Starting a cookbook collection, what is your favorite?

Question

What is you favorite COOKBOOK?
my grea grand mad had over 1000. and because her things have to be sold the one evil aunt wont let me have more than a few.

Answer 1

Choose the heaviest cookbook in Granny's collection and smack your evil aunt with it. Before she wakes up, cart off the ones you like! Just kidding...sort of.

No, seriously, my favorites include: Fannie Farmer, Betty Crocker, Jim Beard, Julia Child. Any of those cookbook authors in the collection?

Start your own collection because your tastes are going to be different anyway. That way nobody can take them away from you including "evil auntie".

Happy collecting!

Answer 2

The local church cookbooks are the best to buy. They are home tried and true recipes that everyday people eat. Not something that I can't even pronounce. Or can't even find in the store. Other than those, I like the Pillsbury cookbooks, and the Fix-it and Forget-it cookbook for slow cookers, and any Betty Crocker cook books is good. As you can tell I don't have a favorite. I use them all about the same. I'm a cook book junkie. At one time I had around 180. But I got rid of about 50. I kept the best ones. I need to go through them again. Cause I just keep buying them. Yard sales are a good place to pick them up cheap. Good luck on your collection.

Answer 3

Here are a couple that I love and I think would have a lot to offer to a wide range of cooks:

--Deborah Madison's _Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone_ -- this sounds like it would only be useful/interesting for vegetarians, but really it is the best cookbook ever for everything except meat. If you think about all the things you want a recipe for other than meat -- soups, salads, desserts, breads, eggs, etc. -- you'll see how useful this book is.

--Marcella Hazan's _The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking_ -- fabulous, clear recipes for perfect Italian food

--Mark Bittman's _How to Cook Everything_ -- this fills in the gaps (meat, poultry, fish) left by Deborah Madison's book -- great recipes for stews, braises, etc. and also very good at explaining how to adapt and vary a simple recipe to produce many different results.

Answer 4

Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen. They have magazines, cookbooks, and tv show PBS.

This is where I get all my info from. I own over 30 cookbooks, including CIA school book, Le Cordon Bleu, Thomas Keller, but I always go back to Cook's Illustrated for advice, I actually cross reference all my cookbooks when I'm cooking.

Thomas Keller The French Laundry is my number 1 or 2 cookbook, they're like my babies, hard to pick one over the other, j/k.

Cook's Illustrated does most of the work for me, I usually have to cross reference and still do, but they do it for ya. They even do things that would take me alot of time and money to get the experience, and they report the good, bad, and ugly. The "Consumer Reports" of cooking, they do not accept advertising.

I give them a 90% accurate.

Thomas Keller gets 100% accurate. It might look fancy, but it's just like what grandma did. Go to the garden pick ripe seasonal produce, and cook it simply to intensify the flavor. Strawberries taste more strawberry, carrots taste more carroty, etc...its all about the ingredients and technique/experience. simple, but hard to do if you dont have a farm.

Alton Brown book on tools, I need to get a more "scientific" cookbook, does anyone know of a good one?

I read cookbooks not just for the recipes, but more importantly the story of the cook, the soul of it.

HAVE FUN!!ENJOY!

Answer 5

I don't have one favorite, but Fanny Farmer was my first cookbook. It's still one of my favorites.

I've since inherited my grandmother's cookbooks. I like the older books because the recipes don't require fancy, expensive equipment. Also, the portions are reasonable, and most recipes are made from readily available, basic ingredients.

Anyway, start with a few used cookbooks. And the library. Try before you buy...

Answer 6

I have quite the collection of cookbooks myself. Truth be told though, the one I go to the most is my Big Red Betty Crocker spiral bound cookbook that I got back in the late 80's. I still make my banana bread, pancakes, beef stroganoff, pie crust and more from there. It is my go to cookbook other than the net. All my other books collect dust after the novelty wears off.

Answer 7

Cooking Light Cookbook

King Arthur's Cookbook


Both are great because they carry recipes that span from appetizers to desserts, and contain a wonderful array of traditional foods in addition to some foreign recipes. The latter book, however, is not illustrated, but makes up for it with wonderful commentary, tips, and cooking/baking information and answers to common questions.

Answer 8

My all time favorite is the Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School Cookbook. Old fashioned from scratch recipes, along with basic techniques. If you see that one, definitely grab it, even if it is an old edition. They are so cool. I taught myself to cook with that one.

Amazing how many people can't read a simple question isn't it?

Answer 9

Definately the Pampered Chef cookbooks...even the $1 Seasons Best is great. You can order them online now, too, not just at a party. www.pamperedchef.com

Answer 10

Anything by Julia Child. Start with the Art of French Cooking.