290802 Mon Nov 11 21:00:12 -0800 2002 24 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1579902 OK. It's getting to be that time of year when 'hounds new and old look for cookbooks, either to give or to receive. So, here's my variant on responding to these seekers: if you could only have 5 cookbooks, which 5 would they be (why 5 you ask: because it's arbitrary and capricious, that's why!!)? Note that the question is NOT what are the five best cookbooks. The answers to that question would likely be very different for many of us.... My answer to my question is, in alphabetical order: American Cookery (James Beard) The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (Marcella Hazan) The New Making of A Cook (Madeleine Kamman) The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook (Gloria Bey Miller) The Victory Garden Cookbook (Marian Morash) This list probably betrays my bias towards cooking rather than baking, as it were, but thems the breaks! Mon Nov 11 21:00:12 -0800 2002 0 Karl S. 1 1579925 That's a tough one but here it goes: The French Laundry Cookbook-Thomas Keller The Professional Pastry Chef-Bo Friberg any Culinaria book The Paris Cookbook-Patricia Wells Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook-Alice Waters Tue Nov 12 01:55:29 -0800 2002 1579902 0 Miss G 2 1579986 Wow, have you ever actually cooked out of the French Laundry or do you mean as a cofee table book? Tue Nov 12 13:58:30 -0800 2002 1579925 0 LizR 3 1579987 I've cooked a few things out of it but often have it out as a coffee table "food porn" book. Tue Nov 12 14:02:48 -0800 2002 1579986 0 Miss G 4 1580267 If you had made the hollowed out egg shells with the sheer potato chips I was going to be very impressed... Thu Nov 14 12:50:59 -0800 2002 1579987 0 LizR 5 1580711 I haven't made any of the apps but I've made some of the main courses and desserts and have gotten nothing but rave reviews from friends and guests. Mon Nov 18 21:18:14 -0800 2002 1580267 0 Miss G 1 1579927 The Complete Asian Cookbook(Charmaine Solomon) 1,000 Mexican Recipes(Marge Poore) A Book of Middle Eastern Food(Claudia Roden) Everybody Eats Well in Belgium(Ruth van Waerebeek-Gonzalez) Texas Home Cooking(Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison) I think I could eat happily from those five for the rest of my life. Tue Nov 12 03:29:27 -0800 2002 1579902 0 Chimayo Joe 1 1579936 Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking-Marcella Hazan The Chinese Kitchen- Eileen Yin-Fei Lo Delicioso!- Penelope Casas The Way to Cook- Julia Child Fish- Mark Bittman Tue Nov 12 07:37:21 -0800 2002 1579902 0 Shawn 1 1579943 How to Eat by Nigella Lawson -- the cookbook I cook out of the most The New Joy of Cooking -- for recipes and reference Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells How to Be a Domestic Goddess, by Nigella Lawson. Good baking book, some interesting preserve recipes Cookwise by Shirley Corriher -- for explanations. These are really the 5 cookbooks I own that I refer to the most often. Tue Nov 12 09:23:39 -0800 2002 1579902 0 Caitlin Wheeler 1 1579946 Here's my list of cookbooks that I always use: The New All-Purpose Joy of Cooking Jane Brody's Good Food Book Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts El Norte--James W. Peyton How To Cook Everything--Mark Bittman Many more cookbooks line my shelves, but I always come back to these. Tue Nov 12 09:40:46 -0800 2002 1579902 0 raj1 1 1579950 On Food and Cooking: the Science and Lore of the Kitchen (Harold McGee) The Way to Cook (Julia Child) Jacque Pepin's Simple and Healthy Cooking (Jacque Pepin) Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen (Wolfgang Puck - his first book) The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (Marcella Hazan) There are some tremendous meals here, and a lot of information and knowledge. Tue Nov 12 10:19:18 -0800 2002 1579902 0 Paul H 1 1579951 How to Cook Everything - by Mark Bittman Marcella Cucina - Marcella Hazan Naples at Table - Arthur Schwartz Joy of Cooking - when I can't get the answer from Mark Bittman The Minimalist Cooks at Home - Mark Bittman Tue Nov 12 10:22:18 -0800 2002 1579902 0 Scribbler 1 1579952 How to Cook Everything - Mark Bittman Lidia's Italian-American Cookbook - Lidia Bastianich The Best Recipe - Cook's Illustrated The Essentials of Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan Simple Italian Cooking - Mario Batali Tue Nov 12 10:29:10 -0800 2002 1579902 0 Gina 2 1579954 How could I forget The Best Recipe! I love that one! Tue Nov 12 10:50:49 -0800 2002 1579952 0 raj1 1 1579953 How to Cook Everything--Bitman The Splendid Table--Kasper Cookwise--Corriher Sichuan Cookery--Dunlop Classic Indian Cooking--Sahni Tue Nov 12 10:36:47 -0800 2002 1579902 0 James G (in Beijing) 1 1579957 shooting ducks in a barrel !!!!!! 