What Was Your First Cook Book? Either As A Gift Or Purchased - Page 2

I started cooking as a boy scout and for a year or two when I was 12 ish my sibs and I each had to plan and cook a meal 1 friday a month.  The first 3 cookbooks I ever owned were wedding gifts.  We got the Better Homes and Gardens, The Ladies Home Journal and a church published collection of recipes.

I still have them. I havent opened the BHG in 15 years or more, the LHJ I still use for biscuits, corn breads and such, and if I want to get an idea of a basic start on something standard.  An recent example is that I wanted to make mushroom fritters so I grabbed the LHJ and looked up fritters to get the base batter.  The cool find that day was that they had an Avocado fritter recipe, I had been contemplating cooking avocados and that recipe gave me a great start.

The avocado fritters were great, crispy outside creamy inside.  Pico on the side spot on.  The recipe called for slicing the avocados about 1/4 inch thick.  I did that and made a breading with about 2-1 panko bread crumbs to course corn meal.  I rand the panko in the food processor just a bit to reduce the coarseness.  I seasoned the coating with garlic, lime zest a bit of coriander and cumin.  As I said they were great.

Got a Better Homes & Gardens (red/white plaid) cookbook as a wedding shower gift... MANY years ago.  It's the binder thing with tabs.  Always had one at home growing up and a LOT of friends got them as shower/wedding gifts, too.  Though I was probably a little more proficient in the kitchen than most of my friends, that cookbook is a pretty good starter.  Nothing very extravagant or exotic, no hard to find ingredients, a little bit of everything.

Which two do you use?

The first cookbook I ever bought was Anna Thomas's Vegetarian Epicure. I bought it on the way to the hospital to have my tonsils out when I was 19. I was unable to eat anything but ice chips and pureed potatoes and peas for the next two weeks but I read that book cover to cover and imagined the delicious food every single day. I still use that cookbook for some things after 35 years.