Favorite Cook Book?

[crewsk]

I'm like Rainee, I can't pick just one. The one I use the most though I got from my momwhen I got married. it's called Where's Mom Now That I Need Her? It has everything from recipes to how to remove stains from laundry.

 

[buckytom]

my first and fav cookbook is an old fanny farmer cookbook. the cover is gone, and the binding is splitting into random sections, but it's a good basic reference.

my fav cookbook for good recipes and funny stories is dom deloise's "eat this, it'll make you feel better". some of the recipes are classics from his mamma, other's from famous friends like burt reynolds and such.

sadly, the worst cookbook i have is "the sopranos" cookbook. i have made a few things from it, and followed directions exactly. almost all of the cooking times are way too long. everything ends up being overdone in one way or another.

 

[Markf]

Guess I am old school...but the two Joy of Cooking book are the ones I got to the most. Had 344 cookbooks in the collection at one time but now am under 25 and regulary use about 10.

Mark

 

[Juliev]

mine is "The Family Circle... Encyclopedia of Cooking"

 

[SizzlininIN]

I love all my cookbooks..........each has several recipes that I love and many that I plan on trying. I'm a creature of habit when it comes to collecting them. I told myself no more because I'm running out of shelf space to store them but I've been breaking that rule again ...........oh well there's always plastic covered containers I can put them in under the bed Gosh ............if I disappear one day then I'm probably just stuck in the middle of my bed surrounded by the endless amount of cookbooks that spilled out from the containers I'm not even close to being that bad though.........but any extra space in the linen closet has been filled with many that aren't out on display.
Right now I'm reading, "Marcella Cucina" by Marcella Hazan. The cover notes: Marcella cooks by your side with an inspirational collection of new recipes that brings to your table the flavors, the textures, the essence of Italy. From what I've read so far she is a self taught cook that never cooked before marrying.........her parents, grandparents, etc....did all the cooking prior but when she moved to America she had to learn to feed her husband. He was her guinea pig and told her when things were good, very good, or not so good . So far its wonderful....I'm reading through the introduction part still but have thumbed through some of the recipes and I can't wait to try them. Think I may have to search for more of her cookbooks.

 

[norgeskog]

I prefer Julia Child's cookbooks over anything from Cook's Illustrated; but that is my preference.

Me too, choclatechef, I use her A Way To Cook regularly. Also Chez Panisse, and Kitchen of Light.

 

[Claire]

Oh, gee. Like others, I have bookcases full. Does favorite mean most used, most interesting, most beloved, most weird? Haha (someday I'll learn how to use emoticons).

Most practical/used: Any Joy of Cooking. I have the most recent edition, plus an older one I bought used many years ago.

Best for a true beginner: Betty Crocker or Better Homes & Gardens (don't let me kid you .... I've been cooking for 40 years and still refer back to these sometimes)

Pure entertainment, oddity: Bull Cook and Authentic Historic Recipes and Practices, by George Leonard Herter and Berthe E. Herter. Got this one from my Mom, and think she got it used from someone they were stationed with many years before that. It is a laugh.

Most used in an ethnic category: The Ramagnolis' Table. I got this one with marriage, and have just about worn it out. I understand it is a PBS cooking series accompaniment, and would love it if I could see an episode of this old series. Husband learned to make pasta from it, and in spite of many more modern, pretty books, I turn to this one for classics.

Best of my 'newer' (last 5 years) acquisitions: the Julia and Jacques from the series they did together (her last). Used this one quite a bit when I was on the road.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I have the 1973 edition of "Joy of Cooking". It was my primer, and still is my favorite cookbook. That's the one that really pointed me in the right direction. It taught me that there are methods, and techniques to be learned. It is like a freindly text-book.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[kyles]

http://www.stephaniealexander.com.au/mybooks.htm

I love and adore the Cook's companion, I have the older version, and would love the new one. It's very Australian but still works in England!

I love Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess.

And the Australian Family Circle Recipe Collection is one I turn to again and again.

 

[lyndalou]

I have 3 of Marcella Hazan's cookbooks. Love 'em.
Also, the Frugal Gourmet , I have 3 of his.
Another good one for me is The Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook.I have many more, but could always use another to read (like a novel before bed).

