What are your favorite cook books?

[figment3258]

Hey everyone!

I am thinking of buying some new cook books and i was wondering if you guys have a favorite one that you would recommend? I am also interested in ones about baking. We are trying to make as much as possible from scratch,

Also I am trying to find good books about food. I really want to learn as much as I can about different types of food product and what to do with them.

Thanks for any feedback!

 

[Disney2012]

Taste of Home is hard to beat.

 

[Mary•Poppins]

The Three Rivers Cookbook series. I think they are up to 4 books now. I only have the first 3. My first one is falling apart I have used it so much.

 

[Kae]

I like local cook books my favorite is from a local Women's Jr League I would look at the clerance section at Barnes & Noble I have found some great cookbooks there.

Kae

 

[Darcy03231]

My favorites are from church women's groups. Lots of great recipes using ingredients you don't have to go to specialty stores to find.

 

[Joan S.]

Hi, Fannie Farmer Baking is a classic cookbook and covers EVERYTHING! Joan

 

[cheerforchelsea]

I have several that I just love - they were from the Telephone Pioneers of America each of the southeastern states published one. Here is a link for them on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...ooks&hvadid=6273431471&ref=pd_sl_971mg5vvlp_b

 

[Swimalie]

My all time favorite is Cooking Light's Five Ingredient, 15 Minute Cook Book.

 

[redlawyer]

Hmm. I love to cook and literally have tons of cookbooks. You should have a basic wide ranging one like Joy of Cooking. It is a classic and will walk you through the techniques.

For baking, I think the best by far is the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. It has excellent recipes and explains each ingredient (like the difference using butter or crisco has on a recipe)

My most frequently used cookbooks now are the Barefoot Contessa series. I have them all and have never made a bad recipe. You can go to foodnetwork.com and find her recipes online and see what you like. The chicken chili recipe won me first place in a chili cookoff.

Good luck! Even the most expensive meal at home is always cheaper than the same meal eaten at a restaurant.

 

[brekin67]

Pioneer Woman cookbook is great. You can also get most of the recipes from her website. Pioneerwoman.com

 

[swissfamilyrobinson]

I have several that I just love - they were from the Telephone Pioneers of America each of the southeastern states published one. Here is a link for them on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...ooks&hvadid=6273431471&ref=pd_sl_971mg5vvlp_b

I second this - especially the first one (the yellow one). I like it so much I have bought it for others for gifts.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Thd 1947 Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook is a great classic and it's actually FUN to read.

The 1960's version of Joy of Cooking is extremely useful in any kitchen.

Stock up on fundraiser/church/school cookbooks. They usually have tons of great recipes that you can make with what you have on hand.

Also, watch food shows. When you find a chef you like, buy his/her cookbooks. As your typical <insert derogatory word we southern Louisianans call ourselves>, I am a big, huge John Folse fan. His food is home cooking made all fancy and cooking school graduate pretty. I own every single cook book he has published and love reading them all.

 

[beaucoup]

I've switched to using some of the larger websites for recipes. You can even create your own online cookbook from marking favorite recipes.

Free & less clutter. Plus you get comments & suggestions from those that have tried the recipe already.

Allrecipes.com even has an app for the iPhone.

 

[my2ms0205]

I absolutely LOVE "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman! I reach for that even more than my "Joy of Cooking".

 

[cbg1027]

I have several favorite cookbooks.

I really love the "Savoring ______" series by Williams-Sonoma. I have Savoring France, Savoring Provence, Savoring Tuscany, and Savoring Southeast Asia. They are beautiful books that provide not only the recipes with gorgeous photos, but some back story about ingredients and food traditions of the areas.

I really love the Barefoot Contessa series by Ina Garten. A lot of the recipes from these books are available for free online from Food Network since she has a show there. My favorite is 'Barefoot In Paris' - it's Ina's spin on French food. I love her recipes because they're about simple yet sophisticated foods that let good ingredients shine.

I also love my "Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy" book.

And no kitchen is complete with The Joy of Cooking!

If you like cookies, Mrs. Field's Cookie Book is tops.

 

[JCMHutch]

I second looking online. The Food Network website is great and there is allrecipes, another good site.

What I've been using a lot lately is an app called Epicurious (they also have a website). It has an amazing amount of recipes. The app also highlights seasonal recipes in addition to weeknight meals, desserts, etc.

 

[WishIwerethere]

I like local cook books my favorite is from a local Women's Jr League I would look at the clerance section at Barnes & Noble I have found some great cookbooks there.

Kae

I don't know if you are talking about the Indianapolis Junior League's Winners Cookbook, but that is my absolutely favorite cookbook (and I have probably 75 cookbooks). I have never made a bad recipe out of that book, and most of our holiday favorites are in that book. A later such cookbook -- Back Home Again -- is very good, but not as great as Winners, in my view.

Winners has been out of print for many years, but you can get it used for about $5 including shipping on amazon. SO WORTH THE MONEY!!!!! In fact, I just bought one for my daughter because I want to ensure she has her own copy when she needs it.

http://www.amazon.com/Winners-Winning-Recipes-Junior-Indianapolis/dp/0961444703

 

[dhuba]

I like all the America's Test Kitchen from Cook's Illustrated cookbooks. They have quite a variety, like best light recipes, best one skillet, and the new one that is best healthy recipes.

 

[jlima]

This one:

http://www.amazon.com/Better-Homes-...O85C/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1287289906&sr=8-4

I purchased one back in 1989, about a year after I graduated from college. I have lots of cookbooks but this is the one I use the most. How long to boil a hard-boiled egg? How to make pancake batter? Scalloped potatoes? How long to cook a turkey? Cuts of meat? Pumpkin pie? It's all in there. It is the best basic cookbook you can buy, IMO.

 

[jenjifer]

I used to collect cookbooks -- had way too many of them. My favorites were always The Gooseberry Patch cookbooks: homey "real" food. Lately, though, I started purging my cookbooks because I never use them anymore: I just look online.