow Rachael Ray simple recipes and in no time you'll be ready preparing delicious food & entertain your guest on your Christmas dinner / lunch.

Release Date: 11/02/2010

Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Fast-Fix Family Favorites

by: Sandra Lee

Amazon Price: $5.49 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $19.95

Family-friendly meals and flavorful fix-ups that taste like they're made from scratch.

Here you'll find Sandra's all-time favorite quick and easy dinners, lunches, sides, and desserts-breakfast, too.

* Timesaving tips, tricks, and hints for simple serve-alongs, easy entertaining, and quick cleanup
* Comfort food classics, all-American cuisine, ethnic flavors, one-pot wonders, and more

Release Date: 09/02/2008

Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up For--From Asparagus Omelets to Pumpkin Pancakes

by: Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Amazon Price: $7.80 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $19.95

This book includes gluten-free and soy-free recipes. With over 75 recipes suitable for one or to wow a crowd, and gorgeous color photos throughout, Vegan Brunch is the ultimate cookbook for the most important meal of the day.

The Gluten-Free Vegan: 150 Delicious Gluten-Free, Animal-Free Recipes

by: Susan O'Brien

Amazon Price: $9.62 (as of 06/01/2012)

The Gluten-Free Vegan is a groundbreaking cookbook, combining both special diets for healthier, allergy-free eating.

The Gluten-Free Vegan offers solutions for anyone seeking a tasty approach to healthier eating. Quick, easy, and delicious recipes:

Written by a food-allergy sufferer and gourmet cook, this collection includes more than 150 healthy recipes for a wide range of dishes that are both gluten-free and vegan. The cookbook also includes guidelines of each dietary restriction, information on sugars, raw foods and organic foods, advice on ingredient preparation, quick-cooking tips, and resources for easily finding ingredients.

Kristen Suzanne's EASY Raw Vegan Dehydrating: Delicious & Easy Raw Food Recipes for Dehydrating Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, Seeds, Pancakes, Crackers, Breads, Granola, Bars & Wraps

by: Kristen Suzanne

Amazon Price: $7.94 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $7.95

Living a Raw vegan lifestyle does NOT require dehydrating, which is why Kristen Suzanne's EASY Raw Vegan recipe books--other than this one--rarely call for dehydrating.

But if you own a dehydrator, or if you are trying to decide whether or not to buy one, then this book is for you. There are SO many fun and interesting things you can do with dehydrating Raw foods, such as making breads, crackers, wraps, pancakes, granolas, plant leathers (fruit roll-ups, etc.), seasonings, and much more. You can also intensify flavors, add cooked-like textures to your Raw foods, and even serve warm dishes with the food's nutritional integrity totally intact!

Ani's Raw Food Desserts: 85 Easy, Delectable Sweets and Treats

by: Ani Phyo

Amazon Price: $9.75 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $17.95

Recipes include: Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake, Lemon Pudding Filled Coconut Cupcakes with Shaved Coconut Topping, Mango Sorbet on Macaroon Tartlets, Chocolate Crunch Cupcakes with Molten Mint, Fig Tartlets with Frangipane Cream, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Mulberry Pecan Cookies, Spiced Blueberry Cobbler, Pear Ginger Crisp, Nectarine-Raspberry Crumble, and Filled Chocolate Truffles.

Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook

by: Betty Crocker Editors

Amazon Price: $0.01 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $25.95

Betty Crocker's New Christmas Cookbook is a colorful and creative read. At this hectic time of year, cooks can feel safe and secure in the capable hands of Ms. Crocker. Every imaginable Christmas dish is here--cakes, candies, breads, meats, and, thankfully, lots of vegetarian dishes (a group somewhat ignored in many holiday cookbooks). There are also innovative ideas for gift foods and wrapping. Whatever you're aiming for--a huge family feast or a quiet dinner for two--this Christmas book comes highly recommended

The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookbook: The Ultimate in Effortless Holiday Entertaining

by: Marla Tipton

Amazon Price: $10.00 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $14.99

Wonderfully unique, The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookbook will delight your taste buds and make your Christmas season even merrier! Featuring tasty recipes organized into fun categories including "Breads A-Baking," "Soups A-Simmering," "Sides A-Steaming, and "Just for Kids A-Cooking," this big book has you covered for the entire Christmas season and beyond!

Cookie Craft Christmas: Dozens of Decorating Ideas for a Sweet Holiday

by: Janice Fryer, Valerie Peterson

Amazon Price: $3.26 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $14.95

Make every Christmas a cookie craft Christmas! The holidays offer just the right combination of cold weather and family togetherness for cookie crafters to elevate their skills to showstopping new heights. With more than 60 new Christmas cookie designs, along with festive New Year's cookies and lovely Hanukkah treats, Cookie Craft Christmas delivers colorful inspiration to cookie decorators just when they need it most.