Best Cookbooks Christmas 2026

GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS 2026

BIRTHDAYS TOO !!!

"MERRY CHRISTMAS"

2026

GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS

AMERICA'S FAVORITE

ITALIAN COOKBOOK

SUNDAY SAUCE

alla BELLINO alla PACINO

CLEMENZA SUNDAY SAUCE

GOODFELLAS SUGO di PRIGIONE

And MUCH More  ....

AMAZON.com

 

MASTERING The ART of FRENCH COOKING

by JILIA CHILD - COMPLETE 2 VOLUME SET

One of The GREATEST COOKBOOKS of ALL-TIME

And The BEST COOKBOOK for AMERICANS

WANTING to COOK WONDERFUL FRENCH FOOD

AMAZON.com

The JOY of COOKING

If YOU COULD ONLY HAVE 1 COOKBOOK

"THIS WOULD BE IT"

With EVERY RECIPE YOU MIGHT EVER NEED

SOUPS - SAUCE - MEAT - POULTYR - FISH

DESSERTS : COOKIES - CAKES -PIES

And More ....

AMAZON.com

Since its original publication, Joy of Cooking has been the most authoritative cookbook in America the one upon which millions of cooks have confidently relied for more than sixty-five years. It's the book your grandmother and mother probably learned to cook from, the book you gave your sister when she got married. This, the first revision in more than twenty years, is better than ever.

The ITALIAN NONNA COOKBOOK

The HOTTEST NEW ITALIAN COOKBOOK - 2026

The ITALIAN NONNA COOKBOOK

"COOK LIKE a NONNA"

PASTA - ANTIPASTI - SOUPS - DESSERTS

CHICKEN - MEAT & FISH

100 ITALIAN NONNA RECIPES

From ITALY & AMERICA

AMAZON.com

ESSENTIALS of CLASSIC ITALIAN COOKING

by MARCELLA HAZAN

The DEFINING BOOK of ITALIAN COOKING

AMAZON.com 

The COMPLETE

AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN COOKBOOK

GREAT ALL AROUND COOKBOOK

AMAZON.com

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS

The FEAST of The 7 FISH

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS

AMAZON.com

La Vigila "THE FEAST of The 7 FISH" is The Southern Italian Ritual Christmas Eve Meal of 7 Fish, Representing The 7 Sacraments of Holy The Roman Catholic Church .. This Meal is a Sacred Ritual of The South of Italy and Italian-Americans in New York, New Jersey, Boston, Providence, San Francisco, New Orleans, Philly and Pittsburgh. And You'd be surprised to know that it is Mostly of The South of Italy and of Italian-America and that many Italians from Central Italy to The North have do not partake of This Great Traditional Feast as it is mainly of The South. Have You ever wanted to Make or Eat one, but Don't Know Where to Start? The Know-How is mostly Passed Down in Families from one Generation to the Next and Not Much Has Been Written on This Great Subject. Not Until Now anyway with the Publication of This Book by Daniel Bellino Zwicke. You'll Find Everything You Need to Know to Partake, Make, and Eat this Most Important Meal of The Italian Calender Year The FEAST of THE 7 FISH, known in Italy as Festa di Sette Pesci.. The Book contains Stories, Recipes, and Instructions on How to Make This Great Feast, Your Very Own "FEAST of SEVEN FISHES" so Cook, Make, and Partake, and Mangia Bene. The FEAST of The 7 FISH by Daniel Bellino is an Amazon Best Seller and Top Book of this eclusive Genre of The Feast of The Seven Fishes. 

Buon Appetito e Mangia Bene !

    ... Daniel Bellino Zwicke ....

