4kids4me Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I'm looking for some new cookbooks...ones with lots of photos and recipes that are not only easy to cook, but TASTE GOOD. I'm mostly burned out on dinners, but I also would like new dessert cookbooks as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 No one has a fav. cookbook? Come on, surely someone has one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 My fall back cookbook is Betty Crocker. I love all of Barefoot Contessa's cookbooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meggie Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I love cookbooks. And I love pretending that I'll someday use them. But right now the only ones that I use on a semi-regular basis are Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer and More Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer. I guess it's just that stage in my life. I like the Martha Stewart Cupcake book and Dorie Greenspan's Baking, from my home to yours for desserts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertDweller Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I'll have to go see what the titles are of my favorites. You may want to check a used book store for cookbooks. I have found some of the best and most interesting cookbooks when I go and usually they are so reasonably priced. Goodwill is also another place to check. I love to just stop in occasionally and see if I can find something to add to my collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 The Gift of Southern Cooking. Scott Peacock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HejKatt Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I have many cookbooks, with a smattering of recipes in each that I keep going back to. I just haven't tried all the recipes in any book enough to recommend the whole book. So it's actually a hard question to answer, IMHO. :) But, here goes.. in the many pictures, clear category: I liked Sunset's series of cookbooks, especially Quick Meals with Fresh Foods and Beatrice Ojakangas's "Scandinavian Cooking" pubilshed by HP Books. This doesn't have many pictures, but my family has enjoyed the recipes in Guo Yue's "Music, Food and Love". I've also been collecting the recipe compilations produced by local groups (usually fundraisers), and have found good recipes there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sukale Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Betty Crocker Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today is awesome!!!!! Lots of useful info other than recipes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I asked this a while back here it the thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplain Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I love cookbooks. Here are some with lots of photos: The Pioneer Woman Cooks has some great recipes, but I think everything I've tried has been on her blog too. There are tons of photos, including recipes in progress, but again, most of them can be found on her blog too. The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook is not cheap, but it has lots of easy, kid-friendly recipes. I also really like The Primal Blueprint Cookbook for easy recipes. It caters to lower carb eaters, but you can always add a side of rice or potatoes or pasta if you want more carbs. Rick Stein's Complete Seafood, if you want to learn to cook seafood. The fish tacos are fantastic, and it's beautifully photographed. Oh, and this isn't a cookbook, but if you have a slow cooker, you should check out the blog A Year of Slow Cooking. It has lots of pictures, and reader comments can help you figure out if the recipe is one you might like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 My fall back cookbook is Betty Crocker. I love all of Barefoot Contessa's cookbooks. Betty Crocker ladies: could you link me to the one that you like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 My favorite baking/desert cookbook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 I have about 100 cookbooks. What kinds of foods do you like? Probably one of my favorites is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Great-American-Brand-Cookbook-Collectors/dp/1561737984 That book really has everything. Thanks...I'll look into it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Betty Crocker. I've never gone wrong with Betty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 Ladies...thank you so much....I love your favourite suggestions and have either the majority of them on hold at the library or on my amazon wishlist ready to buy! FYI...we're Canadian and haven't been exposed to many different tastes...dh was a pastor's kid, so any casseroles are nixed in our home...I'm not a seafood fan either...other than that we're wide open....lolol!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 I asked this a while back here it the thread. Thanks for the link! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookfiend Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Anything by America's Test Kitchen; they have several recipe compendiums. Meals from these books never fail and always taste great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkholland Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I have one to share Desperation Dinners by Mills & Ross. (This is my first time ever trying a link, sorry if it doesn't work!) I pull this off the shelf many times. They are recipes that you can get on the table in thirty min. or less. Some of our family favorites are from here and I have even served these recipes to guests. It includes lot of different catagories of recipes from appetizers to dessert! ETA: I just checked amazon and it is under $6.00!