Just what I wanted!

A monogram necklace, monogram stationery, monogram towels...choosing a personalized gift can be very limiting.

Well, here's a novel one! Check out Taste Book's website where you can create your very own cookbook. Choose from over 25,000 recipes from Epicurious.com and other widely-known recipe websites. Customize each recipe by adding photos or notes. The books are very polished; the photos are beautiful and the open-binder design will keep things neat. They make lovely gifts for showers, mother's day, weddings, housewarmings and at $34.95 for a custom hard cover book with 100 recipes ... they make a great just because present. 

Here are a few ideas, nowadays there are many inter-racial-multi-ethnic couples (like my husband and me), wouldn't it be a great gift to combine in a cookbook recipes that are a tribute to each of their backgrounds? A younger sibling leaving for college? Put together a book of easy recipes for beginners. Create seasonal cookbooks, entertaining cookbooks, customize one with recipes of dishes that bring back memorable moments with your mom, grandma, husband or closest friend. The possibilities are never-ending and the best part is, you don't have to pick out all 100 recipes in one shot - this way you can please the most discerning giftee, start them off with 10 and let them do the rest.

Credit: photograph (c) Tom Seawell Photography

Credit: product photograph (c) Tom Seawell
Photography: cover photograph (c) Luca Trovato / FoodPix / JupiterImages.