# "Must Have" Cookbooks?



## tylerm713

I have never been a big cookbook guy. There are a few that I have that get used a lot, but they are mainly regional cookbooks, and mainly written by John Folse. Most of my experimenting is based on what I have learned from those books. Generally when cooking, I either come up with something based on what I know, or look for a specific recipe online to prepare whatever I have. However, now I'm wanting to expand my collection of cookbook, so I'm trying to find out what everyone thinks are "must have" cookbooks. I came across this list earlier, and thought it would at least be a good starting point for conversation. It looks like a very well-rounded list, which is great, but I'm slightly less interesting in cookbooks about baking - it's just not really my thing. Tell me what you think of this list, and maybe what should be on the list that isn't.

• *American Cookery* by James Beard (BBS Publishing Corporation, 1996)

• *Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking From the Heart of Mexico* by Rick Bayless (William Morrow Cookbooks, 2007)

• *Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook* (Better Homes and Gardens, 2004)

• *Classic Indian Cooking* by Julie Sahni (William Morrow Cookbooks, 1980)

• *Complete Techniques *by Jacques Pépin and Léon Pererr (Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2001)

• *Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking* by Marcella Hazan (Macmillan, 1995)

• *How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food* by Mark Bittman (Wiley, 2006)

• *The Joy of Cooking *by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker (Scribner, 2006)

• *The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook* (Countryman Press, 2003)

• *Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts *by Maida Heatter (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 1999)

• *Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook *by Martha Stewart (Clarkson Potter, 1999)

• *Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume One* Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck (Knopf, 1961)

• *The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking: Techniques and Recipes *by Barbara Tropp (William Morrow Cookbooks, 1996)

• *The New Food Lover's Companion *by Sharon Tyler Herbst (Barron's Educational Series, 2007)

• *The Oxford Companion to Wine *by Jancis Robinson (Oxford University Press, 2007)

• *Rick Stein's Complete Seafood *by Rick Stein (Ten Speed Press, 2004

• *The Silver Palate Cookbook* by Sheila Lukins and Julie Rosso (Workman Publishing Company, 2007)

• *The Thrill of the Grill: Techniques, Recipes, and Down-Home Barbecue *Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby

(William Morrow Cookbooks, 2002)

• *Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone *by Deborah Madison (Broadway, 2007)

• *The Way to Cook* by Julia Child (Knopf, 1993)


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## kyheirloomer

I'm a bit confused about your goals. Are you looking to expand beyond Louisianna cooking? Broaden your techniques base? Be entertained? Establish a basic library?

Most of the books on that list are primers; that is, introductions to the topic. Indeed, many of them are considered classics of their genre, the standard against which others are judged. So, while I could take exception to some of them (don't care for anything Mark Bitman has ever written, for instance) I wouldn't argue too hard about including any of them in a well-rounded cooking library.

There's an interesting syndrome about lists like this. There's no question that _Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking _belongs there. But one could argue that _The Silver Spoon _is a better fit. The thing is, by the time you know enough about Italian cooking to argue the point, you no longer really need either of them, other than for specific recipes.


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## kyheirloomer

One other thing. There doesn't seem to be anything about Spanish cuisine on that list; a serious oversight IMO.


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## phatch

If I were to compile my list of must haves, the only overlap with your list would be The Joy of Cooking.
 

Get the cookbooks that interest you for the kind of food you want to eat. It doesn't matter much what other people think you should have if those books aren't of interest to you.

But yes, drop the Bittman.


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## tylerm713

KYHeirloomer said:


> I'm a bit confused about your goals. Are you looking to expand beyond Louisianna cooking? Broaden your techniques base? Be entertained? Establish a basic library?


My goals kind of include all of the above. The books that I do have contain mainly French technique, but are much less technical than, say, Pepin's Complete Techniques. Essentially, I want to build a library starting from the basics.

I know this is a very subjective topic, which is why it's posed in a forum: to get the widest range of answers so that I can look at different books to choose which ones to include. I'm not asking anyone to tell me what the all time best cookbooks are, just what some are that you think should be in a home cook's library.


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## tylerm713

KYHeirloomer said:


> One other thing. There doesn't seem to be anything about Spanish cuisine on that list; a serious oversight IMO.


Agreed. Spanish food is a favorite of mine. I already have a cookbook dedicated to paella, and I've come up with a few paella variations of my own. Any Spanish books you would recommend?


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## kyheirloomer

_1080 Recipes _is to Spanish cooking what _The Silver Spoon _is to Italian. So it's not a bad place to begin. Nowadays it's often used as a gift for new brides, the same way we use _The Joy of Cooking. _

My favorite introductory book, however, is _Spain and the World Table, _because it's coverage includes everything from traditional tapas to molecular gastronomy. It's depth isn't all that much, but the breadth is exceptional.