The SINATRA COOKBOOK

SINATRA SAUCE

The SINATRA COOKBOOK

COOK & EAT LIKE FRANK

His FAVORITE ITALIAN RECIPES

And RESTAURANTS He ATE AT

AVAILABLE on  AMAZON.com

SINATRA SAUCE

Sinatra Sauce "Music Metaballs & Merriment" and Living The Good Life. "Like Frank" .. Yes, it's about Frank. That is one Francis Albert Sinatra, the Greatest Singer of The 20th Century, and Icon of American, especially of the Italian-American Enclave in America. Frank Sinatra was many things, first and foremost a Great Italian-American singer, Love & Adored by Millions. Mr. Sinatra was also an actor, citizen, and Entertainer Par Excellence. Yes this book is about those things, Frank Sinatra : the incomparable singer, actor, recording artist, Teen Idol of the 1940s, philanthropist, and Las Vegas & Nightclub Entertainer. He was like no other, Sinatra was one-of-a- kind, and he had a lust for life, “Hanging with Friends,” - sipping cocktails, with good food, and making good times. That's what this book is about, Frank Sinatra, eating (Italian Food), enjoying a cocktail or two, and the company of family and friends. Yes, Frank Sinatra lived life to its fullest. He wouldn't have it any other way, but "His Way." 

This book “Inspires” and gives you the tools to live out your Sinatra Dreams. You can make it reality, with recipes of Frank’s Favorite Italian Foods, Pasta, Meatballs, Posillipo, Eggplant Parm and more. Eating, drinking, and having good times, all the time as Frank did. Meals with friends and family. Meals you can cook, with recipes in this book. The info and recipes are all here in Sinatra Sauce. Read it, put on some Sinatra (music), cook, eat, and create memorable times at the table, just like Frank. That’s what this book is about: Sinatra, Family, Friends, and Good Times. “The Best is Yet to Come”

TRIBUTE to ANTHONY BOURDAIN

ANTHONY BOURDAIN

TRIBUTE COFFEE MUG

BOURDAIN COFFEE MUG - ETSY

"ANTHONY_BOURDAIN" TRIBUTE "Limited Edition" COFFEE Mug - Created by the artist Bellino from his original Art Piece "Anthony Bourdain 56" Tribute Painting
The piece includes bowls of Pho (Tony's Favorite) - Anthony Bourdain Quotes like - "Pork Fat Rules" - FoodPorn & "Enjoy The Ride"
If you're a Bourdain Fan, or know one who is - This is the Perfect "Gift" - ANTHONY_BOURDAIN_ Tribute Tee SHIRT

MAKES a WONDERFUL GIFT for BIRTHDAYS, CHRISTMAS & All Occasions. - "GET YOURS TODAY" !!! 

A TRIBUTE to TONY

COFFEE MUG

CHRISTMAS COOKIES

COOKIE CRAFT CHRISTMAS

COOKBOOK

AMAZON.com

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The JOY of COOKING

"If You Could Only Have One Cookbook?"

THIS WOULD BE IT

Why it's a classic: It's THE all-purpose cookbook for everything from boiling eggs to making chocolate cake. If you're looking for a specific recipe, chances are it's in this book.

It’s an encyclopedia, in an age where we rely on Google for such things. But when I was writing a Bon Appétit article on a specific ingredient lately, the entry in the Joy of Cooking glossary had more than anything I found online, with cited sources. I’m not kidding! The recipes have expanded, so there’s not as much squirrel, but there are Korean short ribs and chickpea pancakes and Japanese okonomiyaki. If there’s a newer cook in your life who doesn’t already have an earlier edition, now’s the time to induct them into the Joy of Cooking cult.

AMAZON.com

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Mastering The Art of French Cooking

Julia Child

And Simone Beck

"ONE of THE GREAT COOKBOOKS of ALL-TIME"

IT'S The DEFINING BOOK of FRENCH CUISINE For AMERICANS"

GET THIS GREAT CLASSIC COOKBOOK at AMAZON.com

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ESSENTIALS of CLASSIC ITALIAN COOKING

Marcella Hazan

"It's Considered by Most, to Be The Encyclopedia of Italian Cooking"

And if you Could Only have One Italian Cookbook ? This Would Be It

Available on AMAZON.com

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The REAL DOWNTON ABBEY 

CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK  

Amazon.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS !

