Your Favorite Cookbook

[TinkerBelled]

I have had a cookbook revelation, and I'm greedy for more. Do you have a favorite cookbook, or something new that's really grabbed you?

I just got a new cookbook--more on that in a moment--and I've realized how limited my repertoire has been. I'm game for anything: old favorites, easy-to-make meals, six course dishes, South African food, Southern American food--I'm curious to hear anything that's either served you in good stead or been a great new find. My collection is pretty limited: Joy of Cooking and Nigella for baking and roasting, Julia Child for fun, Madhur Jaffrey for Indian. Any suggestions would be very welcome!

For me, right now it's Ottolenghi*, a collection of Middle Eastern meets Western recipes--kind of a Mediterranean feast. It's seriously good food, and I'm making my way through it with reckless abandon. So far my favorites are the sweet potato gratin (made with tons of sage) and the sweet and spicy beef and pork pie.

*It's named after the owner, an Israeli Jew (whose parents were Italian and German) who's partnered with his head chef, a Palestinian Arab, in London to run four restaurants. Total mix of Western Europe and the Middle East. It's also a great story.

 

[JLiz]

Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose.

It's really good southern food with a ton of personal anecdotes and background stories. If you like to "read" cookbooks this is a great find.

All of the recipes I've tried from it have been huge successes. The cabbage rolls are the best I've ever had and I made several loaves of gingerbread to give as presents with homemade lemon curd and everyone who received one said it was great. Many, many treasures in there, too many to list.

 

[Goofyluver]

Two of my favorites are:

The Homesick Texan and The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. I find myself returning to these books over and over and over again.

I was recently given Callie's Biscuits and Southern Traditions. I am SO in love and can't put it down.

I have also worked my way through Easy Chinese Recipes by Bee Yinn Low. If you love Chinese, this is a great book.

 

[mguilford1]

I have hundreds of cookbooks but my favorite ones are Americas Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated..... Best Recipes series. They test many different ways to cook a recipe, they come up with the best recipe and they also explain to you some of the things they tried and what worked and what didnt with each recipe. I went to college for Culinary Arts and these are my go to books!

 

[Cupcakey78]

Cookbooks are one of my things, and I have two shelves filled with cookbooks.

My absolute favorite is Mastering the Art of French cooking. It is an excellent starting point for classical French cuisine.

I also love Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa" books. Easy and elegant. A lot of the recipes are good for everyday as well as entertaining.

 

[etoiles]

My favorite cookbook is any of the Moosewood cookbooks. I have tried several of them and loved all the recipes I have tried. Some of my favorite recipes that my mom made growing up were also from those cookbooks.

They are based on a restaurant in the US but have a really wide variety of recipes that use many flavors from around the world. More healthier type recipes as well.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I have dozens of cookbooks that rarely see the light of day. It's so much easier to just do a Google search for a recipe I'm interested in, find one with good ratings/reviews, then print it off and try it out.

Regardless of the source, when I find a recipe that works, a copy goes into a loose-leaf binder, with each page covered by a vinyl sheet protector. I have one binder for international recipes (Chinese, Italian, Mexican) a thick binder for goodies (everything from desserts to homemade candy), and a binder for everything else (appetizers, casseroles, main dishes, veggies, soups, etc.)

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I don't think I'll ever but a hard bound cookbook.

I like allrecipes.com and the pioneer woman website. I prop my ipad up in my island and use that to follow the recipe. I like reading reviews of recipes to make sure it's a good one.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[mombrontrent]

I have dozens of cookbooks that rarely see the light of day. It's so much easier to just do a Google search for a recipe I'm interested in, find one with good ratings/reviews, then print it off and try it out.

Regardless of the source, when I find a recipe that works, a copy goes into a loose-leaf binder, with each page covered by a vinyl sheet protector. I have one binder for international recipes (Chinese, Italian, Mexican) a thick binder for goodies (everything from desserts to homemade candy), and a binder for everything else (appetizers, casseroles, main dishes, veggies, soups, etc.)

I do this too, I am always searching the web for great new recipes to try. When I find a keeper I print it out and file it in a sheet protector in my recipe binder.

