Give the Gift of Kitchen Smarts

You avoided the Black Friday sales and managed to focus on work all of Cyber Monday, and what do you have to show for it? You haven't put a dent in your holiday gift buying, that's what! Lucky for you, we have lots of suggestions for the cooks, bakers and cocktailers on your list. Last week we covered nine cookbooks and this week, we're back with more.

Tonight you can shop and get your drink on over at the Palace Ballroom. Their annual Cookbook Social is from 4-7 pm and $20 gets you a glass of wine and samples of dishes cooked by 13 local cookbook authors. Books (and more booze) will be for sale.

Tom's Big Dinners: Big-Time Home Cooking for Family and Friends (by Tom Douglas, hardcover $32.95)

Packed with recipes for everything from refined dinners to down-home cooking, this Tom Douglas cookbook brings the expertise of his restaurant kitchens to your home. Like his other cookbooks, Big Dinners showcases a bounty of seafood and other Northwest ingredients, while also including recipes for Boston Baked Beans and Collard Greens. There are photos of some of the cooking techniques, like how to de-vein shrimp, but I wish there were more. Like how to clean a Dungeness crab.There are great suggestions for wine pairings however, as well as great additions of wine into some recipes, like a homemade Balsamic-style vinegar made with Merlot. All in all, this book inspires readers to host big parties, with good friends and great food.

Give: Perfect for the host with the most...for ongoing inspiration.

The Newlywed Kitchen: Delicious Meals for Couples Cooking Together (by Lorna Yee and Ali Basye, $22.95)

This fun book geared at new couples, weaves stories and advice from seasoned couples alongside recipes like Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup and Coconut Curry Crab. There are plenty of modern variations on traditional classics as well, such as chicken pot pie, meatloaf, lasagna, and potato salad, all designed to serve two. The book is broken into clever chapters like "For Better or For Worse," which includes budget options for salads, soups and sandwiches. Not all options are budget friendly, but all offer up the promise that couples that cook together, stay together.

Give: Newlyweds and other lovebirds.