In the December issue of 7x7, we chose the seven best cookbooks to gift your foodie (“The Cook’s Bookshelf”). We’re in the giving mood, so here are our favorite recipes from each tome.

From Edible Selby, by Todd Selby, Chad Robertson, Sally Singer:

Mountain Man Miso Soup

Serves 1

1/2 container of fresh red miso

32 ounces roughly chopped mushrooms (could include shitake, enoki, portobello, crimini, button, or chanterelle)

2 green onions, sliced thin

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large white onion, roughly chopped

Soy sauce

1 container of extra firm tofu cubed into 1-2-inch pieces, and fully drained of water

1. In a nonstick pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on high until it gets hot but before it smokes.

2. Carefully drop in drained tofu, splash in a tablespoon of soy sauce and fry over medium heat until browned on all sides.

3. Take tofu out of pan and put aside.

4. In a large metal soup pot, simmer white onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium low heat.

5. When onion becomes almost clear, throw in garlic, green onion, and mushrooms.

6. Stir and cook over medium heat until everything is cooked.

7. Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.

8. After reaching a boil, turn down heat to low.

9. Remove some of the broth in a large bowl and add 4 tablespoons of miso paste.

10. Mix around until miso is dissolved into broth and throw it back into soup.

11. If your soup needs more liquid, add water, if the broth needs flavor, add miso.

12. Add tofu and serve.