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 Anything by America's Test Kitchen; they have several recipe compendiums. Meals from these books never fail and always taste great! Oh they have a "Complete" book which is 700 pages. Wowzers...that should keep me busy and happy, no??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 I have one to share Desperation Dinners by Mills & Ross. (This is my first time ever trying a link, sorry if it doesn't work!) I pull this off the shelf many times. They are recipes that you can get on the table in thirty min. or less. Some of our family favorites are from here and I have even served these recipes to guests. It includes lot of different catagories of recipes from appetizers to dessert! ETA: I just checked amazon and it is under $6.00!! The link worked...thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meena Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook is my (and my family's) favorite. Many of my go-to recipes are from this cookbook. It's full color with lots of pictures and demonstrations of how to complete certain steps. A close second is The New Best Recipe from Cook's Illustrated (published by ATK). It has more recipes, usually more complex than those in the ATK Family Cookbook. It has fewer pictures but has in-depth descriptions of how each recipe was developed into what they feel is the best version. I also love the magazines put out by ATK--Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country. I don't subscribe but hunt for them at library book sales. I also like the blog http://www.melskitchencafe.com. Mel adapts a lot of ATK recipes but also features recipes from other sources. She has lots of great pictures, and I've found her recipes to be very family friendly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I've had great success with any of the Cooking Light annuals. I usually pick them up super cheap ($.25-$1) at thrift stores or garage sales, and even at clearance racks at Half-Price Books (where they're also in the normal cookbook area for $4-$6). They don't feature step by step pictures, but they do show the final end product. Easy to follow (my kids cook from the books, too) plus a good balance between health(ier) and not-so-healthy-nobody-wants-to-eat-it. I've found interesting new dishes to try and their spin on classic dishes. I actually didn't grow up eating standard American food, and this is what was recommended to me when I married. (I don't really serve standard American dishes at home as a rule, but I always make a Cooking Light dish for potlucks and gatherings outside my home). They're always very well received. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cseitter Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 They don't have many pictures but I am into cooking with whole foods. The Sue Gregg cookbooks are great even for a beginner. I also like the deceptively delicous books to sneak in veggies. http://www.suegregg.com/ http://www.doitdelicious.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meena Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I've had great success with any of the Cooking Light annuals. :iagree: I like these as well. I especially like the ones from the early 2000s. My all-time favorite chicken noodle soup recipe is adapted from CL (you can see the original here on their site). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I posted in the other linked thread some fave cookbooks. I will add that one of my ways of mixing things up is magazines. I have always had good luck with Cooking Light, Everyday with Rachael Ray, and Real Simple. I also have found some good recipes and lots of inspiration in Martha Stewart Living & Everyday Food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I answered on the linked thread, but I have a couple of new favorites now: Local Flavors and Get Cooking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBS Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I have a too big collection of church and Jr. League cookbooks. Currently reading Julia's Kitchen Wisdom by Julia Child. Its more about techniques, and makes me feel empowered, and helps me jazz up my regular cooking. LBS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WistfulRidge Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I love cookbooks just to have them, but in reality I get much more use out of the internet. I really like Tasty Kitchen, Food Network, and Food.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 The ones that I use the most often are: Best 30-Minute Recipe from America's Test Kitchen (I have a couple of the other Test Kitchen cookbooks and they are, without question, excellent.) Fresh Every Day by Sara Foster (I cannot say enough good things about Sara Foster!!! She has two other cookbooks and I adore them all, but this one is my favorite.) The All-American Cookie Cookbook (Yes, I know. Too many cookies.) And there's one more by Jamie Oliver I have that I really like and the title is slipping my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I just ordered Taste of Home Dinner on a Dime. I checked it out of the library and have used so many of the recipes that I bought it used. Betty Crocker is the old standby for day to day things. Bread Beckers or Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes for my bread recipes. Online, I love King Arthur Flour for breads and deserts. Foodnetwork for just about everything else. Fix it and Forget it books are awesome for crockpot. I also have a Sandra Lee recipe book for "average" everyday cooking. For pure fun, I love Nigella Lawson cookbooks. The next one I buy will probably be America's Test Kitchen. My gf loves and raves about Rachel Ray cookbooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennismomkelly Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I love The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook. It doesn't have tons of pictures but it's my favorite. It has a lot a great information in it besides recipes. Southern Living's Easy Weeknight Favorites is another one that gets a lot of use at my house. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I have been enjoying cooking from Love Soup. Some of the flavor combinations and a few of the vegetables are all new to me, and so far everything tastes great. http://www.amazon.com/Love-Soup-All-New-Vegetarian-Recipes/dp/0393332578/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299633396&sr=1-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIS0320 Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 More With Less Extending the Table Both are classics and full of really affordable, healthy whole foods recipes. I use them all the time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadianmumof5 Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 try Chef At Home....its a Canadian thing but the recipes are pretty simple and oh so yummy. I'm not exactly handy in the kitchen and his stuff turns out fantastic for me. The bacon-cheese-potato tart looks so good!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook is my (and my family's) favorite. Many of my go-to recipes are from this cookbook. It's full color with lots of pictures and demonstrations of how to complete certain steps. A close second is The New Best Recipe from Cook's Illustrated (published by ATK). It has more recipes, usually more complex than those in the ATK Family Cookbook. It has fewer pictures but has in-depth descriptions of how each recipe was developed into what they feel is the best version. I also love the magazines put out by ATK--Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country. I don't subscribe but hunt for them at library book sales. I also like the blog http://www.melskitchencafe.com. Mel adapts a lot of ATK recipes but also features recipes from other sources. She has lots of great pictures, and I've found her recipes to be very family friendly. They look good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 try Chef At Home....its a Canadian thing but the recipes are pretty simple and oh so yummy. I'm not exactly handy in the kitchen and his stuff turns out fantastic for me. The bacon-cheese-potato tart looks so good!! Oh I LOVE Michael Smith's Chef at Home. I have his book out from the library right now. If I can only have his pantry now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeccabillington Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 LOVE my king Arthur Cookie book, I really want to get their baking book too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 I haven't replied to everyone individually....for those posters that I haven't replied to I want to give a big thanks for your suggestions. I've been able to find 90% of the suggestions in my library and have a HUGE hold list going (yay for being able to do it online!). I want to peruse the many suggestions and narrow down what might be a good fit for our family. Now that I'm armed with these suggestions I feel like I have some direction! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Beard on Bread, but that won't help you for dinner. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anita in NC Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I use the "Joy of Cooking" a lot, no pictures though. I also find myself allrecipes.com and they have pics and reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 Beard on Bread, but that won't help you for dinner. :) Well, we *could* just have bread for dinner. Every night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I like Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave. It's a great one. And the Sneaky Chef for adding veggies and healthy ingredients to everything my kids eat. I use hers a lot for breakfast and lunch. And I've mostly lately been using my new Weight Watchers cookbook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThelmaLou Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I used to love getting Taste of Home and Quick Cooking magazines. A huge number of my tried and true recipes came from these. I also bought quite a few of the Taste of Home hardover cookbooks when they went on sale one year. That said, I've sold almost all of them now. I've now become an online recipe snob. My favorites are allrecipes, recipezaar, and food network. I love being able to see other users' reviews and tweaks. My remaining cookbooks fit in about 1 foot of linear space in one of my cabinets. The minimalist in me finds that glorious! Oh...I do have Ree's cookbook (Pioneer Woman). I made lots of her recipes before the cookbook ever came out, so it's nice to have several of them collected in one place. Especially the cinnamon rolls and chicken spaghetti! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 My favorite cookbooks don't tend to have illustrations, but they *do* have fabulous recipes! 1) The cookbook I started cooking with when I was around 10 was How to Cook Like A Jewish Mother & many of its recipes are part of our repertoire (including the *best* blintz recipe!). 