"Must Have" Cookbooks? - Page 3

I never liked Joy of Cooking either. I collect cookbooks and just never liked that one!

Me either. I had that book gave it away.  I am starting a cookbook collection but do not feel inspired to include that tittle.  I do like the Cook's Illustrated books, especially the New Best. 

Something to seriously consider is not only cookbooks, but reference books. 

Food Lover's Companion

The Flavor Bible-Dornenburg/Page

On Food And Cooking-McGee

Ratio-Ruhlman

Gastronomique

Focusing on specific techniques also helps

All About Braising-Molly Stevens

Roasting-Barbara Kafta

Sauces-Peterson

Baking Illustrated

Cooking Regions:

The Cooking Of Southwest France-Wolfert

Culinaria Series

The Silver Spoon-Italian

!080 Recipes-Spanish

The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook

The Heritage Of Southern Cooking--Glenn

The reason for having "must have" cookbooks is personal only to you. What do you want to cook? What are you into cooking right now? I consider my cookbooks my "research library"(200+ cookbooks and another 100 nonfiction books I've read). I'm not looking for specific recipes (unless I'm baking), I'm looking for ideas to tweek and expand on, get ideas from. If you're buying it and it's not functional, it's not a must have. 

Joy of Cooking isn't a bad cookbook. I can't say for the actual cooking section, but the baking part of the book is very good. Great recipes that work. It's a standard for a reason.

the encyclopedia of cajun and creole cuisine by john folse is a great introduction to louisiana cuisine

Regarding halmstad comment about reference books, these are the books I keep going back to:

On Food and Cooking - Harold McGee

Food Lover's Companion - Sharon & Ron Herbst

Ratio - Michael Ruhlman

Culinary Artistry - Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page

Quote:

Originally Posted by halmstad 

Joy of Cooking isn't a bad cookbook. I can't say for the actual cooking section, but the baking part of the book is very good. Great recipes that work. It's a standard for a reason.

I am not a fan of that book either. I prefer my books with weight measurements

Johnny Iuzzini's Dessert Fourplay, the only dessert book I bought.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TransChef 

Johnny Iuzzini's Dessert Fourplay, the only dessert book I bought.

I've been looking at that book. Have you tried any of the recipes?

It sounds great.  How did it taste?

Creamy, cheesy, and a little bit tangy,  but it went well with other components on top-- crispy almond phyllo and candied raspberry. If you buy the book, you can make homemade fromage blanc. I used Emeril Lagasse's recipe.

On Joy of Cooking:

It's a good reference if you want to deconstruct something. hehehehehe

Quote:

Originally Posted by TransChef 

Creamy, cheesy, and a little bit tangy,  but it went well with other components on top-- crispy almond phyllo and candied raspberry. If you buy the book, you can make homemade fromage blanc. I used Emeril Lagasse's recipe.

Oh wow, I can't wait to try. It's a gorgeous book. I thought the recipes were going to be more than I can handle but you make it sound easier than I thought.  Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TransChef 

On Joy of Cooking:

 

It's a good reference if you want to deconstruct something. hehehehehe

:D

I like the Joy of Cooking. I don't know that I cook from it a lot. I find it the sort of book that provides a good baseline for a particular recipe and the required techniques. From there I'lll look at more specific cookbooks and recipes using the JoC as a jumping off point but to sort of keep me on track.

In my experience with Joy, the thing I disliked is many times I was referred to other recipes to complete the recipe I was making.  When I read a recipe, I don't want to flip through pages to read another recipe, with my wet hands.  Also, the baking section does not include weights.

That's pretty common in classic cuisine. If you make those required parts first, then proceed, it all works out fine without flipping with wet hands.

That's a good idea. Never thought to do that.  I do have books which refer to other recipes but they are  usually either pie crusts or sauces.  If I can remember correctly, I think Joy does that more often.  

I have heard good things about the baking section in Joy but I'm put-off by the lack of weight measurements.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Alton Brown's series of cook books. Given, they were my first set of books, so maybe I have a soft spot for them, but they are very in depth and organized by procedure rather than food item/ingredient. For my money, they are some of the best around.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nlpavalko 

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Alton Brown's series of cook books. Given, they were my first set of books, so maybe I have a soft spot for them, but they are very in depth and organized by procedure rather than food item/ingredient. For my money, they are some of the best around.

Actually .... someone did.  Keller for inspiration, Alton for teaching how to cook.

