Recommend me a cookbook

[mretzloff]

Please recommend me one with delicious recipes that are even interesting to make the tenth time around.

 

[Hreafn]

Better homes and gardens 75 anniversary it a great book has tons of stuff in it, but i tweak what i cook all the time.

 

[Dennis]

Can you be more specific about what you are looking for? Do you want a general subject cookbook? That would be How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. Specific subject cookbook? Vegetable - James Peterson, Roasting - Barbara Kafka. This list for this area is pretty big. General knowlege cookbook? Cooking and Baking by James Peterson. Mexican? something by Rick Bayless or Diane Kennedy. Italian? Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan.

Those are all good. I could recommend more as well if you have a more specific idea. I have way too many cookbooks at home.

 

[Peto]

I will throw my two cents in. Have eyes opened, try to look various recipes on the web, combine them and add something from your fantasy. I cook myself the fifth year and am very satisfied. My SWMBO thinks I cook better then she does (and she is a great cook indeed). It isn't anything hard, even with simple meals which take about 1 hour to cook get some great results. It isn't harder than shaving by any means!

 

[JaDo]

Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

 

[SiBurning]

For just recipes, the encyclopedia of creative cooking. big and cheap. The recipes are pretty good, simple, and varied, and the pages are coated and color, unlike Joy of Cooking. http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Creative-Cooking-Charlotte-Turgeon/dp/0517309726

 

[Uncle Erik]

I like the Joy of Cooking because it teaches you the building blocks and essentials. If you have a recipe that calls for something you're unsure of, you can usually go back to the Joy of Cooking and use it like an encyclopedia.

As for cookbooks, go to your local junk and thrift stores. You'll find hundreds, cheap. I especially like cookbooks from the 1930s to the 1950s. There were some terrific meals in the past that are rarely seen today.

 

[Luc]

It depends on what you are looking for (chef/collection of recipes, Cuisine, focus on everything/soups/mains/deserts).

I would say that 95% of the recipes can be found on the web. The feature that allows you to read parts of the book on the net can be handy for that. You can then google the recipe name with the chef's name and you will get very close.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/ has a lot of them.

However, this being a request for a book, not a website, let's get to the books. I understand that as I rather have a book in the kitchen... Laptop + flour + water don't mix well!

I have the Rick Bayless - Authentic Mexican 20th Anniversary Ed: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico. http://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Mex...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271105385&sr=8-1

I have something like 15 recipes to go and I did all of them in the book. Well explained, a bit difficult for the ingredients sometimes and you might get lost if you're not used to it when it comes to the side notes on each recipes.

I also have his other book Mexico One Plate At A Time - http://www.amazon.com/Mexico-One-Plate-At-Time/dp/068484186X/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3

To be brutal, don't buy it. More than half the recipes are in the first one. I was very disappointed. This one is a bit better on how it's written (easier to follow the recipes) but I would still keep the Authentic Mexican book. Also, he will give you alternatives on what you could use if you don't find an ingredient. If you have an idea on which chillis are which, you could change it yourself without thinking much. After all, cooking at home is pretty much experimenting more than anything else!

I have a Mario Batali book (all of the recipes in the book are available on foodnetwork). Molto Italiano - http://www.amazon.com/Molto-Italian...=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271105728&sr=1-3

Not a bad book, surprisingly. Lots of fat(butter/oil/mascarpone) in there, if you want to live past 50 yo, you will need to cut some stuff. Clear instructions but he might make you dizzy as you will start a recipe and it will say. Ragu sauce p.250 -> In the ragu sauce, tomato sauce, p.48...

I'm not that hot on books that are a collection of recipes. My mom got me a vegetarian cookbook last year. I don't know why as I'm really not vegetarian. The book is a collection of 'best of' around the world. Doesn't sound too bad except the book is in French and I'm in Australia. If the book would be in English, it would be easier as I wouldn't have to translate all the ingredients. Even if I try to do a vegetarian meal a week, I would pick Rick Bayless or Mario Batali over that book.

I used to have a Vincent Price cookbook (yup, the actor, he had a cooking show somewhere between the 60s and 70s with his wife). Lots of butter in his things...
http://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Grea...=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271106059&sr=1-4 Book is ok but mostly French cuisine... Not my favorite. I got it for $10 off ebay...

I think the thing that you need to be careful is how spe......ed you want this. If you can have a look at the book first, that's great. I love Japanese cuisine but there are so many specialized ingredients that you cannot find in a regular grocery, it's a shame. Unless you live on sushi, there's much more than just that over there.

