Drink In These Coffee Table Books ? Woman Around Town

My first job in New York was working at a flagship bookstore on Fifth Avenue. This was the place to come to buy the finest, most expensive books on the market. Without thinking about it, my customers would ask me to cut off the price tag before I did the gift wrapping. This always struck me as a silly thing to do, so just before the holidays, I started advising people ?Look, you?re spending a lot of money on this. Why not let the recipient know how much you care? Let me leave on the price tag, and when they open the gift, just say ?I can?t believe it! The salesgirl didn?t remove the price!?? Not one person ever turned down this excellent counsel, so I pass it along to you, Gentle Reader.

Who doesn?t love great food? We may not always be able to eat at the finest places, but with BOUCHON BAKERY, we can vicariously enjoy the mouth-watering baked goods being served. Master Chef Thomas Keller and his pastry chef, Sebastien Rouxel, have written a guide for the everyday lover of muffins, scones, cookies, and the like. There are instructional photos, and mercifully, while Keller and Rouxel are very much in earnest about serving only the best, they don?t take themselves too seriously. Dinner for two at Keller?s Per Se, one of the most highly regarded restaurants in NYC, can easily cost a couple of grand for two people- if you can even get a reservation. Likewise, his revered restaurant the French Laundry, is well worth the hike to Yountville, Ca., but it would be a mistake to show up at the door thinking you?ll get admitted. So here?s a chance for the home cook and gourmet alike on your list to get a scrumptious taste of the master?s handiwork.

And if that?s whet your appetite for gift giving, check out COME IN, WE?RE CLOSED, by Christine Carroll and Jody Eddy. Subtitled ?An invitation to staff meals at the world?s best restaurants,? this is a behind-the-scenes look at food served to the harshest critics in the world- the men and women responsible for creating the meals at the finest restaurants on the globe. These ?family meals,? which are a tradition in France and Japan, are quickly becoming an expected perk for the cooks, waiters, managers, and others who must be knowledgeable about what?s being served. The added bonus is that not only are leftovers being used creatively, but also, a sense of camaraderie is fostered. Twenty-five of the best restaurants in the world are featured, including Ad Hoc, the comfort food destination owned by Thomas Keller himself, in the heart of the Napa Valley. How great would it be to have a special meal with everyone in attendance at 4pm, before the civilians arrive. Chef de Cuisine Dave Cruz states that he always strives to provide ?Nourishment: feeding your body and feeding each other;? that?s what?s most important at these communal meals. Now, we can sit down at that big table, and enjoy with the pros a feast of such delights as fish cheeks, skirt steak stuffed with charred scallions, and chocolate-peanut butter crunch bars. I?m so there!

No two ways about it. For all the music lovers on your list, 360 SOUND: THE COLUMBIA RECORDS STORY is a gift that will be cherished. Pulitzer Prize and Grammy nominated author and historian Sean Wilentz has put together an impressive compilation of 300 pictures of rarely seen photographs, explanations of technical advances in the music industry, and tidbits of information that could only come from dyed-in-the-wool insiders. The roster of artists working under the Columbia label encompasses all genres, including pop, jazz, rock, show tunes, and classical. The finest artists of the day are part of the history, including Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce?the list goes on and on. This is truly a one of a kind book, and perfect to give to anyone who loves and appreciates music.

Mad magazine is an integral part of American culture, which is faithfully celebrated in MAD?S GREATEST ARTISTS: MORT DRUCKER, FIVE DECADES OF HIS FINEST WORK. Ardent fan Michael J. Fox has written the foreword; when asked by Johnny Carson when he knew he?d really made it in show business, Fox answered ?When Mort Drucker drew my head.? There are comic strips galore, and covers in full color, which would be great to rip out and put up on the wall; but resist the temptation. This book should be kept all in one piece, and passed down the generations to all those who reiterate the motto of the great gap-toothed Alfred E. Neuman, ?What? Me Worry??

I?m recommending a couple of superb softcover books this season. The first is ICONS, by Markus Klinko & Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri. The celebrities of the title are such pop idols as Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, and Lindsay Lohan, all photographed at their dazzling, eye-popping best. The spirit of Lady Gaga, and so many others, comes through in these gorgeous images. Glamour is just a jumping off place for the creativity, vision, and uncanny ability to see into the soul of those our society holds in the highest esteem.

The sumptuous HOUSES OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS, by Hugh Howard is now available in a large paperback format. Subtitled ?The Men Who Made America and The Way They Lived,? this is a history lesson taught painlessly, with original photography by Roger Straus III. Featured are 39 stately residences from the 18th Century, from Maine to Georgia. The homes of Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Adams are included, as well as those of some lesser known signers of Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Their lives, and in many cases, the lives of those they held as slaves, are illuminated. There?s plenty of insight into what made the founders of our country the men they were. For example, Alexander Hamilton was born out of wedlock at a time when being a bastard was a curse. His father deserted the family, and his mother died when he was 12. Hamilton was left stranded in the West Indies, alone and penniless. Yet by the age of 25, he?d turned around his fortunes and become prosperous and respected. All the historic homes have equally interesting stories.

Any self-respecting coffee table would find itself blessed to have any or all of these fine books proudly on display.

Michall Jeffers is an accomplished Cultural Journalist and an avowed bibliophile. She writes extensively, both in print and online. Her eponymous cable TV show is syndicated throughout the tri-state area, and features celebrity interviews, reviews, and commentary. Michall is a voting member of National Book Critics Circle. www.michalljeffers.com

Source: http://www.womanaroundtown.com/sections/reading-around/drink-in-these-coffee-table-books

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