Best cookbook?
I am learning to cook, and would love a cookbook that has some simple recipes. I have a Betty Crocker basics book, but I would like something that has a few more complex flavors. Any suggestions?
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10 Comments:
Two of the books I like to give to beginning cooks are Julia Child's The Way to Cook and Marion Cunningham's The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. Both are packed with great recipes, technique, and food info. Julia has terrific photos. Check them out at your library to see which one you like.
ride&cook at 7:41AM on 05/18/08
The first cookbook I ever owned was The Joy Of Cooking. See if you can get your hands on the 1975 version. The newer version doesn't have near the personality of the older one.
The Martha Stewart Cookbook is a good "all inclusive" book.
It's really best to get a couple of books by experts in their fields; i.e. Bread Alone by Daniel Leader for bread baking; The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum, etc.
chiff0nade at 7:49AM on 05/18/08
My favorite cookbooks are from the Moosewood series. They feature a nice range of exotic as well as familiar flavors, and the recipes aren't terribly complicated.
hereandthe at 8:57AM on 05/18/08
Joy for sure (1975)
bessfour at 9:53AM on 05/18/08
I own the 90s Joy (all-new, all-revised) and although I've only flipped through the 1975 version, I think that the revised version is better for people who want a collection of solid, dependable recipes that cover a wide variety of cuisines.
If you're a Joy fan, then it is a disappointment, because it's not the same tone and lacks the idiosyncracies of the older one. But if you're simply looking for contemporary recipes with lots of detailed reference information and instructions, than the revised version is the way to go. I don't think you'll lament the lack of squirrel butchering instructions, but you might appreciate solid recipes for pad thai, potstickers, or chimichurri sauce, etc.
My only complaint about the 90s version is the lack of ice cream recipes. It has just about everything else you might want to cook.
renzata at 12:06PM on 05/18/08
The 1975 Joy. It was the cookbook I learned to cook from, and it's still my go-to book for most things.
jenilowrance at 12:28PM on 05/18/08
Aside from Joy of Cooking, I suggest Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything. http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Simple-Recipes/dp/0471789186/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211129893&sr=8-1
And America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, or really anything from the ATK, Cooks Illustrated line including their website. http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Kitchen-Family-Cookbook-Revised/dp/193361501X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211129972&sr=1-1
Also I always suggest checking out your local library for cookbooks. You can borrow ones you think you'll like and find out what you want to buy for your collection, it's saved me hundreds of dollars on cookbooks I thought I'd love but didn't.
bobcatsteph3 at 1:04PM on 05/18/08
Definitely Bittman's Hook to Cook Everything.
Are you looking to get very into cooking? Or just learn basic, good recipes?
caviarandcodfish at 1:15PM on 05/18/08
I am just trying to learn for me and the roommate. We live 2 minutes from one of the greatest farmer's markets (Your Dekalb Farmer's Market, for anyone in GA) and it is so easy to get overwhelmed when shopping for dinner ingredients. So I am looking to make tasty food with different ingredients than what I am used to from Kroger. I am looking to try to make duck and bison for the first time. I have looked into the bison threads here, and plan on making burgers, but I am clueless when it comes to duck. (besides knowing how to eat it.) Thanks for all of the cookbook recs, I will be sure to go to the library before the market this week!
brittj8585 at 9:05PM on 05/18/08
Well, can't help you much with the meats. I didn't like duck even when I was carnivorous but I do applaud you seeking out better from the farmers markets. Make sure they are truly farmers with a hand in raising as I've been hearing about vendors just going to where the supermarkets source to pick up the same stuff to sell (don't know what the rules are for selling at your FM but you can probably find out on their website).
My hand's down fave cookbook so far is The Big Bean Cookbook (from the front: Everything you need to know about beans, grains, pulses and legumes including rice, split peas, chickpeas, couscous, bulger wheat, lentils, quinoa and much more) by Nicola Graimes. Looking it up I discovered she has a bunch of other cookbooks (including healthy lunch ideas) I can now hardly wait to check out because I so like what she did with this book. There's breakfast, starters, soups, main dishes (with even a section devoted to vegetarian, or if you prefer, meatfree/frugal/easy...), deserts, and more. Lots of great ideas and basic information to dissolve food mysteries of what something is and what to do with it. Better than that even is these are tasty, intriguing, having good instructions coupled with wonderful, clear pictures that inspire action rather than intimidate. Everyday foods too and many quick tips for healthy, need it NOW, fast food. Link to book is just so you can see what it looks like. It is British but has all the conversions -- which is nice to help familiarize one with other measurements -- and is widely available in the US. Information is good too even though I disagree with the soaking/discarding recommendations (I don't think they are necessary; people are so obsessed with "sanitizing" beans at the expense of flavor and nutrients). With the focus on veggies it will help you see and seek what the Farmers Market offers. This is the book that makes me wish I'd never wasted time on Better Crocker or Fanny Farmer.
I also like the Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon for ideas of what to do with what can be found at the Farmers Market or in a CSA/Veg Subscription Box. Very comprehensive.
Giving the veggie suggestions because I found it was easy to find meat recipes but even before I went vegetarian it was hard to find good recipes without meat (I hated dealing with all the germies but also wanted a purer taste).
Just for good reading I like Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables:
My next purchase is probably going to be Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. However, I have so many now (and the net) that it might take him coming through my town signing books to get it in my collection. :)
Sieseye at 10:29PM on 05/18/08