One of Anne’s favorite things around the holidays is to put together her list of items that she’ll be giving to friends and family. This year, she’s sharing some of the go-to recipes she’s making as well as other favorites.

Yprocras (Spiced Red Wine)
Yprocas makes a great gift for anyone who likes mulled wine or cordials.  You can use it in place of Kir with Champagne to make a Yprocas Royale, adding a lovely holiday spice flavor.  I give Yprocas in old fashioned glass stopper bottles wrapped in colored cellophane with a little ribbon to tie the top festively.
Anne Willan's Ypocras (Spiced Red Wine)

 

 

 

 

Country Cooking of France
This James Beard Award-winning book is the perfect gift for cookbook collectors and/or for those who love French food, whether they like cooking about it or simply learning about the regional cuisine of France.  It an easy thing to order and send to those far away.
Country Cooking of France

 

 

 


Aunt Louie’s Yule Bread
This James Beard Award-winning book is the perfect gift for cookbook collectors and/or for those who love French food, whether they like cooking about it or simply learning about the regional cuisine of France.  It an easy thing to order and send to those far away.
Aunt Louie’s Yule Bread

 

 

 


SECRETS from the La Varenne Kitchen
Secrets makes a great gift for someone who’s just starting out in the kitchen, who is newly married, has just enrolled in cooking school or a cooking course, or even for the avid cook who’ll appreciate a handy reminder of the basics just as La Varenne graduates do.
9781940611150_FC

 

 

 


Poudre Fine: Medieval Spice Blend (Recipe Follows)
I like to triple the recipe and then make several batches of this spice blend.  Then I transfer it to small tins with lids, stick a little premade bow on top, and give the tins as presents to those I know like to cook whom I’d like to give a small token of appreciation for the holidays.  I add a little card letting them know it’s a medieval spice blend delicious rubbed on duck, fish, vegetables and even lamb.  We have it on duck nearly once a week.

Poudre Fine Makes about 1 3⁄4 cups (200 g)
2 oz (60 g) cinnamon sticks
1 oz (30 g) whole nutmeg
1⁄2 oz (15 g) dried ginger
1⁄2 oz (15 g) peppercorns
1⁄2 oz (15 g) long pepper
1⁄2 oz (15 g) whole cloves
1⁄2 oz (15 g) grains of paradise
1⁄2 oz (15 g) dried galangal

Grind the spices together to a fine powder in a spice grinder or in a mortar with a pestle, then transfer them to a small bowl. (If using ready-ground spices, stir them together.) The spice mix can be stored in an airtight jar in a cool place for up to 6 months.

Recipe © Anne Willan, from The Cookbook Library (University of California Press, 2012).