Edible Gifts ~ Kay Fairfax

This is a very pretty book, and I enjoy leafing through the pages looking at the beautifully photographed creations contained within. The book is as pleasureable to the eye as it is to the palate, and it is very telling that the cover listed author is identified as the food stylist amongst the publishing details. Fairfax has a very good eye for presenting her creations and it is worth a read for the packaging idea's alone.


Weighing in at only 64 pages it's not really a serious or heavyweight cookbook, but nor do I think it was meant to be. What is does is fill a niche target in the cookbook market and it does this very nicely.

The recipes themselves are surprisingly good, though there are a few which I would be hesitant to present as gifts. The Thai-style bouquet garni for instance, while glossy and fresh and an inventive gift for a foodie friend, would need to be used fairly quickly after receipt or it would become a lifeless wilted mess. A box of the Chinese fortune cookies too might seem less than impressive as a gift, and would probably better suit serving to dinner guests with personalised messages or simply make one with a secret message for someone special.

I would be far more inclined to make the Turkish delight, or perhaps one of the variations on this recipe, the Orange nut delight or the Lemon nut delight. All four varieties of Chocolate truffles would easily please even my fussiest friends, though the Figs in muscat would delight some but not all. The book doesn't pretend to cover the full compliment of preserves, but the representative sample including recipes like Apple, mint and peppercorn jelly, Lemon spice vinegar, Peach chutney and Sweet cardamom mustard are delightful gift ideas.

Recommended for anyone looking for inspiration when making (or simply when packaging) home cooked gifts.

- Kath