Holiday Gift Guide from Reel Travels - Need Ideas? Here's Part 1! -

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I’m one of those who start listening to holiday music the day after Halloween, love Hallmark Christmas movies, and still stuff stockings for her adult children (my mom did it for us)! But buying presents has always been a challenge for everyone, especially when you don’t know what someone needs or has. I hope to help you with that this year with this holiday gift guide.

Once before I’ve done a blog post with ideas and I’m going to do it again this year. I will have multiple posts, so be sure to return as often as possible!

First, I’m starting with what I think is the most fun for someone who loves a specific show or movie and that’s a cookbook based on it. All you need to do is put in your favorite movie, television show, or even video game, to see if there is an official or unofficial cookbook for it. That’s how I found some of these. I know this is a travel site, but at this time of year, I’m combining regular gifts for pop culture fans with travel ideas (more on that later).

(Truth be told, I have an affiliate account with Amazon for these where I will earn the tiniest commission if you buy from them, but feel free to buy them wherever you want, especially at your local independent bookstore. Also, I didn’t pick these from Amazon. I found them from a variety of places and compiled my list.)

The Nightmare Before Christmas

I’m not here to debate whether this Tim Burton classic is a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie because, frankly, who cares? It’s an awesome movie and an annual tradition in my family. Now you can bake and entertain the way Jack Skellington would want you to, so make him proud! There are two great cookbooks to get a fan. In the past, I’ve also bought Jack and Sally salt and pepper shakers and aprons for the fans in my life. The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Cookbook and Entertaining Guide, by Kim Laidlaw ($18): https://amzn.to/3uhw5Lo The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Baking Cookbook. It’s $19.58 and can be purchased here: https://amzn.to/49pe1iC

Marvel Comics: Cooking with Deadpool

This Marvel Comics: Cooking with Deadpool cookbook came out in 2021, but it’s worthy of mention here. It’s hilarious. I can’t imagine how much fun it would be to cook with Deadpool! This book is written by Marc Sumerak and it’s $17.99. https://amzn.to/3FTncuj

Emily in Paris: The Official Cookbook

If your friend or loved one is a fan of the Netflix hit Emily in Paris, they are going to love this cookbook — it’s très bien! (I’ll also have more Emily in Paris ideas in another post soon!) The show is as much about fashion and the sites as it is about the food! Kim Laidlaw who, in my opinion, is a queen of writing cookbooks, has put together Emily in Paris: The Official Cookbook and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s filled with photos from the show and recipes that bring France right to your kitchen. You can learn how to make Provencal Eggplant and Tomato Gratin, Cassoulet, Beef Bourguignon, Gabriel’s Coq au Vin, and popular Parisian sweets like Pomme Frites, Macarons and my favorite Creme Brulee. It’s $17.89 and can be found here: https://amzn.to/3QyIrqa.

The I Love Lucy Cookbook: Classic Recipes Inspired by the Iconic TV Show

Check out this blog post when I tested one of the recipes in this I Love Lucy Cookbook! As I mentioned, The I Love Lucy Cookbook: Classic Recipes Inspired by the Iconic TV Show is one of the few cookbooks that I’ve bought for my library (many of them are fantastic, but I’m picky about what I purchase). The book is broken up into seven parts, which include A Little Bit of Cuba; A Big Hunk of America; European Delights; Entertaining the Tropicana Way; Breakfast with the Ricardos, and more. Each section is chock-filled with great recipes that take you right back to the show they are inspired by. It’s $17.45 and can be purchased here.

It’s a Wonderful Life: The Official Bailey Family Cookbook

It’s an iconic holiday movie that is played on a loop on various stations. If you love this Jimmy Stewart classic and want to feel closer to the Bailey family or know someone who does, pick up this cookbook. It comes with more than 50 recipes, such as Oven-Braised Corned Beef with Mustard Sauce and Clarence’s Angel Food Cake, as well as tips on entertaining and crafting ideas.

It’s $14.00 and can be found here: https://amzn.to/46iD5Fu