Recipe for the Perfect Christmas Gift

Still  looking  for  a  little  Christmas  gift  inspiration?  Then  read  this lovely  guest  post  by  my  good  friend,  Ellen  Dean...

Credit: Ideal Bookshelf 506, Cooking by Jane Mount

1. The  Cooking  revolution

As I rush around like a maniac completing my Christmas shopping last minute, I grudgingly access advice from some smug YouTube ‘5th dan’ shopper. Yes shopper, we all know CD sales are falling and most people, like me, find their entertainment online; all things considered, who has time for books these days? However one type of book apparently remains an acceptable, albeit traditional gift. Among mass online migration, the plucky little cookbook is standing strong; sales are on the rise and have been ever since 2001. ‘Today, if we cook, we Google it”, says writer and cook school owner Prue Leith, be we don’t simply stick to the screen: “New cookbooks lie on the coffee table and we drool over Tuscan landscapes and rustic ovens. Before ordering in a pizza”. Prue may not quite have that 'bake off buzz' but social media is literally bursting with bloggers, instagrammers and jam-packed with youtubers, sharing pics of mouth-watering morsels they have whipped up in an afternoon, all spurred on by their latest recipe book purchase, and although this should all be taken with a pinch of salt (excuse the pun), we have seemingly become a nation of pretty decent chefs.