1) The Best Recipe 2) Dean & Deluca (Rosengarten) 3) The Herbfarm Cookbook 4) Tom Douglas Seattle Kitchen 5) Betty Crocker picture cookbook Tue Nov 12 11:04:42 -0800 2002 1579902 0 john maltman 1 1579959 Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Julia Child Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini: Elizabeth Schneider The Complete Meat Cookbook: Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly La Varenne Pratique: Anne Willan (a tie for 5th) Fish and Shellfish or Sauces: James Peterson Note that these are not my "favorite" cookbooks, nor those that I cook from most often (In fact, I've never cooked anything from three of them). But they contain most of what I'd need for reference to cook many dishes. Most important, they're interesting reading and would keep me intellectually stimulated in a way that more ordinary cookbooks wouldn't. Tue Nov 12 11:11:40 -0800 2002 1579902 0 Janet A. Zimmerman 1 1579970 These are the five I turn to most often, for recipes or just for reference. You could take away all my others, and I could still do what I do in the kitchen. Bistro Cooking -- Patricia Wells La Varenne Pratique -- Anne Willan The Way to Cook -- Julia Child The Joy of Cooking -- any incarnation will do (I have 2) Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet -- don't know the authors' names offhand Tue Nov 12 12:34:09 -0800 2002 1579902 0 GG Mora 1 1579974 In addition to being useful resources, I find these to be great reads as well: Mastering the Art of French Cooking, vol. I & II Silver Palate Cookbook Gourmet Cookbook, vol. I & II Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking The Complete Meat Cookbook Tue Nov 12 13:13:37 -0800 2002 1579902 0 TomSwift 1 1580034 Staff Meals from Chanterelle - Waltuck (a great cookbook for everyday by a great chef). The Classic Italian Cookbook - Hazan (this is the 1972 original); I don't have Essentials. Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone - Deborah Madison. Nigella Bites and a tie: Bistro Cooking (Wells) and the Naked Chef Rides Again (Oliver). I use this latter book all the time. Tue Nov 12 17:31:21 -0800 2002 1579902 0 Miles 1 1580045 Hard to say, as I love to collect cookbooks just to read and enjoy, but: - Chez Panisse Vegetables - Joy of Cooking (original edition) - Northern Italian Cooking (a random paperback book by someone named Bibi Caggiano or somesuch and is just an incredible staple for Italian) - Silver Palate cookbook ( don't cook much from it anymore but it was my first real cookbook back when) - Classic Home Desserts by Richard Sax - the only dessert cookbook I've used in 10 years and this book I don't even have yet but spent an hour at the bookstore reading last weekend and really want: - the Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rogers. I hope I get it for christmas. Tue Nov 12 18:35:39 -0800 2002 1579902 0 Celeste 1 1580054 Lots of choices. Tough to settle on 5, but here goes (titles from memory with, no doubt many errors). Personal favorites: Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Claudia Roden, The Book of Jewish Food. Charmayne Solomon, The Complete Asian Cookbook Ed Giobbi,Eat Right, Live Well -- The Italian Way Diana Kennedy, Essential Cuisines of Mexico Tue Nov 12 20:28:43 -0800 2002 1579902 0 Lew P. 1 1580093 Martha Stewart Desserts (Made about half the recipes so far and each has been spectacular) Joy of Cooking (Need a standard, catch-all cookbook, and this is mine) Barefoot Contessa (Great for parties or to make extra for leftovers or the freezer - but I always cut down the fat) The Best Recipe - Cook's Illustrated ONE of my Cooking Light Cookbooks - (Can't remember the name, but the rest are not so good, but it is really helpful for days when I am not feeling so fit). Wed Nov 13 12:42:39 -0800 2002 1579902 0 Danielle 1 1580094 I can't resist chiming in! Several of these have made many of the lists here, and they're certainly on mine: The Way To Cook, by Julia Child is completely indispensable. Essentials of Classic Italian Cuisine by Marcella Hazan is the best Italian cookbook I've ever seen. I use ALL the Joys of Cooking ALL the time. (So does Julia Child!) Delicioso! by Penelope Casas is extraordinarily useful for everyday AND fancy meals. And the best cookbook I've found in the last few years is Tom Colicchio's THINK LIKE A CHEF. It really changes the way you cook--for the better! Wed Nov 13 12:43:17 -0800 2002 1579902 0 Tom Steele 2 1580153 Many on this thread have mentioned Joy in its various incarnations, but no one has mentioned The Doubleday Cookbook (1975)or The New D'Day Cookbook (1985) by the incomparable Jean Anderson and Elaine Hanna. I use Joy, but more and more I find I rely on D'day. It has similar basic information, but I find the text and instructions are better written and the recipes are more interesting and tastier. I'm a fan of Jean Anderson's cookbooks (Jean Anderson Cooks is another of my wouldn't-want-to-be-without-its), so my bias may be showing. Anyone else agree that D'day has the edge over Joy? Wed Nov 13 17:56:11 -0800 2002 1580094 0 Joan