Holiday Gift Guide 2018

9 Pacific Northwest Cookbooks for Food-Loving Friends

It is a truth universally acknowledged that all people love food and, by extension, cookbooks. Bequeath the gift of good eats this season.

By Jaime Archer December 3, 2018

Seattle Cooks: Signature Recipes from the City's Best Chefs and Bartenders by Julien Perry

From the city's best restaurants—newcomers and dearly departed alike—Julien Perry rounds up signature dishes like Dahlia Lounge's Dungeness crab cakes, Hello Robin's oatmeal cookies, and E. Smith Mercantile's smoky martini. Figure 1 Publishing, $38.

With Courtesy Figure 1 Publishing

The New Rules of Coffee: A Modern Guide for Everyone by Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen

All right, coffee might be Seattle's thing, but Portland knows a thing or two about our signature beverage. Written by PDX-based Sprudge founders Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen, The New Rules of Coffee delves into everything from storing and serving to roasting and brewing. Ten Speed Press, $15.

Photography by Courtesy Penguin Random House

Pasta, Pretty Please: A Vibrant Approach to Handmade Noodles by Linda Miller Nicholson

This isn't your grandma's pasta: Linda Miller Nicholson is making noodles for the Instagram generation, all dyed with natural colors. William Morrow Cookbooks, $29.

With Courtesy HarperCollins Publishers

Wine Food: New Adventures in Drinking and Cooking by Dana Frank and Andrea Slonecker

Dana Frank caters to those of us who are just as interested in the wine pairing as the food. Brunches, veggie dishes, and picnics are accompanied by wine styles and three to eight suggested producers so readers don't have to track down rare oeno finds. Lorena Jones Books, $25.

With Courtesy Penguin Random House

Let's Stay In: More than 120 Recipes to Nourish the People You Love by Ashley Rodriguez

Pretty food isn't just an Instagram fantasy, at least not in Rodriguez's second cookbook. With menus for events like Christmas tea and family movie night, Let's Stay In has recipes for everything from fancy quesadillas to spiced raisin scones. Running Press Adult, $15.

With Courtesy Running Press Adult

Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables by Joshua McFadden with Martha Holmberg

Six Seasons might not be a brand-new find, but what it lacks in novelty it makes up for in vegetable mastery. For real: The book won a James Beard award. McFadden penned a whopping 225 recipes, beginning each chapter/season with raw dishes and then moving towards sautés, braises, and stews. Artisan/Workman Publishing, $35.

With Courtesy Workman Publishing

Cooking from Scratch: 120 Recipes for Colorful, Seasonal Food from PCC Community Markets by PCC Community Markets

Jill Lightner's had a busy year: Not only did she pen her own cookbook, but she also edited this 120-recipe tome from PCC Community Markets, which features some of their most popular dishes. Emerald City Salad, anyone? Sasquatch Books, $25.

With Courtesy Sasquatch Books

Home Cooking with Kate McDermott by Kate McDermott

Finally ready to crack down and roast a chicken? Or make homemade soup? McDermott pens hearty food recipes for the home cook as well as anecdotes on "wuzbands" (ex-husbands) and motherhood. Countryman Press, $30.

With Courtesy Countryman Press

Scraps, Peels, and Stems: Recipes and Tips for Rethinking Food Waste at Home by Jill Lightner

This cookbook was made for that friend who's actually committed to New Year's resolutions. Do they want to reduce food waste? Save money? Eat healthier? Scraps, Peels, and Stems checks all those boxes with more than 70 recipes, plus tips on saving money, meal planning, and composting. Mountaineers Books/Skipstone, $23.

With Courtesy Mountaineers Books

Black Friday's come and gone, and holiday shopping season is in full force. Don't panic. If you're drawing a blank on what to get your work wife, great aunt, or boyfriend's parents, these cookbooks from local authors are here to answer your shopping prayers.

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9 Pacific Northwest Cookbooks for Food-Loving Friends

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