I like Alton's books a lot, too.  For techniques... well, I wish I had more technique, but a very specific set of techniques is well-explained in Chad Ward's "An Edge in the Kitchen" -- which is dedicated to knives in general, and knife skills in part.  With good recipes that require the skills taught.  I like it a lot

I don't understand all the "joy of cooking" hate. It's great for people who want to start cooking with no prior knowledge and I reckon' if I had to choose a single cookbook to live with forever, that would be it. It has a great selection of usable recipes, information regarding produce/technique, uses pictures and diagrams in a helpful but not over the top way and explores a variety of different cuisines. I don't know about others but I grew up on good ol' southern style american cooking. A lot of family favorites passed down from generation to generation, that sort of thing. I can honestly say this book gets pretty close to recreating a lot of those recipes for me(can't always call gramps to check up on that carrot cake recipe). Bottom line is joy of cooking is a great, practical cookbook and a really good reference book for the american lexicon of cookery.

Now, being a professional cook myself, I don't always need a practical book like the joy of cooking. I look to books for inspiration, ideas, new techniques, etc. One essential cookbook for me would have to be Marco-Pierre White's "White Heat". A ton of amazingly simple, elegant masterfully presented dishes. The classic Marco-Pierre dish "Tagliatelle of oyster with caviar", "Braised Pig Trotter: "Pierre Koffman", the classic Gavroche Lemon Tart(which Marco takes a step further by caramelizing the top, genius). These 3 recipes alone make the book worthwhile but in addition you have the stuffed "Sea Bass w/Ratatouille & Essence Of Red Peppers", "Terrine Of Leeks & Langoustines, Water Vinaigrette" and many other great dishes. The photography is top notch and the format of the book is very exciting. I'm glad to see this format has become popular with newer cookbooks like Thomas Keller's books and "Momofuku", etc. I think it's important to have large, color pictures with more complicated/Michelen quality food and It's always great when there are blurbs/explanations to accompany the recipe. I also like photographs of the chef in their own kitchens, action shots and blurbs/writings done by the chef about their philosophy, where their inspiration comes from, etc. All this stuff helps you get a better idea of where they are coming from and what they are trying to achieve which in turn, will help you understand their food.

Hi Guys first post here :) First off an introduction would be justified. I am 25 years of age, Currently living in Virginia. I have received my culinary certificate from a local community college. I am currently cooking and overseeing banquets at a local country club.

Just searching around the web and ran across this site. I love the diversity that has been presented.

Well to just jump right in their I have been looking for good book on sauces, Also Sculpting Fruits and Vegetables, I do not have a lot of experience in sculpting/carving, I have completed a few centerpieces (learning from youtube). So for beginners to advance would be great.

Also has anyone read the Food Presentation Secrets: Styling Techniques of Professionals . How is this if you have?

Thanks forum!

Rick Stein's seafood and Silver Palate get a big thumbs up.

IMO, the best book for you is James Peterson's "Essentials of Cooking". He tells you why you are doing X, how to do it, how much, etc.  Extensive descriptions, photos, procedures.  Second would be "Ruhlman's Twenty" by Michael Ruhlman.  His approach is to break down kitchen art into twenty conceptual areas and dive deep into each, with recipes, explanations, admonitions, etc.

Reading these two guys is like marrying the sister of Chef Layne or Chef McCracken.  Your new brother in law walks you into his kitchen and sez, "This is a knife".
 

My 1997 copy of The Joy of Cooking Cookbook is not as good as a 1950’s edition. An angler friend called me over and asked me to bring a recipe for preparing fresh caviar. That old version JOC had a recipe and the new version does not. The JOC is practically useless when dealing with Chinese cuisine. I also do not think JOC tomato sauce for pasta is anywhere near authentic having lived in Italy seven years. The JOC is kind of a basic book. No single book should be the basis of anyone’s cooking.

The most enjoyable way to learn different cuisines is to travel with someone knowledgeable; failing that, dine out often at very good restaurants. Learn what you like in food.  For me, variety is a way of life. I cook and eat food from all over the world and it makes life that much more worthwhile and interesting.

Learning to cook Chinese can teach you what the Chinese have mastered in 5000 years of cooking. Chinese have mastered savory and that can improve any cuisine.

Learning to cook Italian is also very rewarding. Not only do you eat well but appreciate the value of great ingredients.

Cookbooks that do not help you understand ingredients are not as valuable as those that do.

Life is an adventure.

I'm loving the heated debate about the Joy of cooking.  Mine is a paperback copy from 1980.  Where else can you get iced tea instructions?   Everyday Cooking with Jaques Pepin.  It was one of his first and it still inpires me so much that it's on my kitchen counter and not in my library.  He wanted american wives to be able to cook french type things without spending a fortune.  The chicken liver pate is so good and so beautiful that I've used it for weddings in the same family for two generations.

It freezes well too.  Cookbooks should inspire, you can get everthing else online.

Hydrangea

the la rousse collections- if your creative you dont need anything else! but theres also the delicious collection they are pretty awesome!!