Favorite cook books or cooking related books
My xmas present to myself is a yearly spurge on cookbooks and/or food related books. Please post your top 3, and expound on why they're your favorites.
Me
1) Culinary Artistry by Dornenberg & Page
Hardly a recipe in the book. It's more about food matches and pairing, and creating menus. And developing as a cook.
2) The Way To Cook, by Julia Child
It's Julia at her best. I use this not so much for recipes, but as a reference guide.
3) Please don't ~ laugh Martha Stewart's Hors d' Oeuvres Handbook. Her recipes have a reputation for not working. So, I don't use the recipes per se, I use this book for ideas. Then I either create my own recipe of gather bits and pieces for other cook books. But you have to hand it to her for visual appeal and creativity - too bad her recipes tend not to work.
By n
on Dec 15, 2005 02:03 PM
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1. Marcella Hazan's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking". I've cooked my way through this book and have had great success. It's a great tour through the different regions that make up Italian cooking.
2. Julia Child's "The Way to Cook" as a wonderful reference and source of recipes, including great (helpful) photos.
3. Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking" again as a seminal reference on the "whys" of cooking.
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Could you please share which recipes from "Essentials" you've tried and really love? I've read the reviews of the lemon chicken and am tempted to try it, but would like to get other input as well. Thanks
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most of the basic pasta sauces are great -- tomato w/ onion & butter; amatriciana; peas, peppers & prosciutto sauce (I make w/o peppers); pink shrimp sauce w/ cream (outstanding!); butter & parmesan; cream & butter sauce (all' Alfredo), butter & sage; sausage & cream; prosciutto & cream
Then there's chicken cacciatora; eggplant patties; baked potatoes, onion & tomatoes; sliced potatoes baked w/ porcini; beef stew. Just a few of my regular faves.
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In addition to the others mentioned, try the milk braised pork, the smothered cabbage, lentil soup, cotechino sausage with lentils, the bolognese sauce and the pesto sauce. Her methods for making homemade fresh pasta and potato gnocchi are excellent.
But really, there are so many wonderful dishes in this cookbook that anything you choose to make will turn out great.
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The Way to Cook is actually my "go to" guide for recipes - sometimes I also consult her earlier book for guidance, but often TWC has short cuts etc. that JC herself "now" recommends. I also ofen use my Hazan books, and Penelope Casas. Another favorite is from the River Cafe in London - really excellent Italian recipes.
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1. Nigella Lawson's "How to be a Domestic Goddess." I love her stories and her philosophy that imperfections in results are fine because "life isn't lived in a lab," and I've never had a bum recipe out of it.
2. As someone already mentioned, Marcella Hazan's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking." I frequently use her quicker pasta recipes (e.g. Spinach Sauce with Ricotta) for weeknight dinners since I get home lateish, and they're really tasty.
3. Alice Medrich's "Bittersweet." I like cookbooks that are more than just recipes. It's difficult to read this book, with Medrich's stories of her shop, and her detailed, knowledgeable discussion of the characteristics of different chocolates, and not be totally sucked in. Oh, and the base cake of the Tribute Cake is probably the best devil's food cake I've ever had.
Cheers,
Xochitl10
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I love every one of Donna Hay's cookbooks, as well as the magazine. Favorite book is probably Flavors but they're all good. The photography is amazing and I find them really inspiring. Easy recipes, some need a little tweaking since it's Australian but overall great.
Also like Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver. It's a really good book for everyday dinners, especially if you have kids involved. They're simple but interesting and the 5 minute wonders are awesome when you don't have any time.
Italian Slow and Savory by Joyce Goldstein. Made the best Bolognese from it.
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Probably a cop-out, but I love both of Alton Brown's "Just here for the food" books.
Also, the New York Times cookbook (the old one with teh cloth binding) was my favorite cookbook growing up, so it has a special place.
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i have a collection of cookbooks, but one that i utilize the most and love is ina garten's barefoot contessa family style. i've made a handful of recipes from this book and all have come out absolutely delicious. another great cookbook i use often is new york cookbook by molly o'neill. goodluck in your search.
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