The new _The Book of Tapas_ (see current reviews) is about as encyclopedic as you're going to get on that subject. Keep in mind that any tapas can be expanded to full-serving portions if desired.

_Essentially, I want to build a library starting from the basics._

When it comes to techniques and basic culinary building blocks (but not recipes), it's hard to fault the CIA's At-Home series. There currently are 5 of them, with more planned. I would include _Cooking At Home _and _Baking At Home _in any basic library. _Martha's Stewart's Hors D'Oeuvre Handbook _is exponentially better than _Hors D'Oeuvre At Home, _however, and were it me I'd get that one instead.

I'm not qualified to judge _Chocolates and Confections At Home_. One of my reviewers is, however, and her review will appear in October. _Artisan Bread At Home _is an OK choice if you have no others. But, frankly, I'd take _The Bread Baker's Apprentice _or any of Dan Leaders books over it. BBA is always my top pick in that category.

I would certainly include Paula Wolfert's _Clay Pot Cooking _in any basic library, not only for the clay-cookery techniques but because it's a great introduction to all the cuisines of the Mediterranean region.

Another must-have, IMO, is James Peterson's _Sauces. _In the absence of any others, Bruce Aidells' _The Complete Meat Cookbook_ is a worthwhile introductory text. Cheese deserves a bookshelf of its own. But, fwiw, my single favorite title is _World Cheese Book. _


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## chefedb

You want basics/??? There is a book out there you should read and it will explain to you why all the authors of these other books do what they do. It's called  THE SCIENCE OF GOOD FOOD by    D Joachim and A Schloss  with A Philip Handel , PHD. These 3 gentleman have written over 70 books all toll. They know their food tech


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## highlander01

I have several of  James Peterson's books and IMO they are all great the only problem especially in Sauces you practically need a dictionary to understand what he's trying to teach. I prefer the second edition more so than the third ( I have never seen the first edition).

Another book that I really have enjoyed is "Gastronomy of Italy" by Anna Del Conte.

This is not a book with recipes but I really enjoyed the book "What Einstein told his cook".


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## ishbel

Elizabeth David

Nick Nairn

Delia Smith

Rick Stein


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## citizensnips

The French Laundry Cookbook will teach you to respect your ingredients and teach you love for food.  i cannot believe it has not been mentioned.  it is a very upscale book but there is a lot to take from it.  great pictures and important insights as well as over-the-top recipes.

other good books to have are the flavor bible, the food lovers companion, ad hoc at home, and what to drink with what you eat (for wine lovers)

i have a lot more in my library but those i think are some great ones to start with on top of your list of current books

hope this helps

CS


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## zane

Repertoire de La Cuisine, Le: A guide to fine foods should be in every kitchen.


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## the-boy-nurse

We don't use a lot of cookbooks, but we own a lot. Many of them are those awful pampered chef things. My mother used to sell it and she would get them for free, and give them to me. (Did that just rhyme, too much Dr Seuss) One thing I hate in a cookbook is anytime it calls for the use of a specific brand of mass marketed spice. I have a Emeril Lagasse Cookbook I was given as a gift. Every recipe it seems calls for 1tbsp"Emeril's Italian blend" or "Emeril's Essence" (which just sounds wrong BTW). Just tell me what seasonings are in your little mix and I am certain I can make it Myself! It's a cookbook version of the telemarketer. I'm not sure how I got on that tirade.

One can tell how much we like a cookbook based on its condition. The more stained pages and bent bindings, the better the book. Our home favorites:

Helen Chen's Chinese Home Cooking- Which I think is pretty much an update of her mother, Joyce Chen's book.

Stephen Raichlin's The Barbecue Bible- I love the large sample of world cuisine, and on the grill no less.

Madhur Jaffrey's From Curries to Kebabs: Recipes from the Indian Spice Trail- Great info on Indian spices and techniques, plus an interesting historical/anthropological read


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## grapeape

Williams and Sonoma tools and techniques is a great book.


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## zane

White heat.


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## missyjean

I think Rose Levy Beranbaum's books, The Cake Bible, The Bread Bible, The Pie And Pastry Bible and  Rose's Heavenly Cakes are a must have to anyone interested in baking something right from the very first try.


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## phatch

I'm not fan of the Cake Bible nor the Bread Bible. I own them, but never refer to them. Too obtuse.


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## missyjean

I'm a beginner and get results described as "phenomenal"  on everything I make from Rose's books.


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## phatch

My go to baking book is Baking Illustrated from Cooks Illustrated.


