Jump to content

Menu

Foodies. What are your favorite cookbooks?


grantmeawish
 Share

Recommended Posts

I recently purchased the new meat cookbook (beef, pork, lamb, veal, poultry) from Cook's Illustrated. I am in LOVE! Dd14, the semi-vegetarian, actually licked her plate at the table to get to the last of some pan sauce!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Cooks-Illustrated-Meat-Book-Game-Changing/dp/1936493861/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1415018755&sr=8-1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I still use Nigella Lawson's "How to be a Domestic Goddess"….12+ years after buying it.

 

Claudia Roden's "A Book of Middle Eastern Food" is a classic.

 

Jacques Pepin has some really wonderful books…and he's always great with technique too.  I almost always learn something from him.  "Essential Pepin" is great…and comes with a DVD of techniques.

 

Yotam Ottolenghi's "Plenty" and "Jerusalem" are both wonderful.

 

Ina Garten's recipes are almost always good too.

 

I love the ATK, Cook's Illustrated, and Cook's Country books…and their magazine recipe books, which are 30% off at Costco.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, I shouldn't have forgotten Claudia Roden.

 

UmSami, what do you like from Jerusalem? I keep wanting to like the recipes, but I either already have a recipe for the more basic things, or the dishes seem a bit too high-class for me. Although I love that they use tahini a lot. And I love to just sit and read the book.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those Alford/Duguid books are great fun. Probably just as much travelogue as cookbook, so if stories/wordiness or random pictures of the country and people bother you, you will dislike the books. They tend to focus on Asia mostly, but there's some Mediterranean baking stuff. 

 

The Cook's Illustrated general book is also good. I like Peterson's basic technique book a bit better than Pepin, but only because Pepin is so complete. It's fun to page through but a little overwhelming. 

 

 

I use Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Italian Cooking, Rick Bayless' Mexican Every Day, and Michelle Urvater's Monday-to-Friday Chicken the most often. I've also gotten a lot of ideas from Donna Hay books, but I don't really own any. 

 

 

From the library I've enjoyed Modern Sauces, Tacos Tortes and Tamales, All About Braising, and The New Midwestern Table this year. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, I shouldn't have forgotten Claudia Roden.

 

UmSami, what do you like from Jerusalem? I keep wanting to like the recipes, but I either already have a recipe for the more basic things, or the dishes seem a bit too high-class for me. Although I love that they use tahini a lot. And I love to just sit and read the book.

 

Yes…he is a little over the top.  :)  I save those recipes for when we're entertaining DH's friends, and I need to impress. :)  I also use him for inspiration….so while I may not make his entire recipe, I'll go….oh, I never thought to put a drizzle of pomegranate syrup on top or whatever.  

 

 

The chicken with caramelized onions and cardamom rice is a favorite.

 

Also, the stuffed eggplant with lamb and something else…maybe pine nuts? (book is in storage right now)   DH loves mashi (stuffed veggies).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon & Mary Enig  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_11?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=nourishing%20traditions%20sally%20fallon&sprefix=Nourishing+%2Cstripbooks%2C385

 

Any cookbook by Ina Garten  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_10?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=ina+garten+cookbooks&sprefix=Ina+Garten%2Cstripbooks%2C252&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Aina+garten+cookbooks

 

Any cookbook by Lidia Bastianich ("Lidia of Italy" you can check out her website first - if you like the Italian way of eating)

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_5?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=lidia+bastianich+cookbooks&sprefix=Lidia%2Cstripbooks%2C252&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Alidia+bastianich+cookbooks

 

The Cape Cod Table by Laura Brodin  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_16?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+cape+cod+table&sprefix=The+%2FCape+Cod+Ta%2Cstripbooks%2C252&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Athe+cape+cod+table

 

Saltwater Seasonings by Sarah and Jonathan Chase  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_14?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=saltwater+seasonings&sprefix=Saltwater+Seas%2Cstripbooks%2C252&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Asaltwater+seasonings

 

The Garden of Earthly Delights Cookbook - Gourmet Vegetarian Cooking by Shea McKenzie  http://www.amazon.com/The-Garden-Earthly-Delights-Cookbook/dp/089529530X

 

Whole Foods for the Whole Family by Roberta Bishop Johnson (lots of frugal recipes)  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Whole+Foods+for+the+Whole+Family&sprefix=Saltwater+Seas%2Cstripbooks%2C252&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3AWhole+Foods+for+the+Whole+Family

 

Ladled by Kimi Harris http://www.amazon.com/Ladled-Nourishing-Soups-All-Seasons-ebook/dp/B00APL4E42/ref=pd_sim_kstore_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0QMEV59S251FWTSF45R4

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since I get all sorts of greens and weird roots in my fall CSA, this time of year I enjoy using Lane Morgan's Winter Harvest.  Another good one for this time of year is Moosewood's Daily Special, a soup and salad collection.  I love soup and this one has many brilliant ideas!

 

My husband loves Rick Bayless' Authentic Mexican. I love the food he makes from its recipes.  ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lurking. Love these suggestions -- old friends plus new ideas.

 

My new favorite is The Longevity Kitchen, by Rebecca Katz. She uses synergistic combinations of spices that apparently release extra nutrients in the good. And the recipes are so delicious that we fight over cauliflower, lol.

 

I love Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. But my go to book for simple French cooking is Pellaprat's Everyday French Cooking. Recipes are usually half a page, few ingredients, but they end up tasting very French.

 

And I picked up the current Food Network magazine, which has lots of original, trendy ideas for fall food. But I have yet to try a recipe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OOP but still the best:  French Cooking by Sunset Magazine

Betty Crocker International Cookbook--very reliable recipes, pretty authentic, lots of variety

Beat This!  --  a book of the most optimized recipes ever.  Quirky selection, each one exquisite

Private Collection and Private Collection II from the Palo Alto Junior League

Savory Baking--uses baking techniques for non-desserts.  Absolutely awesome, unique recipes

Celebrated Seasons--this is the Junior League cookbook from Minneapolis

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use my Southern Living cookbook a dozen times a month. Well tested insures tasty results.

 

Melissa D'Arabian's Ten Dollar Dinners is good. Most of the recipes have a bit of French flair which elevates them a bit. I find her recipes quite good--making her French Onion soup tomorrow, in fact.

 

I have a favorite French cookbook I got in France (written in English)...I just found it at Barnes and Noble last month. Different title but the very same photos and recipes.  "Recipes from my Grandmother's Kitchen', I think.

 

Pioneer Woman has some mighty tasty recipes in her books.

 

When in doubt or when we inspiration, we head to FoodNetwork.com and browse. Anything by Alton Brown works.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Old favorites, since I hardly ever *buy* cookbooks these days:

   Victory Garden Cookbook - lists all those veggies in alphabetical order & gives many recipes for each

   Laurel's Kitchen - partly because of the name, but also because of the variety of vegetarian recipes it offers.

  Feed Your Family on $10 a Day - basic, straightford, get-it-on-the-table standards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...