From  AMAZON

Amazon

ROSE'S CHRISTMAS COOKIES COOKBOOK

Since its 1990 publication, Rose's Christmas Cookies has been a phenomenal success. Who can resist Chocolate-Dipped Melting Moments Cookies or moist Mini-Cheesecakes with Lemon Curd . . . or David Shamah's Jumbles, a fabulous cross between a chocolate-chip cookie and a chunky candy bar bursting with raisins, chocolate chips, and pecans. Whether you need a cookie to decorate your tree or grace your mantelpiece (cookies like Stained Glass or Christmas Wreaths), a sweet to send (Mahogany Butter Crunch Toffee, Maple Macadamia Bars), or a special holiday treat for your dinner party (Praline Truffle Cups, Chocolate-Pistachio Marzipan Spirals), you'll find that perfect something here. Complete with 60 cookie recipes and a color photograph of each cookie for handy reference, this easy-to-use and fun-to-read book will result in scrumptious, festive, and splendid-looking cookies every time.

 

GETS IT on Amazon

AMAZON.com

The NEW BASICS COOKBOOK

EVERYTHING YOU NEED

It's the 1.8-million-copy bestselling cookbook that's become a modern-day classic. Beginning cooks will learn how to boil an egg. Experienced cooks will discover new ingredients and inspired approaches to familiar ones. Encyclopedic in scope, rich with recipes and techniques, and just plain fascinating to read, The New Basics Cookbook is the indispensable kitchen reference for all home cooks. This is a basic cookbook that reflects today's kitchen, today's pantry, today's taste expectations. A whimsically illustrated 875-recipe labor of love, The New Basics features a light, fresh, vibrantly flavored style of American cooking that incorporates the best of new ingredients and cuisines from around the world. Over 30 chapters include Fresh Beginnings; Pasta, Pizza, and Risotto; Soups; Salads; every kind of Vegetable; Seafood; The Chicken and the Egg; Grilling from Ribs to Surprise Paella; Grains; Beef; Lamb, Pork; Game; The Cheese Course, and Not Your Mother's Meatloaf. Not to mention 150 Desserts! Plus, tips, lore, menu ideas, at-a-glance charts, trade secrets, The Wine Dictionary, a Glossary of Cooking Terms, The Panic-Proof Kitchen, and much more.

Get it on Amazon

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GOT ANY KAHLUA ?

The COLLECTED RECIPES of The DUDE

aka The BIG LEBOWSKI COOKBOOK

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We all just love the greatest Cult Movie of all-time, The Big Lebowski, and just had to include it in our list. And since we're talking about cookbooks, there's only one possibility, and that's Got Any Kahlua ? aka The Big Lebowski Cookbook. The book, has been ingeniously written by Daniel Zwicke, who has filled the book with satirical humor with great recipes pertaining to The Dude and all the cast of characters from the movie. There's a recipe for Maude's Meatloaf, Walter Jewish Penicillin (Chicken Soup) Dude's Cowboy Chili, the perfect White Russian Cocktail, and more. 

We just Love this book and it's many tasty recipes that we're sure all Achievers (Fans of The Dude) will Abide by. The recipes are geared to be easy to make, they are economical (Dudes Unemployed), and of course tasty as can be.

So if your one of those Millions of Fans of The Dude and his movie, The Big Lebowski, or you no someone who is, Got Any Kahlua, The Big Lebowski Cookbook is a book for you.

Abide in it. 

Available on Amazon.com

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"MERRY CHRISTMAS" !!!!