I also love cookbooks. My current fave is a new cookbook called Isa Does It. This book is fantastic and I've made no many yummy meals from it. Another long time favourite is Veganomicon.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I have a huge collection of cookbooks - because people know I love them, they often give them to me as gifts. The catch is that we are vegan, so the ones I like and use the most might not interest you. But some of my favourites are:

Isa Does It

Let Them Eat Vegan (by Dreena Burton)

Peas and Thank You

The "30-Minute" Vegan Series which includes recipes from Europe in one book, recipes from Asia in another, etc.

Veganomicon

Teresa

 

[mombrontrent]

I have a huge collection of cookbooks - because people know I love them, they often give them to me as gifts. The catch is that we are vegan, so the ones I like and use the most might not interest you. But some of my favourites are:

Isa Does It

Let Them Eat Vegan (by Dreena Burton)

Peas and Thank You

The "30-Minute" Vegan Series which includes recipes from Europe in one book, recipes from Asia in another, etc.

Veganomicon

Teresa

Ha ha you posted right after me and listed my two favourites.

I just ate the Snobby Joes from Veganomicon for dinner tonight. Every recipe I have tried from Isa Does it has been great and I have made at least 20. I was going to start listing favourites but the list would have been far too long

 

[Cupcakey78]

double post

 

[KristaTX]

I have hundreds of cookbooks but my favorite ones are Americas Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated..... Best Recipes series. They test many different ways to cook a recipe, they come up with the best recipe and they also explain to you some of the things they tried and what worked and what didnt with each recipe. I went to college for Culinary Arts and these are my go to books!

I love the Cook's/America's Test Kitchen crew and their recipes and advice . I love watching the PBS shows and also reading the homey e-mails that Christopher Kimball sends out.

OP - Go to your local library and see if they have some of their books. I own several, but I've also checked some out at or public library.

 

[tasha99]

I too love the America's Test Kitchen/ Cooks Illustrated books (and magazines). I joined their online version for a year, and made my own digital "cookbook" of recipes that sounded good to me. Not a miss yet.

 

[clh2]

I have a specific shelf in my kitchen that houses my cookbooks, this includes a 3-ring binder for our favorites.

I also love having the internet available for additional recipes.

I do not "collect" cookbooks, and if a cookbook would follow me home, a different one needs to leave the building. I am simply not increasing the space for cookbooks.

 

[Sadie22]

The Six O'Clock Scramble.
The Six O'Clock Scramble to the Rescue.
Month of Meals from the American Diabetes Association.

I have a shelf of ADA cookbooks now. I gave my old favorites, including Desperation Dinners, which does not have nutritional information, to my son who wanted more ideas of things he could cook.

 

[MIGrandma]

I love cookbooks, and probably have nearly 100 or so.

I just got "Old School Comfort Food" by one of the Food Network chefs, Alex Guarnaschelli. It's also somewhat of her biography too, so I'm enjoying reading about her life, and her recipes that she grew up with too.

I love the "Taste of Home" annual cookbooks, have several of those.

And the Fabulous Beekman Boys (in my signature picture) have two out that I have and enjoy as well.

Also love my Mennonite cookbook that my mother-in-law gave me as a bridal shower gift. And my Betty Crocker cookbook too.

And my Diabetic "Fix It and Forget It" slow cooker book.

So many that I love, hard to choose just one.

 

[lizabu]

I have hundreds of cookbooks but my favorite ones are Americas Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated..... Best Recipes series. They test many different ways to cook a recipe, they come up with the best recipe and they also explain to you some of the things they tried and what worked and what didnt with each recipe. I went to college for Culinary Arts and these are my go to books!

I agree. I went to Culinary school and worked in restaurants for years. These recipes are tried and tested and tried again. Foolproof.

A good cookbook that I like for a gift for housewarming or someone moving out on their own for the first time is Alice Waters the Art of Simple Food. There's some really good advice about setting up and stocking a kitchen and then it's full of recipes everyone should know how to make. The basics.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Ha ha you posted right after me and listed my two favourites.

I just ate the Snobby Joes from Veganomicon for dinner tonight. Every recipe I have tried from Isa Does it has been great and I have made at least 20. I was going to start listing favourites but the list would have been far too long

Oh, those Snobby Joes are so good! Have you done the Nacho Night from Isa Does It? Amazing. And the chocolate marbled banana bread? I gave out three copies of that book as Christmas presents!

Teresa

 

[daughtersrus]

I love Quick Cooking. They come out with a new book every year. They are generally easy recipes with normal ingredients for those of us that don't love to cook.