My younger sister just asked for a Christmas present that I thought was pretty unique: She would like everyone in our extended family to give her a couple of their favorite recipes so she can have a family recipe collection. What a good idea, right? For those of you who don’t have a gift for the chefs in your family, ask your relatives to give you a few of their favorite recipes, copy them down in a recipe book, add a few family photos, and voila, the perfect birthday or holiday gift!

If you don’t have any family recipes, ask friends and neighbors. Or, go online and test out other people’s favorites. Make sure you consider the person you are creating the gift for: are they vegetarian? Do they eat a lot of meat? Do they barbecue? How many people are they cooking for in their family? Tailor the recipes to meet their exact cooking needs. It will be a great gift!