 

[Claire]

How do you feel about loaning cookbooks, and about messing them up? I loaned one to a neighbor, and she said, gee, Claire, If I don't splatter on it, will you loan me another some time? My reply was that cookbooks HAVE to have splatters on them. What, exactly, would be the point of, say, an Italian cookbook that didn't have at least one splotch of olive oil on a page? At this point I'd hesitate to lend the two old ones I'd be unable to replace, but anytime someone wants to borrow a book, and any time one gets a lot of food on it ... I'm HAPPY! It's all about food, right?

 

[choclatechef]

No way! If I mess up a cookbook accidently, it is on me. But nobody else better!

I don't loan my cookbooks!

 

[pdswife]

I don't loan mine out either.. I've lost too many. If I have a recipe anyone wants though I'll give it freely.

 

[lotsarecipes]

since so many of us are joining could you tell us about your favorite cookbook or about the one you use the most??

Hi There! I have many favourites, it depends on the day and how I feel. I love Better Homes and Gardens, Betty Crocker and Canadian Living the most though.

 

[lotsarecipes]

How do you feel about loaning cookbooks, and about messing them up?

I don't mind lending a cookbook if it is something that I know I can replace quite easily but have very few like that, most are old and irreplaceable. My collection means too much to me to have any go missing. If someone wants to look through them, I don't mind having them take a look but preferably here.

I don't mind if a cookbook has smudges on it, it does create character but since I learned the trick of placing the whole cookbook in a clear plastic bag, I've had very few mishaps.

 

[Claire]

My biggest travel regret was not buying a Slovene cookbook. I'd never be able to read it, right? But wish I'd bought it anyway. I have a cookbook in French, from Quebec, and take it as a personal challenge. I have rudimentary French, and three friends (around the country) who are French linguists, so that's way too easy. Can you imagine the calls? I have a great dictionary, but food terms are sometimes too esoteric for it. Can you imagine the phone calls? Hey XXXXX (in FL), what does this mean? Hell, I don't know. Then I call XXXX (in CA), then XXXX (in HI). This book is great!! Heck on the phone bill, but fun!! It actually came in English as well, but .... hey, we all need to get those little gray cells going.

 

[SierraCook]

How do you feel about loaning cookbooks, and about messing them up? I loaned one to a neighbor, and she said, gee, Claire, If I don't splatter on it, will you loan me another some time? My reply was that cookbooks HAVE to have splatters on them. What, exactly, would be the point of, say, an Italian cookbook that didn't have at least one splotch of olive oil on a page? At this point I'd hesitate to lend the two old ones I'd be unable to replace, but anytime someone wants to borrow a book, and any time one gets a lot of food on it ... I'm HAPPY! It's all about food, right?

I don't loan my cookbooks out, but I don't mind if I get stuff on them. If you look in my cookbooks you can tell what my favorite recipes are because those are the pages with the splatters. My favorite cookbooks are:

Fanny Farmers
The New American Heart Association Cookbook
Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
The Essential Pasta Cookbook

 

[choclatechef]

I don't know what you guys consider them, but I like to consider cooking videos a great adjunct to my cookbooks.

I have the entire Julia Child companion videos to her cookbook The Way to Cook and several others of hers.

I have the entire video series by Jacque Pepin "Cooking Techniques". I was watching him the other day on the first in this set -- knife work and vegetables.

I have a whole series by Jeff Smith -- the Frugal Gourmet.

I have a lot of other cooking videos by others on various subjects.

To me, having these videos are like taking a refresher course at the CIA. What do you guys think?

 

[norgeskog]

I don't know what you guys consider them, but I like to consider cooking videos a great adjunct to my cookbooks.
I have the entire Julia Child companion videos to her cookbook The Way to Cook and several others of hers.
I have the entire video series by Jacque Pepin "Cooking Techniques". I was watching him the other day on the first in this set -- knife work and vegetables.
I have a whole series by Jeff Smith -- the Frugal Gourmet.
I have a lot of other cooking videos by others on various subjects.
To me, having these videos are like taking a refresher course at the CIA.
What do you guys think?

I have JC's The Way To Cook and love it, and two of Frugal Gourmet, which for some reason I do not user very much, mostly JC's, Sara Moultons and Andreas Voldstad. As far as videos go, I would be afraid I would cut my hand off if I were watching tv, or do you just watch and not chop along?

 

[choclatechef]

Norge, I can't see the TV from my kitchen, so I watch the videos as a kind of "refresher" course.