Do You Have Any Favorite Cookbooks?

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Posted by JaneMalonis • 8/13/09
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Are there any cookbooks you just feel you couldn't live without? What are they, and why?

cookbooks

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0 votes

blogcatalog (8/13/09)

I love Bobby Flay as most of his recipes are easy and good.

Barefoot Bontessa's first book is incredible. All the recipes are great, easy and great for entertaining.

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Kiilerich (8/13/09)

The Silver Spoon is one of my favorites. Not many pictures, but I use it for reference to everything Italian. It is very nice, if you want to cook Italian, but want to go beyond pizza and pasta.

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  Theresa111 (9/09/09)
  
  I peeked a look at the book cover on Amazon, but it did not let me page through it. The cover is very attractive and it made me want to open it up. I'll check it out at my Boarders store. Thanks.
0 votes

thecoffeelady (8/13/09)

My favorite cookbook is mine. It is compilation of the family favs... I had it printed for kids for Christmas one year.

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  Theresa111 (9/09/09)
  
  You should write a blog about it with photo of your family cookbook. It would be cool. Let us know.
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amybyrd21 (8/13/09)

I collect cookbooks and have tons but my favorite one is the one I put together for personal use and the one by Alton Brown that I have.. Just Here For The Food.

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  Theresa111 (9/09/09)
  
  I love Alton's show because he makes food fun, fabulous and factual. I have learned many scientific information and it is the most interesting food show for me.
+1 vote

Penny (8/14/09)

I own over 300 cookbooks, so picking just one is not possible! I would have to say my top 10 "can't live without 'em" cookbooks are:
Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen (not for novice cooks)
Mastering the Art of French Cooking I and II
The Joy of Cooking
The Fanny Farmer Cookbook
The Gourmet Cookbook
Farm Journal’s Freezing and Canning Cookbook
Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
The Grilling Bible
Betty Crocker’s Best Bread Machine Cookbook
Ina Garten's Back to Basics

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0 votes

sugarpies (9/08/09)

Recipes from the Raleigh Tavern Bakery
My Mom's collection (in a little red binder)
Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook (old and battered)
The Williamsburg Art of Cookery

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1. 0 votes
  
  Theresa111 (9/09/09)
  
  I have an old and battered Pillsbury cookbook. gave away my 7th grade Betty Crocker one when we had a flood. Sill have some of my Grandmothers books but most were destroyed with water damage. That hurt. Then I have the ones in the photo on my blog plus one from culinary school on baking, which wasn't in the picture. They are on my blog.
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  Theresa111 (9/09/09)
  
  My Daddy he cooked most of the time until I was 13 then I took over most of the cooking. He was a down home cook who never looked at a cookbook, not when I was around anyway. He just knew. I miss my Daddy. Everything tasted wonderful. My Mother, was not a cook but on Thanksgiving she would cook the turkey and oyster dressing.
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  sugarpies (9/13/09)
  
  How I left it off my list I don't know but:
  
  Charleston Receipts (original 1950 printing)
0 votes

Anniepooh (9/08/09)

At last count (which was over a year ago) I had over 150 cookbooks - my mom at one time had over 1,500 - and although I was to inherit them, we both came to a place where she needed to get rid of them and I was not living in a place where I was able to take them, so I only got about 15. I'm very sad about that, but you do what you must.

Here are the books I have that I love:

The Art of Irish Cooking by Monica Sheridan
The Modern Art of Cooking by Auguste Escoffier (I have 2)
Pedaling Through Provence by Sarah Leah Chase
The French Chef by Julia Child
Monet's Table by Claire Joyes
The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook
Entertaining For All Seasons, a Sunset publication
The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook--I own several--my very first cookbook was one of these
Farm Journal's Homemade Bread
Tea Time at the Inn by Gail Greco
Beeton's Book of Household Management by Isabella Beeton
Table Talk by Carol McManus
The Cornbread Gospels by Crescent Dragonwagon

Does anyone else use LibraryThing to catalog books? I've tried to keep up with it, but failed and there are many books missing.

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sweetcynic (9/14/09)

I use the Foodnetwork site for most of my recipes

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  Penny (9/14/09)
  
  Nothing wrong with that! I find some of the cooks recipes always work...try some of Ina Garten's....everything of hers that I have ever made worked out!
2. 0 votes
  
  Theresa111 (9/14/09)
  
  I have done this on occasion but I like the idea of meeting someone who might very well talk to me about the cuisine in their neck of the woods and have some conversation with them. From the home cook, beginner cook, to the professional cook, here at HHM we have a connection. This is not a feeling I ever got at the bigger foodnetwork sites. I watch them all the time, but I have yet to have a personal one-on-one with them. I find all of you members much more interesting.
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lifesafeast (9/14/09)

Stephanie Alexander's "The Cook's Companion" is one cookbook I could not live without. It is an Australian publication, as is considered to be the Australian bible of food. The book is alphabetically arranged by ingredient, and for each ingredient there is information on varieties, season, selection, storage, preparation and cooking, as well as recipes and quick cooking ideas.
I did a blog post a few months ago along this theme and received an interesting range of responses: lifesafeast.com.au/blog/if-you-could-own-just-one-cookbook-what-would-it-be...

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  Theresa111 (9/14/09)
  
  I saw all your books. You're hooked. Y
  
  You are all hooked on the books! I am hooked but do not have more than 20. When I want a fix, I go to the bookstore and trace my fingers over the binding and page through a few.