If ever there is a time of year to indulge, this is it. If I'm going to buy myself new books or tools, I'll really do it now or in January, when everything is on sale! This is a list of neat stuff I'd love to receive...Lisa Golden Schroeder

NEW BOOKS
Working the Plate: The Art of Food Presentation
By Christopher Styler
Successful cookbook author Styler provides an introduction to the different plating styles used by chefs. He basically deconstructs the art and principles of plating for home cooks by showing chefs demonstrating their skills. A little “accessible inspiration” for those bread-and-butter styling jobs that need just a little twist.

Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon
By Claudia Roden
A wonderful cookbook writer focuses on what she considers the best of Middle Eastern cuisines. A superior culinary travelogue and lovely photos.

Tartine
By Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Roberton
Renowned pastry chefs present their craft, with real-life photos from their bakery in San Francisco. Another excellent offering from Chronicle Books, with a rustic design that enhances the subject matter.

Happy in the Kitchen: The Craft of Cooking, the Art of Eating
By Michel Richard
“In cooking as in love, you have to try new things to keep it interesting.” Or so advises Michel Richard, a master chef and innovator who shares his current culinary sleight of hand with novel techniques.

The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods & Flavors of Africa
By Marcus Samuelsson
Wonderkind Scandinavian chef Samuelsson explores the enormous continent of Africa, complete with incredible photos and insightful recipes and explanations the best of Africa’s cuisines. Named one of Amazon’s Top 50 Books of 2006.

Any books by Jeffery Alford and Naomi Duguid
Hot Sour Salty Sweet, Mangoes & Curry Leaves, or their home baking or award-winning flatbreads book all offer amazing global and home-style photographs of food and cooking.

The Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition
By Irma Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker
Always a great resource for your bookshelf—for classic as well as updated American recipes.
 

SMALL TOOLS/TABLETOP
Joyce Chen scissors
www.jbprince.com
A perennial stylists’ favorite—easy to handle and good blades.

Personal Embosser
www.williams-sonoma.com
Create a personalized embosser for cookbooks or recipes—great for a favorite cook or studio. From the “kitchen of” or “recipe from” stamps are pretty nice gifts that most people wouldn’t buy for themselves.

Ceramic Slicers and Shun Knives
www.williams-sonoma.com
Kyocera ceramic slicers (like mini mandolins, only easier to use) or an ultra-sharp ceramic adjustable veggie peeler make fabulous stylist stocking stuffers or a little something for that gift bag. Or for a few more bucks, look at the Shun Ken 3-inch paring knife—its uniquely shaped blade is precision-sharp and the handle is ergonomically designed to release tension in the hand, wrist, and arm.

Sleek Flatware and Plateware
By Chefs Ferran Adria of El Bulli and Grant Achatz of Alinea
Knives designed for the specific purpose of eating foam give you an idea of what to find throughout Adria “Faces” collection. Achatz’ line, designed with Martin Kastner, brings the playful sculpture-like food delivery and presentation systems he’s known for at Alinea to your dining room. Find these items at www.crucialdetail.com and the “Faces” line is available at Le Sanctuaire in Santa Monica, California.

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