2) Our first cookbook favorites as a couple were the Vegetarian Epicure I and II - delightful books we still use every week. They don't reflect modern sensibilities about limiting fat, etc, but they are easily adaptable and well worth it. The most recent entry is The New Vegetarian Epicure - filled with even more wonderful recipes (these use olive oil rather than butter, but are just as yummy) The Vegetarian Epicure books have no photos, but they are fabulous, very accessible recipes - The Winter Vegetable Stew from the 2nd volume and the lentil soup from the New VE are treasures... and the pierogi dough and garlic broth (given in more than one book) are essentials here. (we use the broth as the base for our Matzo Ball Soup (but the matzo balls themselves are made from a recipe in Spice and Spirit.) 3) Spice and Spirit - challah, kugels, desserts, knaidlach, knishes, kishke, baba ganoush, some of our basic salads all come from here. We've adapted some of the recipes (I couldn't do the noodle kugel without a dash of lemon juice and a little grated lemon peel, for example), but it is in regular use here. ...it is also the source for most of our basic dessert recipes. Every recipe we've ever tried has been a resounding success. 4) If you want some of the tastiest recipes and don't mind lots of cheese, sour cream, and butter- Horn of the Moon and Beyond the Moon have a fantastic selection of recipes. These books have some our favorite choices and they are very user friendly - these have gotten such heavy use that we have had to replace each of them. 5) We use Lorna Sass's Complete Vegetarian Kitchen all the time - the recipes are so simple, but the results are rich and complex (and vegan!) The Lorna Sass book also doesn't have photos, but I think everyone who likes whole food cooking should own this book... it is unmatchable in the combination of ease, simplicity, and great flavor... we make at least one of her soups a week - with a pressure cooker they are even easier, but even without they are still *so* easy! 6) Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, Vegetarian Suppers, and Vegetarian Soups are all regularly used treasures here. [All 3 have photos.] 7) Her successor at the Greens restaurant has two great cookbooks of her own. We use Everyday Greens, if not actually everyday, at least quite often and Field of Greens has a number of well loved selections. 8) Another favorite which gets regular use is The Vegetarian Times Cooks Mediterranean. [some photos] 9) Andrea Chesman has a number of really great cookbooks! 366 Delicious Ways to cook Rice, beans, and grains is marvelous... and her Roasted Vegetable and Zucchini Cookbooks are favorites here - though I don't think we use them as frequently as the ones above. 10) Vegetarian Planet and its 'sequel" Entertaining for a Veggie Planet. 11) The Voluptuous Vegan recipes take more time (the first time through one it seems very time consuming, but after that they don't feel as involved), but they are give complex, satisfying results with great nutritional profiles (I *never* thought a vegan lasagna would become something we made often! But this one is scrumptious!). The author has a book for "flexitarians" called the Healthy Hedonist - it's a little more user friendly in its layout and almost as inventive in its recipes. Desserts Our basic cake recipes, for example, are mainly in Spice & Spirit (see above) - it has a *fabulous* chocolate cake recipe, a moist, spicy honey cake, the perfect carrot cake, a simple spice cake, a basic white cake, scrumptious cheesecake, and so much more. We do cut the amount of sugar in some of the cookie recipes, but many of our favorites are here too: chocolate-chip apricot bars, hamentaschen... Our favorite rhubarb pie and cinnamon orange rolls and the best chocolate mousse ever. There are some desserts we've loved in the various Vegetarian Epicure books - peach mousse in chocolate cups w/ raspberry coulis... chocolate nut tart... a chocolate cheesecake. My favorite dessert cookbook is Sweet Miniatures - and it has *beautiful* photos - I've made these miniatures when we catered my brother's wedding for him (they loved it, but it was a mistake... cooking for 100 people and then transporting it all from Seattle to the Oregon coast... never again!), for bar & bas mitzvahs, and other special occasions. I own both the old and new editions, they are a little different (different photos, a few different recipes, and different formats), but either would work. We own the author's other two books as well. (Simple Art of Perfect Baking & Baking for All Occasions) {We have number of other miniature cookbooks, but Flo's is the best by rather a lot} Rose Levy Beranbaum's cookbooks have wonderful recipes & detailed instructions & some photos. Cake Bible, Pie and Pastry Bible. We have a few King Arthur's baking company books... (here's one) The Fanny Farmer Baking book has a comprehensive selection. I know we have more wonderful dessert book, but I have a semi-sleeping feverish baby here, and can't go look... Eliana...what a detailed response. Thanks so much -- I'll be seeing if my library has these suggestions. I hope your little one feels better soon. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I love all of Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid's books, since I love food from the parts of Asia that aren't as well known in the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 This is the edition of the Betty Crocker cookbook that I have, http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crockers-Cookbook-Crocker-Editors/dp/0028630092/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1299684428&sr=8-13 There are newer editions of it available now but I haven't seen those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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