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## missyjean

I bought that for my daughter and one for my daughter in law.  I wanted them to get a good foundation.

I don't understand why you don't like Rose's books.


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## phatch

I think a lot of it comes across to me the same way Bittmann does: Someone writing as a deep authority who really doesn't have the depth of knowledge they claim. Whether that's a factual view is up for debate I suppose but they strike me as fakes.

Rose tends to toss around jargon needlessly when simpler clarity would serve her better and the presentation and writing of the recipes is needlessly complex.

I write professionally too, so it could just be my own professional sensibilities that they offend.


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## missyjean

I, myself, use a certain level of vocabulary when speaking to people with whom I converse professionally. 

I really don't know anything about Rose's background. The only thing I have read about Rose is that The Cake Bible was her thesis. Please correct me if I am wrong.  

All I can say is I have had great success with her recipes. I make her recipes for special occasions and they always WOW everyone..so much so that people have told me I should open a bakery. Believe me, it has nothing to do with my skill other than the fact that I can read and follow directions carefully. 

On Bittmann, I totally agree with you. Browsing his books at the local Border's only reinforces my opinion.

It is really cool that you are a writer. May I ask the genre of your writing?

I am very new to baking and want to read anything I can find which will improve my skills and broaden my knowledge. I really would love to go enroll in the local college's Pastry class.  I am considering it and hoping to get my husband to agree.

~missy


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## phatch

It's the kind of writing everyone hates. I'm a technical writer, usually software manuals and on-line help systems, occasional web sites and other business writing.


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## missyjean

Wow! How did you get into that? It's not that I hate that writing but, for me, it is very hard to follow.  I need someone to show me how to do something. I have a difficult time with reading instructions


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## kyheirloomer

I think, MissyJean, what's at odds here is only orientation.

As you've made clear in the past, your interest in cookbooks is the quality of the recipes. If they work, and produce a great dish (or, in this case, baked good) you're happy. And there's nothing wrong with that.

But that is different from judging a book by the quality of its writing, which is what Phil is doing. Is the writing clear and concise? Does it flow smoothly? Does it communicate without talking down to its audience? Etc.

So, based on the comments made here (I've never read any of Rose's books), what we have are poorly written books with great recipes. Which makes you both correct.


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## phatch

missyjean said:


> Wow! How did you get into that? It's not that I hate that writing but, for me, it is very hard to follow. I need someone to show me how to do something. I have a difficult time with reading instructions


There's a lot of bad technical writing out there. I've written some terrible things too, particularly in my first job writing for internal banking (credit card stuff). I got into it as a back door into high tech businesses. I like high technology but am not an engineer, rather an English major with a strong geek bent. Very little of my work has been widely seen as the target audiences are quite small. Probably my widest seen work was part of the website for 3com and USRobotics in their merger.


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## missyjean

KYHeirloomer said:


> I think, MissyJean, what's at odds here is only orientation.
> 
> As you've made clear in the past, your interest in cookbooks is the quality of the recipes. If they work, and produce a great dish (or, in this case, baked good) you're happy. And there's nothing wrong with that.
> 
> But that is different from judging a book by the quality of its writing, which is what Phil is doing. Is the writing clear and concise? Does it flow smoothly? Does it communicate without talking down to its audience? Etc.
> 
> So, based on the comments made here (I've never read any of Rose's books), what we have are poorly written books with great recipes. Which makes you both correct.


Oh, I didn't understand that was the issue. Still, IMO, I don't see the book as being poorly written. From a consumers point of view, I find it clear and concise. I was able to duplicate the desired results in appearance and, I hope, in taste.

If I am understanding you correctly, I would have to say there are a lot of books out there, such as The Baker's Companion by King Arthur Flour, whose recipes are not that easy to follow. If I hadn't learned what to look for when I cream butter and sugar, for example., from Rose's books, I would have great difficulty successfully duplicating KA's recipes as they go into no detail about whatt to look for, etc.


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## missyjean

phatch said:


> There's a lot of bad technical writing out there. I've written some terrible things too, particularly in my first job writing for internal banking (credit card stuff). I got into it as a back door into high tech businesses. I like high technology but am not an engineer, rather an English major with a strong geek bent. Very little of my work has been widely seen as the target audiences are quite small. Probably my widest seen work was part of the website for 3com and USRobotics in their merger.


Did you know this field existed before you got this position? I didn't know until you told me. I think it is great and you must be a very well-qualified writer to get this position.


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## phatch

I knew about it before hand. I'd seen the job postings. There's even a national professional organization, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_for_Technical_Communication


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## kyheirloomer

Interesting, Phil, that your first technical writing job was in the banking industry. So was mine. One of the worst experiences of my life!

This guy had written a book: _Mini- and Micro-Computers In The Banking Environment. _Shows you how far back we're talking. The editor who hired me hands me the manuscript, with no guidelines of any kind, and goes off on vacation.

Literally every time the guy referred to the equipment he used the term "mini- and micro-computers in the banking environment." And he referred to it a lot. Never said "small computers," or "the equipment," or even just "computers." Mini- and micro-computers in the banking environment every damn time. Very boring. And all my attempts to make it more interesting were overturned by the editor once she came back.

Suffice to say, I've never again written anything for the banking industry.


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## phatch

I hated the bank writing too. At one point, I belonged to a consulting firm who kept trying to sell me back to the same bank. I kept turning down the job...


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## missyjean

phatch said:


> I knew about it before hand. I'd seen the job postings. There's even a national professional organization, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_for_Technical_Communication


An entire industry I knew nothing about. Interesting


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## missyjean

KYHeirloomer said:


> Interesting, Phil, that your first technical writing job was in the banking industry. So was mine. One of the worst experiences of my life!
> 
> This guy had written a book: _Mini- and Micro-Computers In The Banking Environment. _Shows you how far back we're talking. The editor who hired me hands me the manuscript, with no guidelines of any kind, and goes off on vacation.
> 
> Literally every time the guy referred to the equipment he used the term "mini- and micro-computers in the banking environment." And he referred to it a lot. Never said "small computers," or "the equipment," or even just "computers." Mini- and micro-computers in the banking environment every damn time. Very boring. And all my attempts to make it more interesting were overturned by the editor once she came back.
> 
> Suffice to say, I've never again written anything for the banking industry.


I imagine being a food writer is a lot of fun. And, you are so knowledgeable on the subject. You have been a great source of assistance to me on this forum. Thank you


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## kyheirloomer

Shssssh, MissyJean. We never admit that it's fun, or they come and take the money back. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif

Always reminds me of General Joe Engels story about growing up to first become a pilot, then a test pilot, and finally an astronaut. Finishes up by saying, "and they did. They put me in a rocket ship and sent it out into space. And you know what, they still paid me." He looks around conspiratorally and says, "Don't tell anyone, but *I'd* have paid _them_!"


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## missyjean

/img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif


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## shroomgirl

+1 on dissing Rose's cookbooks....recipes didn't work for me

In the Sweet Kitchen b Regan Daley or any of Maida Heatter's books are wonderful.

I threw out Bittman's and the new Joy of Cooking... I only give and use older versions.

Joy has got to be the most used book in my library.  Everything else is piecemealed for specific recipes...ie John Folse's biegnets, Paul Prudhomme's Mama's rolls,

Wolfgang Puck's Caramel, Amaretti from Julia Child's baking book, Lavosh from an old cuisinart magazine, Mayo from Prudhomme, Lemon curd from a newspaper 30 years ago, etc....

99% of the time I rely on the techniques gleaned from years of reading and cooking from many of the cookbooks you list....At some point you learn what flavor profiles you enjoy, how to prep and cook food....needing recipes occasionally to remind you proportions and in some cases ingredients.  When you work with chefs they just list off ingredients, give shorthand directions and assume you know when it's done.

That's one of my favorite inside jokes with a restauranter-farmer friend, " cook until done".


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## cookinmt

I found an old, tattered copy of _The Original Thai Cookbook _in the back of my garage the other day, probably forgotten by the previous tenant, and it's rapidly becoming one of my favorites. Hardly a "Must Have" though, for most people.


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## siduri

I was really disappointed when i read Bittman's _How to Cook Everything_. The only, ONLY thing i got from it is to fry something by first dipping in yoghurt and then flour, which he mentions for chicken pieces but it's wonderful for anything.

I call the book "How to cook everything you already know how to cook". I don;t mean that in a snobby way, after all after some 45 years of cooking and researching recipes I do know how to cook most of the usual things, it's just a result of many years cooking. However, it was a disappointment in my expectations, because i expected to learn to cook all kinds of new things. Everything, in fact. Also when someone calls their book "how to cook everything" I don't expect him to say "well, i really don't much like baking and you don't really need to bake much so here are just a couple of recipes".

As for Cook's Illustrated _Baking_, I have mixed feelings. Some stuff is great and some stuff is not. I don;t think mine came out _wrong_ but i think the way they intended it was not great. But others are really great, no question. I do add more salt in the case of that cookbook, it seems the things are undersalted to my taste.

However some things are just WAY too fussy. I was persuaded by my daughter to try to use their recipe for french toast (recipe for french toast? weird already, but it was indeed a recipe). This was from their american family cookbook i thin, not Baking and i don;t remember what i made from Baking that i wasn;t happy with but it's the same people. For me french toast is: you mix egg and a little milk and some salt. You cut some bread and dip them in this eggy stuff. Heat a frying pan - add some butter, let it foam and then cook the bread. (and that's the complicated complete version of the recipe.) But this was full of stuff , flour, sugar, it was very complicated too, and dirtied many objects in the kitchen (not a problem in a test kitchen, but we have no one cleaning up after us, and my daughter has no dishwasher). And in the end, i really didn;t like it. Too sweet, too much. Not in the cookbook but in the magazine was a recipe for banana bread - put the bananas in a microwave and extract the juice. _Extract the JUICE??!!??_ I make banana bread and it really tastes of bananas but i don;t have to go doing acrobatics to get it. It seems like the recipe of someone who has nothing better to do.

I find Rose's recipes are perfectly explained and come out very well. Not sure if her science is correct since i'm ignorant of that, but her way of writing is certainly very confidence-inspiring. (I made my daughters 6 layer 3 tiered chocolate fudge wedding cake with white chocolate cream cheese crumb coat under the home made fondant, and raspberry dark chocolate ganache between the layers. I felt the book guided me completely and it came out beautifully, praised by everyone as the best wedding cake they ever ate, and some said the best CAKE they ever ate. All done in 95 degree heat without air conditioning, with some added suggestions from rose herself on her website. In fact, every cake i;ve tried has come out well, though I don;t like all the cakes that she has (you can take genoise and use it to line the rubbish bin, but that's not her fault, that's just genoise, and just my taste). Some were wonderful surprises, like the cordon rose banana cake with chocolate ganache. And those elaborate caged cakes, the way she writes it looks like i could probably pull them off if i followed the recipe.

I find however, that she is too fussy sometimes about ingredients. In one of her bread recipes (bread i say!) she has something like two cups plus one tablespoon flour. Now really, come on. I think that level of precision does put people off and bread making is SO forgiving. So much room for error.

And if i ever do write a cookbook, i know what the first criticism will be. TOO VERBOSE. sorry guys.


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## cookinmt

> And if i ever do write a cookbook, i know what the first criticism will be. TOO VERBOSE. sorry guys.


Tell that to BDL's editor. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif


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## kyheirloomer

_I was really disappointed when i read Bittman's How to Cook Everything._

There are some of us here, Siduri, who find anything Bittman writes to be disappointing.

He's definately a legend in his own mind. However, it's not your years of experience that's at fault. Unless you've been living under a culinary rock your entirely life, Bittman doesn't teach you how to cook anything, let alone everything. And he does it in a long-winded, rather boring manner. About the only cookbook I know that's worse than _How To Cook Everything _it's his sequel, _How To Cook Everything Vegetarian. _


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## chefboyarg

My list: The Whole Beast Nose to Tail Eating, Momofuku Cookbook, The French Laundry Cookbook, Dessert Fourplay, The Joy Of Cooking, Happy In The Kitchen


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## kyheirloomer

Surely you're not gonna just let us hang, ChefBoyarG. Why are those particular titles on your must-have list?


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## chefboyarg

Nose To Tail Eating because it's such a simple approach to much neglected foods. I'm not saying I would eat everything he provides a recipe for (I have no interest in eating fish semen), but he does make a strong case for most of those iggly squiggly bits. I enjoy the humorous and light hearted descriptions of the dishes as well.

Momofuku, because it is a little bit of insight into the man known as David Chang and his cuisine.

The French Laundry Cookbook for inspiration and motivation.

Dessert Fourplay for the same reason as the French Laundry Cookbook but well, for dessert reference.

The Joy of Cooking because it seems to contain a recipe for nearly everything in creation. And then 2 or three spins on that particular recipe.


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## gobblygook

Italian Blend - http://www.food.com/recipe/emerils-italian-blend-161435

Essence - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/emerils-essence-recipe/index.html



the-boy-nurse said:


> Every recipe it seems calls for 1tbsp"Emeril's Italian blend" or "Emeril's Essence" (which just sounds wrong BTW). Just tell me what seasonings are in your little mix and I am certain I can make it Myself!


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## tylerm713

gobblygook said:


> Italian Blend - http://www.food.com/recipe/emerils-italian-blend-161435
> 
> Essence - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/emerils-essence-recipe/index.html


FWIW, essence is a good blend (not as much a fan of the Italian blend). However, I usually add 1 tbsp of garlic salt and increase the cayenne to 1.5 tbsp. I like food with a little more salt and a little more spice.

I don't want to get off topic too much, so I will say that I got a copy of Larousse Gastronomique off of eBay a couple of days ago for cheap. Can't wait to get it in and dive in. Also found my old copy of Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen in a box from when I moved a few months ago. I had forgotten that I had it. Louisiana Kitchen has to be one of the greatest regional American cookbooks ever. Not that I have a huge amount of experience with regional American cookbooks, but this particular book is an absolute wealth of knowledge when it comes to Cajun and Creole food. I would suggest everyone check it out if they haven't already.


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## kyheirloomer

Anyone interested in Louisiana cuisine should also check out _Cajun and Creole Cooking with Miss Edie & The Colonel. _Not so much for the recipes, which tend to be samee-same and often boring, but for the extensive historical and cultural background that makes these cuisines what they are, and the approach they take to cookery.

How many cookbooks have you seen, for instance, which recognize that cajun and creole are not the same, and define the differences? This one does.


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## tylerm713

KYHeirloomer said:


> How many cookbooks have you seen, for instance, which recognize that cajun and creole are not the same, and define the differences? This one does.


Not many. And that is frustrating. I'll have to find this one.


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## breadmaker man

tylerm713 said:


> I
> 
> • *Rick Stein's Complete Seafood *by Rick Stein (Ten Speed Press, 2004


I absolutely love this one. If anyone knows of any similar books please let me know. I've been looking for a new seafood book for ages.


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## onepiece

Does anyone know of a Cook book that teaches basic cooking techniques?

From things like sauteing and which ingredients are used for basic dishes.


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## cheflayne

Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer


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## kanepe

Agree on "The Joy of Cook". I really like it.

The new edition is better.

/img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif


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## kanepe

Agree on "The Joy of Cook". I really like it.

The new edition is better.

/img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif


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## onepiece

So the Joy of Cooking, is it just a recipe book?

I am mostly looking for a book that teaches cooking techniques.


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## cheflayne

> "The _Joy of Cooking_ has always been a very important book. When it was first published, it made a great impression on American cooking. It is, and should continue to be a staple in any good culinary collection because Irma's voice is there with you in the kitchen giving guidance and encouragement and friendly tips and reminders. The why's and how's are carefully explained, and that's what makes _Joy_ a fundamental resource for any American cook!"
> 
> *-- Julia Child, June 2004*


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## onepiece

I guess I will be purchasing the Joy of Cooking later on.  Thanks!


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## kokopuffs

The Bread Bible by Rose Beranbaum

La Cuisine by Raymond Oliver

And Time/Life cookbooks: Cooking of the Viennese Empire and The Cooking of Spain and Portugal as I happen to just like their recipes.


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## siduri

I always hated joy of cooking.  I use it only for a couple of things.


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## cinnamongirl

The books I keep going back to are:

Joy of Cooking - for all the reasons stated earlier

Rick Stein's Complete Seafood - recipes are good, instructions are clear and the pictures are very helpful

Vij's at Home by Meeru Dhalwala & Vikram Vij.  They are a married couple who run two restaurants (Vij's & Rangoli) in the Greater Vancouver area .

I got this book last Christmas and have made several recipes from this book and everyone was tasty.  The recipes range from easy (Steamed Marinated Halibut) to a little more advance (Celery Root and Bulgur Wheat Koftas), but none of these recipes should be beyond a home cook.


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## danelectro2501

I must be in the minority, but I use Bittman's How to cook everything a couple time a week. It's losing its cover and covered in every cooking liquid out ther from use. I love it for its practical uses, similar to the Joy of Cooking which I also use.

   I also have Keller French Laundry and Ad Hoc. These are more for inspiration, allthough Ad Hoc is a bit more approachable.

I have the CIA proffessional chef book as a reference tool as well.

But I have to say, I do love my Good Eats, early years and middle years.

My mantra is   "Keller inspires me, But Alton taught me how to cook".


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## sweetie pie

siduri said:


> I always hated joy of cooking. I use it only for a couple of things.


I have to say I don't really like it either. I thought it was just me. Thanks.


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## amdona

I never liked Joy of Cooking either. I collect cookbooks and just never liked that one!


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## sweetie pie

Me either. I had that book gave it away.  I am starting a cookbook collection but do not feel inspired to include that tittle.  I do like the Cook's Illustrated books, especially the New Best.


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## halmstad

Something to seriously consider is not only cookbooks, but reference books. 

Food Lover's Companion

The Flavor Bible-Dornenburg/Page

On Food And Cooking-McGee

Ratio-Ruhlman

Gastronomique

Focusing on specific techniques also helps

All About Braising-Molly Stevens

Roasting-Barbara Kafta

Sauces-Peterson

Baking Illustrated

Cooking Regions:

The Cooking Of Southwest France-Wolfert

Culinaria Series

The Silver Spoon-Italian

!080 Recipes-Spanish

The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook

The Heritage Of Southern Cooking--Glenn

The reason for having "must have" cookbooks is personal only to you. What do you want to cook? What are you into cooking right now? I consider my cookbooks my "research library"(200+ cookbooks and another 100 nonfiction books I've read). I'm not looking for specific recipes (unless I'm baking), I'm looking for ideas to tweek and expand on, get ideas from. If you're buying it and it's not functional, it's not a must have.


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## halmstad

Joy of Cooking isn't a bad cookbook. I can't say for the actual cooking section, but the baking part of the book is very good. Great recipes that work. It's a standard for a reason.


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## halmstad

the encyclopedia of cajun and creole cuisine by john folse is a great introduction to louisiana cuisine


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## cinnamongirl

Regarding halmstad comment about reference books, these are the books I keep going back to:

On Food and Cooking - Harold McGee

Food Lover's Companion - Sharon & Ron Herbst

Ratio - Michael Ruhlman

Culinary Artistry - Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page


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## missyjean

halmstad said:


> Joy of Cooking isn't a bad cookbook. I can't say for the actual cooking section, but the baking part of the book is very good. Great recipes that work. It's a standard for a reason.


I am not a fan of that book either. I prefer my books with weight measurements


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## transchef

Johnny Iuzzini's Dessert Fourplay, the only dessert book I bought.


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## sweetie pie

TransChef said:


> Johnny Iuzzini's Dessert Fourplay, the only dessert book I bought.


I've been looking at that book. Have you tried any of the recipes?


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## transchef

Yes, I have. I transformed strawberry in several ways-- from leather to sauce to powder. The last one I tried was fromage blanc panna cotta. It was easy and looked expensive.


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## sweetie pie

It sounds great.  How did it taste?


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## transchef

Creamy, cheesy, and a little bit tangy,  but it went well with other components on top-- crispy almond phyllo and candied raspberry. If you buy the book, you can make homemade fromage blanc. I used Emeril Lagasse's recipe.


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## transchef

On Joy of Cooking:

It's a good reference if you want to deconstruct something. hehehehehe


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## sweetie pie

TransChef said:


> Creamy, cheesy, and a little bit tangy, but it went well with other components on top-- crispy almond phyllo and candied raspberry. If you buy the book, you can make homemade fromage blanc. I used Emeril Lagasse's recipe.


Oh wow, I can't wait to try. It's a gorgeous book. I thought the recipes were going to be more than I can handle but you make it sound easier than I thought. Thanks.


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## sweetie pie

TransChef said:


> On Joy of Cooking:
> 
> It's a good reference if you want to deconstruct something. hehehehehe


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## phatch

I like the Joy of Cooking. I don't know that I cook from it a lot. I find it the sort of book that provides a good baseline for a particular recipe and the required techniques. From there I'lll look at more specific cookbooks and recipes using the JoC as a jumping off point but to sort of keep me on track.


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## sweetie pie

In my experience with Joy, the thing I disliked is many times I was referred to other recipes to complete the recipe I was making.  When I read a recipe, I don't want to flip through pages to read another recipe, with my wet hands.  Also, the baking section does not include weights.


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## phatch

That's pretty common in classic cuisine. If you make those required parts first, then proceed, it all works out fine without flipping with wet hands.


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## sweetie pie

That's a good idea. Never thought to do that.  I do have books which refer to other recipes but they are  usually either pie crusts or sauces.  If I can remember correctly, I think Joy does that more often.  

I have heard good things about the baking section in Joy but I'm put-off by the lack of weight measurements.


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## nlpavalko

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Alton Brown's series of cook books. Given, they were my first set of books, so maybe I have a soft spot for them, but they are very in depth and organized by procedure rather than food item/ingredient. For my money, they are some of the best around.


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## wagstaff

nlpavalko said:


> I'm surprised no one has mentioned Alton Brown's series of cook books. Given, they were my first set of books, so maybe I have a soft spot for them, but they are very in depth and organized by procedure rather than food item/ingredient. For my money, they are some of the best around.


Actually .... someone did. Keller for inspiration, Alton for teaching how to cook.

I like Alton's books a lot, too. For techniques... well, I wish I had more technique, but a very specific set of techniques is well-explained in Chad Ward's "An Edge in the Kitchen" -- which is dedicated to knives in general, and knife skills in part. With good recipes that require the skills taught. I like it a lot


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## veronporter

I don't understand all the "joy of cooking" hate. It's great for people who want to start cooking with no prior knowledge and I reckon' if I had to choose a single cookbook to live with forever, that would be it. It has a great selection of usable recipes, information regarding produce/technique, uses pictures and diagrams in a helpful but not over the top way and explores a variety of different cuisines. I don't know about others but I grew up on good ol' southern style american cooking. A lot of family favorites passed down from generation to generation, that sort of thing. I can honestly say this book gets pretty close to recreating a lot of those recipes for me(can't always call gramps to check up on that carrot cake recipe). Bottom line is joy of cooking is a great, _practical_ cookbook and a really good reference book for the american lexicon of cookery.

Now, being a professional cook myself, I don't always need a practical book like the joy of cooking. I look to books for inspiration, ideas, new techniques, etc. One essential cookbook for me would have to be Marco-Pierre White's "White Heat". A ton of amazingly simple, elegant masterfully presented dishes. The classic Marco-Pierre dish "Tagliatelle of oyster with caviar", "Braised Pig Trotter: "Pierre Koffman", the classic Gavroche Lemon Tart(which Marco takes a step further by caramelizing the top, genius). These 3 recipes alone make the book worthwhile but in addition you have the stuffed "Sea Bass w/Ratatouille & Essence Of Red Peppers", "Terrine Of Leeks & Langoustines, Water Vinaigrette" and many other great dishes. The photography is top notch and the format of the book is very exciting. I'm glad to see this format has become popular with newer cookbooks like Thomas Keller's books and "Momofuku", etc. I think it's important to have large, color pictures with more complicated/Michelen quality food and It's always great when there are blurbs/explanations to accompany the recipe. I also like photographs of the chef in their own kitchens, action shots and blurbs/writings done by the chef about their philosophy, where their inspiration comes from, etc. All this stuff helps you get a better idea of where they are coming from and what they are trying to achieve which in turn, will help you understand their food.


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## jlmassey

Hi Guys first post here  First off an introduction would be justified. I am 25 years of age, Currently living in Virginia. I have received my culinary certificate from a local community college. I am currently cooking and overseeing banquets at a local country club.

Just searching around the web and ran across this site. I love the diversity that has been presented.

Well to just jump right in their I have been looking for good book on sauces, Also Sculpting Fruits and Vegetables, I do not have a lot of experience in sculpting/carving, I have completed a few centerpieces (learning from youtube). So for beginners to advance would be great.

Also has anyone read the Food Presentation Secrets: Styling Techniques of Professionals . How is this if you have?

Thanks forum!


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## kimmit

Rick Stein's seafood and Silver Palate get a big thumbs up.


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## butcherman

IMO, the best book for you is James Peterson's "Essentials of Cooking". He tells you why you are doing X, how to do it, how much, etc.  Extensive descriptions, photos, procedures.  Second would be "Ruhlman's Twenty" by Michael Ruhlman.  His approach is to break down kitchen art into twenty conceptual areas and dive deep into each, with recipes, explanations, admonitions, etc.

Reading these two guys is like marrying the sister of Chef Layne or Chef McCracken.  Your new brother in law walks you into his kitchen and sez, "This is a knife".


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## steve tphc

My 1997 copy of The Joy of Cooking Cookbook is not as good as a 1950’s edition. An angler friend called me over and asked me to bring a recipe for preparing fresh caviar. That old version JOC had a recipe and the new version does not. The JOC is practically useless when dealing with Chinese cuisine. I also do not think JOC tomato sauce for pasta is anywhere near authentic having lived in Italy seven years. The JOC is kind of a basic book. No single book should be the basis of anyone’s cooking.

The most enjoyable way to learn different cuisines is to travel with someone knowledgeable; failing that, dine out often at very good restaurants. Learn what you like in food.  For me, variety is a way of life. I cook and eat food from all over the world and it makes life that much more worthwhile and interesting.

Learning to cook Chinese can teach you what the Chinese have mastered in 5000 years of cooking. Chinese have mastered savory and that can improve any cuisine.

Learning to cook Italian is also very rewarding. Not only do you eat well but appreciate the value of great ingredients.

Cookbooks that do not help you understand ingredients are not as valuable as those that do.

Life is an adventure.


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## hydrangea

I'm loving the heated debate about the Joy of cooking.  Mine is a paperback copy from 1980.  Where else can you get iced tea instructions?   Everyday Cooking with Jaques Pepin.  It was one of his first and it still inpires me so much that it's on my kitchen counter and not in my library.  He wanted american wives to be able to cook french type things without spending a fortune.  The chicken liver pate is so good and so beautiful that I've used it for weddings in the same family for two generations.

It freezes well too.  Cookbooks should inspire, you can get everthing else online.

Hydrangea


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## damon otan

the la rousse collections- if your creative you dont need anything else! but theres also the delicious collection they are pretty awesome!!


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