Got my first two reference/cookbooks, recommendations for more?

[Silver]

So I picked up my first two full-on reference books - excellent prices at a local independent bookstore.

Le Cordon Blue Complete Cook - Home Collection (part cookbook, part reference book from what I can tell)

and

Herbs and Spices: The Cook's Reference (I find herbs and spices intriguing and the price was right for a h/c book!)


Now, I would love recommendations for others to add to the "collection." Thinks that I've come up with by looking around here and the bookstore so far are:


Culinary Artistry (based on a recommendation from ironchef)

The Joy of Cooking
The New Joy of Cooking
Any of the “Cook’s Illustrated…” books (I think they’re by Good Housekeeping…?)
Cookwise by Shirley Corriher
What Einstein Told his Cook by Robert Wolke
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee
Anything by Alton Brown
How to Cook Anything by Mark Brittman
Complete Techniques by Jacques Pepin
The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America
The Food Lover’s Companion by Sharon Herbst (it’s more like a dictionary – I have the wine one and it’s excellent)
Jamie’s Kitchen by Jamie Oliver
Anything by Julia Child is probably a safe bet


Any other fantastic reco's?

 

[marmalady]

I'm gonna go hide under a rock after I say this, but IMVHO, don't buy AB's books; I've seen so many posts about his recipes not working, and I think he just gets a little too 'scientific' for my own tastes!

You absolutely can't go wrong w/Jacque Pepin, Julia Child, or the CIA textbooks, although those can be a little bit intimidating.

 

[GB]

Marm I would agree with you if you are talking about recipes. Altons recipes are very hit or miss. I made made many of his things and I would say I have had a 50% success rate with any of his recipes.

For food science though he is great. His books are not cookbooks thankfully. They do contain a few recipes (maybe 10-15 or so), but they are there to demonstrate certain techniques or principles. They are worth checking out if you want to learn about the science behind cooking.

What Einstein Told his Cook is my favorite one though. I could read that book 100 times and still learn something new. It is a bit more technical in the science than the AB books, but don't let that scare you. He does a great job of putting things in terms that anyone can understand.

 

[Robt]

My wife swears the AB's brownie recipe is the best shes made or had but; she then follows to say that the secret is in the TV show. I don't know what the particular morsel of info that made it work for her is but I think it was one of his off the wall science dittys.

GB is right about the merciful lack of recipes in his books.

I think the Bittman 'everything' book is the best starting point. Wish I had had it 30+ years ago. I did give it to both my kids when they went to college. Oh yeah, $12.99 at Costco -in paper last Thur.

 

[Andy M.]

Cookwise is an excellent reference book eith recipes.

Jacques Pepin's is a text book for classic French cookin with recipes.

On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee

Mastering the Art of French Cooking and Julia's Kitchen Wisdom by Julia Child

These books will teach you how and why and provide recipes to prove it.

 

[Silver]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I am actually interested in the Einstein and AB books purely out of interest in HOW food cooks and what different things happen to food when prepared differently and so on. I'm a nerd

I just checked Costco here and they don't have it so looks like it'll be $20 to buy it at the store or online. Oh well, that's life.

I'll definitely look at the rest - I'm very interested in knowing how and why rather than just what. That's of greater interest to me than simply in how something turns out.

 

[Piccolina]

While it is not per se a recipe book, you'll be hard pressed to find a better kitchen science encyclopedia than "McGee on Food & Cooking" by Harold McGee (which Andy also mentioned). I own a copy (the 2004 edition) and have read it thoroughly, many parts several times. It's an excellent reference guide that covers a myraid of things relating to food science, history and cooking. As well it really delves into the "hows" and "whys" behind tons and tons of foods and cooking terms/techniques.

 

[marmalady]

Silver, check www.amazon.com as well as Jessica's Biscuit, www.ecookbooks.com for great prices, if you don't already know about them!

