Food gift love More than 100 recipes to make, wrap, & share

Readers who love artfully styled food photographs and precious small-batch goodies are the ideal audience for this work. Battista (who blogs at Eat Boutique) has collected more than 100 recipes for marking occasions both happy and somber. The recipes include such hand-crafted gifts as jam-swirled marshmallows, rhubarb vinegar, and a tomato tart. Presentation is an important part of -Battista's food gifting, and she covers how to craft a box from scratch and offers gift-wrapping suggestions for every recipe. Most of the recipes will appeal primarily to adult tastes, including a chapter on spirited gifts. The book includes a list of suggested ingredient staples along with essential gift-wrap supplies. Battista's suggestion to master one signature go-to dish and make it in multiple batches may simplify food gifting for many readers. While the recipes often involve several steps and numerous ingredients, Battista explains preparation clearly. VERDICT An exquisite book for browsing and inspiration. Best for readers with plenty of time to cook and wrap their edible, special-occasion treasures.-Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.