Check out these 3 local cookbooks for the foodie on your Christmas list

If shopping for a foodie is one of your Christmas chores this year, a cookbook is an obvious place to start.

And if you are looking for a recipe guide that has a local touch, On The Coast food columnist Gail Johnson has some ideas.

In an interview with host Stephen Quinn, she spoke abouther picks for great,locally-written cookbooks.

The Recipe Box

Not quite a book, but actually a set of 100 recipe cards from local chefs: you'll find creations by Pino Posteraro from Ciopinno's Mediterranean Grill, Angus An of Thai restaurant Maenam and local celebrity chef Vikram Vij.

Recipes are diverse, including cardamom poached chicken salad from Chambar; Bin 941's cinnamon flank steak; Dirty Apron's olive oil and rosemary cake and even Earnest Ice Cream's recipe for salted caramel ice cream.

Partial proceeds of sales go to Mealshare, a group which aims to end youth hunger.

Lure: Sustainable Seafood Recipes

Written by Ned Bell, executive chef of the Vancouver Aquarium's Ocean Wise program and an advocate for responsible seafood choices.

Johnson calls this book "approachable" and says most recipes are not overly technical.

There's halibut with fennel and orange vinaigrette; a recipe for salmon tacos with jalapeno vinaigrette black beans and avocado; and mussel stew with garlic confit and caramelized onions.

"Now, he does dive into less familiar territory, though: There are recipes for seafood such as geoduck and sea greens like bull kelp," she said. "To be honest, I don't know how realistic those items will be in my kitchen."

Gastown Foodie

By Brad Hill, photographer and producer of the Foodie Books series, which also includes the North Shore Foodie and the East Van Foodie. This edition is a collection of recipes and stories that celebrates Gastown.

It includes over 100 recipes, fromneighbourhoodcafs, restaurants, bars and breweries. Cuchillo shares its recipe for scallop ceviche; Purebread shares its recipe for peanut butter shorties; Brioche Urban Eatery offers its recipe for cioppino. Pidgin, Nuba, the Flying Pig also provide recipes.

Proceeds of the book sales will goto a few food-related organizations in the Downtown Eastside: Hives For Humanity, East Van Roasters and A Better Life Foundation.

With files from CBC Radio One's On The Coast