Buy the book: Cookbooks remain a coveted holiday gift

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001 | 8:34 a.m.

Tis the season to purchase cookbooks, and the shelves of bookstores are overflowing. It would appear that every celebrity chef and celebrated restaurant owner has produced a cookbook this year. Emeril Lagasse, Jacques Pepin, Charlie Trotter, Alfred Portale, Mark Bittman, Lidia Bastianich, Gordon Ramsay, Claudia Fleming and Gale Gand are just a few who debuted new editions.

Some are meant to decorate a coffee table and are more for looking at than for cooking. Others are treasures filled with recipes that can be duplicated by aspiring cooks, as well as those who have gone well beyond the basics.

Some are single-subject cookbooks. Baking is at the top of the list. In these troubled times the slogan, "Nothin' says lovin' like somethin' from the oven," demonstrates more than ever the appeal of heartwarming food for both the cook and those who devour the endless amounts of homemade goodies. Surely cookies fresh from the oven are better for reducing stress than any prescribed stress-buster.

Trying to choose a gift from the vast number of new cookbooks isn't easy. Take the time to thoroughly peruse any cookbook before purchasing. A flashy cover may be pretty to look at, but it's the contents that count. Here are a number of suggestions from the current crop: