# List of the best cook books.



## liocol

So, I was going through the foxnews.com recently and I happened to find an article on the best cook books of all time. Here's a few of them, I thought would be nice to share here.

*1. Baking: From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan*

If you are a lover of "Baking With Julia", then you should be familiar with this book too. If not, then it's something you should go through. Seems like it has the best baking stuffs coming from the experts.

*2. The New York Times Cookbook, Craig Claiborne*

These recipes are a reflection of Craig Claiborne's work at the New York Times. The recipes here are a combination from various sources, but sure are tested.

*3. The Art of Simple Food, Alice Waters*

This is completely based on best-in- season ingredients. It has more than 200 recipes and I just can't wait to get my hands on one of it's editions.

*4. Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer*

This is one book that I got personally interested in. I'm a lover of home cooking and this book has a collection of all such recipes. Hence, I'm really looking forward to read this one.

*5. Marcella's Italian, Kitchen Marcella Hazan*

Marcella Hazan, is known to be the godmother of Italian cooking. So, if you're a lover of Italian food and you wanna try your luck on some, then this is the cook book you need to refer.

There are many more of such awesome books. Just plotted down a few I liked. Please do share any of your personal favorite cook books here. Would love to get a good list of all the best cook books.


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## chefwriter

That's a tough call. "of all time."  

I"d have to include Jacques Pepins Complete Techniques.

Michael Ruhlmans' Ratios.

Sauces by James Peterson.

Charles Ranofers' Epicurean, Larousse Gastronomique and Escoffier are more encyclopedic than straight cookbook.

The French cookbooks by Child, Bertholle and Beck. 

Thomas Keller French Laundry is a great book but not so broad, covering mostly what is done in the restaurant and not as much general use. 

       I'd vote for the Joy of Cooking as the overall best book of all time, especially earlier versions. There's very little that isn't covered and it's useful for home cook and professional alike. If I ever have a fundamental question, that's the book I refer to. Then the other books are great for inspiration or specific questions or cuisines.


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## laurenlulu

Those are great. For low country cooking the original River Road Cookbook has fantastic recipes, my favorite being Crab Mornay and Spinach Madeline though I adapt it for lower salt.


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## zeppo shanski

My pics are, I think, are simple. I'm not all so crazy about your standard "cook books". I prefer these three(3) magazines. 

Cooks Illustrated, Cooks Country and Food & Wine magazines.


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## chrislehrer

To add:

Escoffier, Le guide

Paul Prudhomme, Louisiana Kitchen 

Shizuo Tsuji, Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art

I'm sure I'll think of others....


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## norcalbaker59

Jacques Pepin's Table: The Complete Today's Gourmet 
The recipes work. The roasted chicken is simplistic perfection. My ex took this book in the divorce, the only cookbook in my collection he wanted. 

Jacques Pepin La Technique: An Illustrated Guide to the Fundamental Techniques of Cooking 
The basics explained clearly as only Pepin can do.

The Green's Cookbook by Deborah Madison and Edward Espe Brown 
Madison and Brown taught the world that vegetarian is extraordinary. At 25, inexperienced and blinded by ambition, I spent an entire day making the béchamel lasagna, handmade pasta and all. After the first delicious bite, I realized nothing is more satisfying than the fruits of one's labor. 

The Way to Cook Julia Child's 
Child's creates master recipes that can be adapted for various dishes. Classic techniques simplified for the home cook. Aside from learning to make wondrous things like pate a choux, I learned never to place a $50 cookbook on the stovetop while the stove is still on.


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## captainbligh

Glad to see some of my own picks are already mentioned ....

Julia Child's "the way to cook", Jacques Pepin's "Complete Techniques"...

=-)

have any of you checked out the website http://www.1000cookbooks.com ?

might be of interest.


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## inabox

if you already know how to cook i would include

Le Repertoire De La Cuisine: The World Renowned Classic Used by the Experts
1st Edition
ISBN-13: 978-0812051087, ISBN-10: 0812051084

If you havent seen it before it includes ingredient list only and assumes you know what to do with them.


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## dtbach

I'm kind of a science minded person and the two latest cookbooks I bought are great for that.

For BBQ - Meathead   Everything I have made out of this book is perfect because the detailed explanations and how to set up a grill properly.  Plus he busts a lot of myths of cooking by actually testing things in the laboratory (a PhD in Physics from Harvard does the testing.

The Food Lab - along the same lines.  But for stove cooking.


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## butzy

I would add:

Harold McGee: the science and lore of the kitchen 

Although not a strictly a cook book, I think it's a pretty essential book in my collection


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## Niftynorm

liocol said:


> So, I was going through the foxnews.com recently and I happened to find an article on the best cook books of all time. Here's a few of them, I thought would be nice to share here.
> 
> *1. Baking: From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan*
> 
> If you are a lover of "Baking With Julia", then you should be familiar with this book too. If not, then it's something you should go through. Seems like it has the best baking stuffs coming from the experts.
> 
> *2. The New York Times Cookbook, Craig Claiborne*
> 
> These recipes are a reflection of Craig Claiborne's work at the New York Times. The recipes here are a combination from various sources, but sure are tested.
> 
> *3. The Art of Simple Food, Alice Waters*
> 
> This is completely based on best-in- season ingredients. It has more than 200 recipes and I just can't wait to get my hands on one of it's editions.
> 
> *4. Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer*
> 
> This is one book that I got personally interested in. I'm a lover of home cooking and this book has a collection of all such recipes. Hence, I'm really looking forward to read this one.
> 
> *5. Marcella's Italian, Kitchen Marcella Hazan*
> 
> Marcella Hazan, is known to be the godmother of Italian cooking. So, if you're a lover of Italian food and you wanna try your luck on some, then this is the cook book you need to refer.
> 
> There are many more of such awesome books. Just plotted down a few I liked. Please do share any of your personal favorite cook books here. Would love to get a good list of all the best cook books.


All I could add would be to look for older versions of Joy of Cooking maybe 1960's era.


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## bluwaterman

I have a river road cookbook, love it.
Here's my .02
A day at El Bulli
Bouchon Thomas Keller
My New Orleans 
Not a big fan of J Besh, but I live most of my life where he has. This one is legit


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## NotDelia

I bought "Heston Blumethal at Home" recently. I've not yet psyched myself up to make any of these recipes but it sure as heck is an inspring book.

After some decades of getting into bad habits and lazy cooking I'm going back to basics and starting again with "Leiths How to Cook". Apparently this is similar to the online course I mentioned before. At £35 the book is considerably cheaper than the course! :-D

Am I alone or does anyone else ever feel like they could benefit from going right back to basics?


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## Bodhisattva

The Bread Baker's Apprentice

by Peter Reinhart

I must have baked 30 or more loaves of Whole Wheat, Pumpernickel, French Baguettes, and Rye bread during the fall of 2009, after being inspired by Peter to perfect my bread baking skills.

I'm most certain that my pizza crust skills improved as well!


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## chrislehrer

On the subject of bread, I find Rose Levy Beranbaum's _The Bread Bible_ to be pretty amazing. You have to be scrupulous about following directions, which can sometimes be complicated, but if you do what she says, you get terrific breads every time, even if (like me) you have no prior experience with bread baking.


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## mgm0

I would 1000000% recommend Enrique Olvera's "Tu casa mi casa" if you would like to play with the idea of going back to basics on the Mexican side of things. That's one absolutely stunning book.


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