poll: what cookbooks are utterly indispensable?

[silverwhisper]

i feel that for most people, the joy of cooking is utterly indispensable. however, i would add to that alton brown's i'm just here for the food, which has the merit of addressing most of the kinds of foods many of us would like to cook rather than something as esoteric as quail.

what cookbooks do you find indispensable?

[Haze]

I'm fond of my Gary Rhodes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Rhodes)books. They're clear, interesting to read and the end results are usually scrumptious.

[BattleNymph]

Unfortunately, my favorite cookbook isn't one in distribution. It's an old cookbook that the women in a farming community that my grandmother lived in put together of their favorite family recipes. Truly wonderful stuff!

My other favorite is one I have from the 1920's. The recipes are meant to be cooked in a wood stove but if you can translate the temperatures over it has some amazing stuff! They have it all from how to butcher a hog to how to serve a formal dinner for state officials. Crazy good!

[Mouser]

"The Joy of Cooking"

"The Settlement Cookbook"

"Spice & Spirit"

These are the cookbooks that I look at most often.

They are THE reference works in my kitchen.

"The Barbecue Bible" is also excellent, but I consider it a "focused" cuisine book.

[COTSBOE]

Many of my favorites are already listed, but there's one I haven't seen yet:

Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook. It's as entertaining as it is informative.

[silverwhisper]

i didn't know he had one out--many thanks, tony!

[COTSBOE]

i didn't know he had one out--many thanks, tony!

It's a couple years old, actually, but I don't think it got alot of publicity.

[BattleNymph]

No one mentioned another of my favorites, "White Trash Cooking" where everything contains bacon grease or lard.

http://www.neworleansshowcase.com/fs00115.html

Someone broke into my car once and stole nothing but this cookbook.

[happykat]

The best and most used cookbook I have is one compiled from neighborhood/community favorites.
I have found the occasional Yum-yum salad (which looks like molded vomit), but for the most part it's full of culinary gems.

[Battledragon]

I have two must haves.


-The Art of Mexican Cooking by Diana Kennedy

and fro those times when I need something for a special lady, a book called Intercourses by Martha hopkins.

[TinSoldier]

I have Joy of Cooking, but I always find myself referring to The Fannie Farmer Cookbook whenever I need to look something up. That is probably the most used cookbook in the house.

When my wife and I got married, my mom gave me a binder with some staple recipes in it.

I have probably a dozen or two cookbooks that I never use. One of these days...

Oh, one of my favorites that I've only used a couple of times is the Chevy's Fresh Mex cookbook. For Christmas I made Jalapeno Jelly for my mother-in-law.

[Hitcher]

Betty Crocker Cook Book - get the binder, folds flat on countertop and gives you good dependable recipes for most of your cooking. Just don't drop it on the floor, the pages go everywhere.

Favorite Brand Name Recipe Cookbook By The Editors of Consumer Guide - almost every recipe ever found on the back or side of a box. It's great when you want to make tollhouse cookies with sams club chocolate chips.

Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, original 1963 or the 2002 reprint. Good start for novice bakers - especially kids.

But some of the best recipes are the ones you find, gleamed from cook books, magazines, cooking shows and web sites. And old family favorites and your own experiments. When you find one you like, put it into a binder or on an index card so you can find it later.

[BattleNymph]

Favorite Brand Name Recipe Cookbook By The Editors of Consumer Guide - almost every recipe ever found on the back or side of a box. It's great when you want to make tollhouse cookies with sams club chocolate chips.



Now THAT cookbook rocks totally! It has the best bread recipe I've ever tried. And many other cool things.

[Origen]

Yeah, uhm, we're confiscating your books, Hitcher... along with any text-conducive materials. Yeah, there is just too much text-based violence, what with all of the MSN bullying and whatnot. Please deliver all of your books, papers, pens, pencils, computer hardware and whatnot to the local disposal depot.

There's a good citizen.

Thank you for complying.

My God! I hadn't even thought of that.

Do you know how much violence takes place in the kitchen? Things are cut and stabbed and beaten, regularly. People get burned and cut, and lemon juice gets poured into those cuts.

We need to save citizens from themselves!

[Hitcher]

Yeah, uhm, we're confiscating your books, Hitcher... along with any text-conducive materials. Yeah, there is just too much text-based violence, what with all of the MSN bullying and whatnot. Please deliver all of your books, papers, pens, pencils, computer hardware and whatnot to the local disposal depot.

There's a good citizen.

Thank you for complying.
Come over tonight Chimaera. Thanks to you I've thrown out all my cookbooks and want to make you a thank you dinner. Chicken Curry with saffron rice, Caesar salad, homemade bread and a nice apple pie. Bring your appetite! I don't want any left-overs in the fridge.

And no dueling with the coffee cups tonight.

[Amso]

My mother gave me the bridal edition of Betty Crocker's Cookbook. She claims it wasn't a hint, but I know better. Its my indespensible cookbook. It combines recipes from different BC cookbooks and I like the images showing you what you did wrong. Like it'll show several cookies and explain what you did wrong if yours looks like the picture.

[Haze]

DH swears by Nigella Lawson.

I rather like my 1967 Woman's Own Book of Casserole Cookery.

[Zayda]

This may sound like sacrilege, but I could live without The Joy of Cooking. I abhor that cookbook. I have thrown away every copy I have ever gotten. And I got five copies of it for my wedding.

Cookbooks I simply don't want to do without:


Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madsen

Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen

The Church Supper Cookbook

all the cookbooks my parent's church as put out as fund raisers

Fiesta Fare in Puerto Rico (a church cookbook put together by my late aunt's church in PR



My husband actually likes A Man, A Can, a Tailgate Plan.

It's actually a pretty interesting book.

[silverwhisper]

heretic! :p

[Zayda]

heretic! :p

You know it!

:th_coolio:

[Haze]

And Haze, Nigella rocks and her books are excellent, IMHO.Certainly some of the recipes from her books have turned out very well. ;-)

[Cranky Dog]

The french-canadian essential cookbook is Jehane Benoît's encyclopedia (http://www.amazon.ca/Encyclop%C3%A9die-jehane-Beno%C3%AEt-Jehane/dp/2761306643/sr=8-1/qid=1171033959/ref=sr_1_1/702-5191606-9456053?ie=UTF8&s=books) (of canadian cooking). It exists in english incarnations.

My mother owns the old edtion and it is still being published today, 20 years after the author's death when she updated the book to include microwave cooking. Even my sister owns parts of the book that in one edition were seperated into sub-categories.

It's one of those phonebook sized cookbooks that showed you the basics in food preparation in addition to recipes.

I know that one day I *will* buy it for myself.


Cranky Dog
"I have an ultimate cookbook opinion, international!"

[marmalade]

I have to admit that I use the internet more than any of my cookbooks.

[Cranky Dog]

I have to admit that I use the internet more than any of my cookbooks.
You should see my mother's secondary cookbook. Made from the clippings of countless magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and from friends and families.

If we like it, we keep it, if not we dispose of it.

Some of our modern family favorites come from these sources.


Cranky Dog
"I have a recipe jumble opinion, international!"