 

[Elf]

My basic cook boooks are The good House Kepping, Joy of Cooking , Better Home and Garden. They are the basic reference books I end up using. Paula Deen and Natthalle Dupree are good southern styles, AB's Gear is a good equipment book, American Teat Kitchen for a New England style, I also like Souther Living, ans yes I like cook books too much Elf

 

[Silver]

McGee definitely comes highly recommended, he's on the "soon to buy" list for sure! Thanks Picco and everyone else!

 

[BigJim]

cookbooks

Hi Silver:
this is Bigjim, have you ever heard of (Meta Givens Modern Encyclopdia Of
Cooking). I think they are printed any more. I use to have a 2 volume set
years ago and I gave them to this young girl to start out cooking, and I
have always wanted another set. I went to this website for cookbooks out
of print, and I was able to get another set. what I like about these is it
has recipes for french food, or if you want to cook a elk or beaver, bear,
moose, and all inbatween. I think they printed from the 40`s to the 60`s.
anyway I just wanted to know if any of you had heard of them. take care
and God bless....

 

[purrfectlydevine]

I just got Cookwise and it is IMHO, an excellent resource.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Alton Brown is really not about recipes - he is just demonstrating "how" things work - the science and techniques behind cooking. Basically a "Mr. Wizzard" of cooking ... you'll understand what I'm talking if you were a kid back in the 1950's and remember watching Mr. Wizzard on your black-and-white TV.

Alton gets "most" of his science from either Harold McGee or Shirley Corriher - but not all of it.

I don't watch AB for the recipes - just for the science.

 

[Silver]

Thanks guys. I've picked up How to Cook Everything, but that's more of a recipe book. McGee, Corriher, and Brown will all be additions as soon as I get a chance.

I love the science part. Odd.

 

[Andy M.]

If you're going to buy McGee and Corriher, you don't need Brown. He's a lightweight by comparison.

If you go for Pepin's Complete Techniques, you'll get detailed instruction on how to perform the basic techniques for classical cooking.

 

[Silver]

Nice, good info Andy. Especially the Pepin bit. Technique is usually my biggest problem. I'm a mess in there sometimes!

 

[KellyM]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I am actually interested in the Einstein and AB books purely out of interest in HOW food cooks and what different things happen to food when prepared differently and so on. I'm a nerd

I just checked Costco here and they don't have it so looks like it'll be $20 to buy it at the store or online. Oh well, that's life.

I'll definitely look at the rest - I'm very interested in knowing how and why rather than just what. That's of greater interest to me than simply in how something turns out.

Well, I'll come right out and say it. I have "Gear for Your Kitchen" and one of the "I'm Just Here for the Food" books by Alton Brown, and I love both of them. They are not cookbooks, although they do include a few recipes. They are great for what you are interested in, however. I'm a nerd, too!

Kelly

 

[Silver]

Thanks Kelly. I'm seriously considering one or two of his books. I want to go down to the book store and browse through them first. I think I'll order Corriher and McGee, regardless.

 

[Claire]

If you're looking for pure reference, you cannot beat Escoffier and Larousse. Fun for the history, not necessarily for cooking. These are books you buy AFTER you've already learned to cook! My husband is a historian and loves The Food Chronology by Trager.

When it comes to day-to-day cooking, I really don't think you can beat Joy of Cooking overall. Especially the most recent edition because it has recipes from around the globe. I'd say that if you only had one cookbook, this should be it. Betty Crocker and Better Homes & Gardens (the cookbooks I had as a young woman) are also good, but not quite as comprehensive.

 

[skilletlicker]

This is a great conversation. Thought I'd weigh in on one difference between "Joy of Cooking" and "The All New Joy of Cooking". In an online discussion with an acquaintance about beef broth, I discovered how much the beef processing and distribution industry, and the federal regulations that govern them have changed in the past two or three decades. You can't buy beef knuckles or neck bones in my area anymore. The reason seems to be that regrettably, the days of "swinging beef" in a butcher shop, or even a local slaughterhouse are long gone. I hope the tide turns but it's going to take a major sea change.

"The All New Joy of Cooking" and "How to cook everything" (a huge favorite of mine) reflect these changes in their recipes and ingredients.