And Happy Holidays

From All of Us

To All of You

Peace on Earth

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Sunday Sauce

CLEMENZA Making SAUCE

The GODFATHER

 

SUNDAY SAUCE

  Of all the fine traditions of the Italian-American enclave in the United States, the Sunday afternoon ritual of making and eating a Sunday Sauce, a.k.a. “Gravy” is Italian-America’s most Time-Honored of all. Mamma, Grandma (Nonna), whoever will make their celebrated “Sunday Sauce” and all is glorious. Sunday Sauce? What is it? Well, first off, Sunday Sauce, or as many of us call it, Gravy or simply “Sauce,” is without question thee number -1 undisputed “Supreme Dish” of our great Italian-American Cuisine and the Italian-American community as a whole. “It doesn’t get any better than gathering with family and making a Sunday Sauce on Sunday” Ok, now, to be more specific for those who may not know about Sunday Sauce (Gravy), there are a number of variations on the theme. Most Sunday Sauces are made with Italian Sausages, Braciole, and Meatballs. Some people make their versions with; Beef or Pork Neck, while others make their Gravy (Sunday Sauce) with just Sausage and Meatballs, like Peter Clemenza in Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic film, The Godfather. The most popular version of Sunday Sauce is with Sausages & Meatballs. Some may throw in chicken thighs or a piece of beef chuck, or veal shank into this mix, and braciole might go in as well. A Sunday Sauce can be made with any combination of these aforementioned meats. The meats are slowly simmered for several hours in a “Sauce” made with tomatoes, minced onions, and garlic. I generally like to make my Sunday Sauce Gravy with; Sausages, Meatballs, and Pork Ribs. Other times I’ll make it with Sausage, Meatballs, and Braciole, or just Meatballs & Sausages like Clemenza.

  An old tradition in some families is that mother or nonna would start the Sauce early on a Sunday morning, get all the ingredients in the pot and start the Gravy simmering away for an hour or so on top of the stove. She’ll then put it in the oven for a couple hours while everyone goes to Church. When you get back home, the Sauce will be ready. “Ready to be devoured, that is!”

  Our family would usually start our Sunday meal with the most traditional Italian-American-Antipasto of roast peppers, Salami, Olives, Celery, and Provolone. After that, it’s on to the Main Event of Maccheroni and Sunday Sauce, a dish which is something so blissfully pleasing that no one can resist.

 When a meal centered around a Sunday Sauce is announced, one can have visions of Blissful Ecstasy at the thoughts of eating maccheroni dressed in sauce and laden with all those tasty meats : Sausages, Meatballs, Beef Braciola, and succulent Pork Ribs. All this has been slowly simmered to culinary perfection. Yes, just the thoughts can enrapture one into a delightful frenzy of the most blissful feelings imaginable.  The smelling, seeing, and consuming of all those tasty ingredients? It’s one of the World’s loveliest feelings of all, and not everyone experiences it. Eating Sunday Sauce. Yes, a Sunday Sauce can and does have such effects on one’s mind, body, and soul. And, I do not want to sound prejudiced, but this is pure fact, it is the Male of the Italian-American species who Love The Sunday Sauce most. It’s True! We also cherish Meatballs, and Meatball Parm Sandwiches as well. Thai is all part of the Italian-American culture.

 The Sunday Sauce that my mother would make was with Meatballs and Beef Braciole. My memories are vivid watching my mother stuffing the Braciole with garlic, parsley, Pecorino Romano, and Pignoli Nuts, then tying the bundles with butcher's cord to hold the Braciole together as they slowly simmered in the Gravy. Another fond memory was helping my mother roll and shape the Meatballs.

  As for me, my Sunday Sauce can vary depending on my mood. One thing I love to do when making my sauce is to add Pork Spareribs to the Gravy. Gravy by the way is what many people in the New York, New Jersey (Soprano Territory) area call Sunday Sauce, particularly in Brooklyn and South Philly. Not many people make their Sunday Sauce with the Pork Ribs, but to me they are phenomenal, and anyone who tries them, they are immediately hooked. As I think back, none of the ladies in our family put Pork Spare Ribs into their Gravy. I guess I read or heard about some people doing it, and I believe it was about 15 years ago or so that I started adding the Ribs into my Sauce. I haven’t looked back ever since. Ribs in the Garvy (Sauce)? “I love them.” And whomever I serve them to, go nuts for them as well. Without question they are one of the tastiest thinks you well ever eat. This is fact, there’s nothing better then pork spare ribs slowly cooked in sauce.    

