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I really like having Joy around becuase it's just so reliable. Just about everything you might need is in there.

I gotta agree with posters who say On Food and Cooking, the Science and Lore of the Kitchen by H. McGee. Read it through at least twice and refer to it often. For big assed books packed with knowledge and recipes, Le Guide Culinaire, A. Escoffier. MA GASTRONOMIE, by Fernand Point. CIA PRO Chef 8th edition., and Larousse Gastronomique. The latter being most used and referred to besides On Food and Cooking.

GO OUT AND GET THEM........DO IT, DO IT NOW!

I have an old beat up copy of Better Homes and Gardens that I probably open more often than any other. Mostly, though, I'm looking at it for approximate cooking times for different cuts of meat. I like the way the chart is laid out, and it's always fairly close to reality. There are also some cookie recipes that I've made for years from that book.

But I don't know if I would call it my favorite. I've probably cooked more recipes from other individual books.

My favorite tends to change depending on my whims of the moment. Sometimes I want a comprehensive book, and sometimes I want something with a narrow focus, like a particular ethnic cuisine or a particular technique or ingredient.

Sometimes I'll go to one of the standard books (BH&G, Joy, etc.) to see what the basic version of a recipe might look like, and then I go to the ethnic/regional books to see what flourishes might be added. Or, if I think a recipe I found online looks wacky as far as quantities/proportions of ingredients, checking one of the standards tells me whether the 1 cup of butter is a typo or not.

Since you already have Joy of Cooking, browse through How to Cook Everything, and then check out Alton Brown's books as well. And although I don't have it, Cooking by James Peterson also looks like a good choice. If you want something more instructive, On Cooking is a book that's used in some culinary programs, so you get a lot of education and technique along with the recipes. The CIA books offer the same style of instruction, as well.

If you browse through those books, you'll probably find that you're drawn more to one style of book than the others.

Don't discount the idea of getting used cookbooks, particularly for the ones you're going to use and maybe get dirty. In that case, a creased book jacket isn't going to make much difference.

I always browse cookbooks at antique and thrift stores, and there are a couple used bookstores nearby that I check out as well. Now and then there are some real gems.

And of course, if you are looking for specific used cookbooks, Amazon has some, and I always check out Alibris.com as well. Prices vary, depending on the booksellers and the condition of the book, but you might be able to get 2, 3, or 4 used cookbooks for what you'd pay for a new copy at a bookstore.

I took a "coat check girl" job last night in New York at one of the steak houses because I am in need of some extra cash. Going from an office job to behind the scenes at a restaurant was a complete eye-opener. I am a very thrifty person and I never check my coat, always hanging it on the chair behind me, unless I am attending an event where everyone checks their coat - and even then I can't recall even tipping one dollar, although I probably have, because I never paid any attention to the coat check people. I can tell you that it is a tough job. I worked very hard to keep the coat room organized and took special care of people's things. I tried to return their belongings as quickly as I could when they returned with their tags. It was pouring rain last night, so people had a lot of bags and wet umbrellas that they wanted to store. It was amazing to me how many people checked two umbrellas and a heavy attache in one bunch, and tipped $1. One group checked 10 huge umbrellas together in one group, then tipped $5, which was at least better than nothing. I am sad to say that most of the women, if they were alone or with other women, did not even tip me $1. The men were by far the most generous tippers, some tipping $5 and one fellow $10. Even thinking about the $10 tip makes me appreciate this guy even more, because he must have a better understanding of what it means to be a coat check person than I did before I took this job. I can tell you that every dollar is greatly appreciated. I worked solely for tips, and the restaurant took 20%.

Chinese chicken salad. I know this is more of a warm weather dish but I could eat this anytime, bubbles and squeak. I also like mixing cabbage into the filling for potstickers.

oh! farmer's markets are different. those are awesome to visit. my fav is the setup in ottawa, with streets and streets of things.

Just read your post. Arrived in Pensacola, Florida and within two hours I went grocery shopping. Tomorrow is day two and at least one more grocery store. Just fun to check out the shelves for local goodies and things I have not tried. Scored some White Lilly flour on my trip today.

I sure check out as many stores as I can when traveling, it gives you the flavor of local life. If you ever get to Helsinki, Finland, check out a Stockmann. They carry everything from clothing, toys and sporting goods. As crazy as this sounds, they have gourmet food sections and a huge liquor department. All seem to be run 100% separately, so it doesent come off as the jack of all trades-master of none like Wal-Mart or Costco. All kinds of bulk foods and TONS of cool stuff I never saw before....

For size alone, Woodman's in Madison, WI is worth a visit. Biggest beer and cheese selections anywhere. To go up and down each aisle would take a couple of days.
Jerry

What a great "thread". I have a thing for grocery stores and pharmacies when travelling. We even got clean underwear at a Grocery store in Prague because it was nearing the end of our trip and we were tired of washing our underwear over and over in the sinks of Youth Hostels and just wanted a fresh pair or two. We also got great beer, some bread and cheese, and the equivalent (except a million times better) to a hostess type cake for dessert.

In France I like Carrefour because that's where we shopped when we lived in Grenoble. In London, it is always Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer's (for some items), the farmer's markets, and Boots (for my pharmacy fetish).

Leah
http://iminthekitchen.wordpress.com/

There is absolutely nothing better, it's one of my favorite things to do, browse around. It's a must. I bake alot, and love checking out the different regional flours. LOVE White Lily, can't find it here up north, southern markets are a lot of fun. I don't travel much abroad anymore - :-(, so can't attest to the goodies to be found there, I'm pretty much limited to down South and Canada! Still fun, though.