Pros: Amazing bread; very detailed instructions; incredibly easy
Cons: Doesn’t work as well with whole grains
Rating: 5 out of 5

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Pros: Solidly good recipes; good layout
Cons: No photos; some unbalanced flavors
Rating: 4 out of 5

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Pros: Time-saving mix recipes; some delicious recipes
Cons: At least one glaring mistake; I was hoping for more versatile mixes
Rating: 4 out of 5

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Pros: A wide variety of good game recipes; clear layout; great tips
Cons: Some not-so-great recipes; no photos; dubious “low fat” designations
Rating: 4 out of 5

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Here we are: our third annual recommendations for what to buy your favorite cook for the holidays; while I review a bit of everything, I seem to end up reviewing the widest variety in cookbooks, making it a great topic for this sort of post. Not all of these will be things we’ve reviewed over this last year; sometimes we delve into times past for old favorites, or even give you a sneak peek at things we’re just about to review but haven’t yet. I didn’t review much cookware this year, so most of the recommendations will be for cookbooks.

Chocolate-related books, of course, make wonderful gifts. Nearly everyone associates chocolate with special occasions, and almost everyone loves it. Along these lines, I simply must suggest the following:

• The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook—a delightful, perfectly gift-sized, delicious morsel of a cookbook bound to please your favorite chocolate lover.
• Michael Turback’s Mocha—an extravagant, adventurous collection of chocolate-and-coffee drinks and desserts.
• Michael Turback’s Hot Chocolate—the most incredible exploration of this delightful drink I can imagine.

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Pros: Some wonderfully healthy vegetarian soups in here; easel format saves space
Cons: Didn’t wow me like some of Mollie Katzen’s other cookbooks; easel format is awkward
Rating: 3 out of 5

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Pros: Absolutely delicious food; many wonderful recipes
Cons: Some difficulties scaling down from inn-sized recipes; no food photos
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Pros: Delightful range of fit-for-the-holidays recipes
Cons: Be ready to pack on the holiday pounds!
Rating: 5 out of 5

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Pros: Delicious; adventurous; beautiful photos
Cons: Helps to have a well-stocked bar!
Rating: 5 out of 5

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Pros: Delicious; delightful; beautiful photos
Cons: FATTENING
Rating: 5 out of 5

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