  Yes, whenever I make my sauce with Pork Ribs, my friends go nuts for them, and most are surprised, as they might never have had Ribs in a Sunday Sauce before. They didn’t know that you could? Put Pork Ribs i n sauce.  Sunday Sauce, the best thing ever. 

  The ribs are traditional with some but not all. It is quite a shame for those who don’t add the ribs as they give the sauce a quite wonderful flavor, and the ribs themselves, “Yumm.” The ribs that simmer long and slow become quite tender. They are succulent and juicy, and they “Melt-in-Your-Mouth.” 

   Whenever I make the Sauce, and I’m dishing it out to friends and family, I always make sure that I have my fair share of the Ribs. These Sunday Sauce Ribs are literally “Out-of-this-World.” And what to serve with the Sunday Sauce you ask? Any short Maccheroni such as Rigatoni, Ziti, or Cavatelli are best.

  The rituals of cooking, serving, and eating Sunday Sauce is a time honored one. It is quite a beautiful thing, same as making a Mole in Mexico, Cassoulet in France or Paella in Spain. They are all wonderful things of beauty. They delight man's every sensory perception; sight, smell, taste, and feel. First, you probably smell the sauce's heady aroma wafting through the air. The smell of a Sunday Sauce is oh so intoxicating - it immediately gets your juices flowing. So to speak. Once you smell it, you want it, and can’t wait to sink your teeth into it. Second, you will see it in all its gloriousness. You will then eat, whereupon you taste and feel and experience one of Italian-America’s greatest pleasures, the Sunday Sauce Italian Gravy. It is without question, the greatest of all pleasures of the Italian-American experience. “Nothing beats Sunday Sauce (Gravy).” A Sunday Sauce (Gravy) takes time and effort to make. It is made and served with Love. All these great dishes bring together friends and family, and for Italian-Americans, Sunday Sauce is King of all dishes. 

   If you utter the term Sunday Sauce or “Gravy” to any number of millions of Italian-Americans, they will immediately start salivating at the simple mention of its name. The wheels start turning in their heads, with thoughts of how tasty it is, with its various components; the Meatballs, Sausages, Braciole. Maybe it has Ribs, pork neck, or Pig Skin Braciole (Coteca). And maccheroni. Maccheroni (pasta) and all those tasty meats. They think about these things, and sitting at the table, enjoying the company of friends - family, the people they love. They’ll ponder the Antipasti, wondering what it might be; mixed Salumi, Baked Clams, Grilled Calamari? And with the meal, there will surely be wine. Italian Wine. Maybe a nice Chianti? Or perhaps Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. With Uncle Frank and Uncle Tony, the wine was usually Carlo Rossi Paisano or Gallo Hearty Burgundy. Nothing else. It was always, one or the other, from these two solid Italian-American Winemakers. 

  When thinking of a Sunday Sauce, you’ll think about the warmth in the air, of loved ones, Sinatra, Dino, and the Sunday Sauce itself. The world's tastiest dish! If you’ve never done it, “Try it!” If you haven’t cooked one for some time, plan a get-together with friends and family, soon. Sunday Sauce, It brings people together, in a most delightful way. And as the Big Boys would say, “It’s a Beautiful Thing.”

       …. Daniel Bellino Zwicke ….

Excerpted from SUNDAY SAUCE - by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

On Amazon.com

SUNDAY SAUCE

alla BELLINO alla PACINO

AMErICA'S FAVORITE ITALIAN COOKBOOK

AMAZON.com

CLEMENZA SHOWS MICHAEL

HOW to MAKE SAUCE 

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