I was thinking of picking up the Movida cookbook (http://www.gourmetcookshop.com.au/shop/cook-books/movida-cookbook/prod_185.html) Another cookbook that's been around for ages in Spain. I had a look and I'm not totally convinced yet... The ingredient list seems easy but I came across a few pages where I had no idea what I had to buy... It's still at the book store!

+1 on the above advice, Op shop/second hand shop/ebay would be perfect to get something for cheap. Or at least, have a look first!

 

[SiBurning]

I used to have a Vincent Price cookbook (yup, the actor, he had a cooking show somewhere between the 60s and 70s with his wife). Lots of butter in his things...
http://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Grea...=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271106059&sr=1-4 Book is ok but mostly French cuisine... Not my favorite. I got it for $10 off ebay...

I spent $30 for a 1st edition, 1st printing in fine condition. It's a bit high brow. Went through it a bit, and it can be fun to try cooking from it, but it's hard to even imagine making most of the recipes. Then again, I didn't get it to cook from, but because I'm such a fan of his. And it really is a lot of fun to look through. For a fan, anyway.

 

[texasPI]

Lately I've been collecting Junior League cookbooks from various regions. That reminds me, I need to also look for a new shelving unit to accomodate my burgeoning collection!

EDIT: Here's the one for Charlotte.

 

[SiBurning]

Lately I've been collecting Junior League cookbooks from various regions. That reminds me, I need to also look for a new shelving unit to accomodate my burgeoning collection!

EDIT: Here's the one for Charlotte.

Those are great sources for local recipes. I only have two. Recipes and Reminiscences of New Orleans, Old Ursuline Convent, 1971. River Road Recipes, Junior League of Baton Rouge, 1959.

 

[JaDo]

Those are great sources for local recipes. I only have two. Recipes and Reminiscences of New Orleans, Old Ursuline Convent, 1971. River Road Recipes, Junior League of Baton Rouge, 1959.

Ooohh...sounds interesting. Of course, one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but how about its title??

Any good gumbo recipes in those books?

 

[texasPI]

Those are great sources for local recipes. I only have two. Recipes and Reminiscences of New Orleans, Old Ursuline Convent, 1971. River Road Recipes, Junior League of Baton Rouge, 1959.

Yeah, I've been wanting to add New Orleans and Baton Rogue to my collection.

Ooohh...sounds interesting. Of course, one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but how about its title??

Any good gumbo recipes in those books?

Most of these books have previews available on Amazon or Google Books.

 

[SiBurning]

Ooohh...sounds interesting. Of course, one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but how about its title??

Any good gumbo recipes in those books?

I was able to make a passable gumbo the first time from the recipes in Reminiscences, but I adapted from two--the one with andouille sausage had chicken (which I don't like) and oysters, so I modified it to be a sausage/shrimp/oyster gumbo. Thing is, passable gumbo isn't really good enough, is it?

The jambalaya in that book was more of a success. I've been doing this regularly, and modified it along the way. It's for seafood jambalaya--I wouldn't use thyme and cayenne without the seafood.

seafood jambalaya

This is a simple rice dish. You can add whatever ingredients you want,
but you cannot skip the ingredients in the first section.
The traditional ideas are in the second ingredients section.

--- MUST HAVE ingredients ---
1/2 pound diced smoked sausage--andouille, the popular New Orleans sausage, is by far the best
2 tablespoons vegetablke oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cloves garlic, chopped (I use 4-5)
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes (You want real tomato pieces not just sauce.
Sometimes I just use fresh tomatoes and no sauce at all.
You can still do it with plain sauce, just you might want to use less of it.)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon crushed thyme (This is serious overkill if you have pungent thyme. Try 1/2 tsp first.)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
I consider this mild for spicy food. You might call it medium.
You won't really *need* a few beers until you get to 1 teaspoon.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water

--- Adding the goodies---
seafood -- mix it up as you like. I generally use the octopus (and shrimp if it's fresh)
1-2 dozen, peeled and devained, but leave the tail shell
I almost always add a couple of 6 oz. cans of octopus in garlic sauce.
clams? I'd skip these personally. If you use them, do so in the shell.
mussels (in shell) are awesome also
chicken
most jambalaya dishes include chicken, even in the seafood version
white meat, small pieces to mix well with the sausage and seafood

-- instructions
saute sausage in oil (I sometimes skip the oil, but you might need it when you add the veggies)
add garlic, onion, and pepper
cook until tender
stir in parsley, tomatoes, seasonings, rice, and water
stir in seafood
bring to boil
reduce heat, cover tightly
cook without stirring about 25-30 minutes.
Rice should be fluffy.

