Each Christmas morning we expect one cookbook under the tree. This year, we had better see Michael Charello's face smiling back at us, because we've firmly requested his latest effort, Michael Chiarello's Bottega, a time boasting over 100 recipes of Southern Italian fare. Recipes range from staples like stocks, oils, crème fraîche, and duck prosciutto to stellar feasts like crispy roasted pork shanks, whole-roasted pig porchetta, and potato gnocchi ravioli with egg yolk and sage brown butter.

Furthermore, the book is a great for thumbing through over and over again due in large part to the stunning photography of Frankie Frankeny, incomparable local photographer, co-founder of Just Married and noted friend of SFist. There's over 120 images, something we cherish in our most prized cookbooks: loads of inspiring imagery.