 

[texasPI]

I was able to make a passable gumbo the first time from the recipes in Reminiscences, but I adapted from two--the one with andouille sausage had chicken (which I don't like) and oysters, so I modified it to be a sausage/shrimp/oyster gumbo. Thing is, passable gumbo isn't really good enough, is it?

The jambalaya in that book was more of a success. I've been doing this regularly, and modified it along the way. It's for seafood jambalaya--I wouldn't use thyme and cayenne without the seafood.

seafood jambalaya

This is a simple rice dish. You can add whatever ingredients you want,
but you cannot skip the ingredients in the first section.
The traditional ideas are in the second ingredients section.

--- MUST HAVE ingredients ---
1/2 pound diced smoked sausage--enduie (sp?), the popular New Orleans sausage, is by far the best
2 tablespoons vegetablke oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cloves garlic, chopped (I use 4-5)
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes (You want real tomato pieces not just sauce.
Sometimes I just use fresh tomatoes and no sauce at all.
You can still do it with plain sauce, just you might want to use less of it.)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon crushed thyme (This is serious overkill if you have pungent thyme. Try 1/2 tsp first.)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
I consider this mild for spicy food. You might call it medium.
You won't really *need* a few beers until you get to 1 teaspoon.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water

--- Adding the goodies---
seafood -- mix it up as you like. I generally use the octopus (and shrimp if it's fresh)
1-2 dozen, peeled and devained, but leave the tail shell
I almost always add a couple of 6 oz. cans of octopus in garlic sauce.
clams? I'd skip these personally. If you use them, do so in the shell.
mussels (in shell) are awesome also
chicken
most jambalaya dishes include chicken, even in the seafood version
white meat, small pieces to mix well with the sausage and seafood

-- instructions
saute sausage in oil (I sometimes skip the oil, but you might need it when you add the veggies)
add garlic, onion, and pepper
cook until tender
stir in parsley, tomatoes, seasonings, rice, and water
stir in seafood
bring to boil
reduce heat, cover tightly
cook without stirring about 25-30 minutes.
Rice should be fluffy.

This sounds great, I'll have to try it! Btw, I think it is spelled andouille but don't quote me on it

 

[Alacrity59]

I like the Joy of Cooking because it teaches you the building blocks and essentials. If you have a recipe that calls for something you're unsure of, you can usually go back to the Joy of Cooking and use it like an encyclopedia.

As for cookbooks, go to your local junk and thrift stores. You'll find hundreds, cheap. I especially like cookbooks from the 1930s to the 1950s. There were some terrific meals in the past that are rarely seen today.

+1 The Joy of Cooking covers a lot. The whole Internet thing maybe more . . .but I still look things up in the Joy of cooking.

 

[RazorPete]

If you like Italian, "The Silver Spoon" is the Bible of Italian cooking. Its been around a long time in Italy, and has recently been translated into English. It has everything and then some. I have cooked with a lot of the recipes and they are A+

http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Spoon-Phaidon-Press/dp/0714845310

 

[xtalicious]

Can you be more specific about what you are looking for? Do you want a general subject cookbook? That would be How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. Specific subject cookbook? Vegetable - James Peterson, Roasting - Barbara Kafka. This list for this area is pretty big. General knowlege cookbook? Cooking and Baking by James Peterson. Mexican? something by Rick Bayless or Diane Kennedy. Italian? Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan.

Those are all good. I could recommend more as well if you have a more specific idea. I have way too many cookbooks at home.

I think Dennis and I have a very similar bookshelf. I was about to make many of the suggestions he did.

I really like the idea of Mark Bittman's book (I own the most recent edition: red cover), and I read his column often. That being said, I've been somewhat underwhelmed by several of the recipes in his book. It's still a useful resource, but it's not the go-to cookbook I intended it to be.

When it comes to recipes I know will turn out well, even the first time, I usually opt for the web. www.simplyrecipes.com is focused and has great recipes. www.epicurious.com is much broader in scope, and a bit more exacting in technique and ingredients, but has amazing recipes.

Best of luck!

 

[ratcheer]

If The Way to Cook by Julia Child is still available, I highly recommend it. Also, The Prudhomme Family Cook Book by Paul Prudhomme.

Tim

 

[mretzloff]

Can you be more specific about what you are looking for? Do you want a general subject cookbook? That would be How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. Specific subject cookbook? Vegetable - James Peterson, Roasting - Barbara Kafka. This list for this area is pretty big. General knowlege cookbook? Cooking and Baking by James Peterson. Mexican? something by Rick Bayless or Diane Kennedy. Italian? Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan.

Those are all good. I could recommend more as well if you have a more specific idea. I have way too many cookbooks at home.

I really enjoy cooking French. My favorite cookbook is Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The thing is, there is no way I can make any of the recipes during the week because of time constraints.