Good Cookbooks?

[azfiddle]

I rely on Joy of Cooking for lots of basics- got mine as a gift over 25 years ago!

A source of a lot of interesting recipes from all over the world- Jewish Holiday Cooking. It's over 20 years old and I don't know how easy it is to find, but I everything I've tried from it was great, and there are quite a few vegetarian options (mostly w/ dairy products).

Another cookbook that might be completely out of print, that I got a really long time ago - The Vegetarian Epicure. Though my copy is falling apart, I still get great reviews on the Cauliflower Curry recipes, and I wowed a college dinner party with Asparagus Pastry.

[malkin]

Yesterday as I was culling the excess from the cookbook shelves, we had a great laugh about the Joy of Cooking, which I will keep, because you never know when you will need to clean a moose or prepare a squirrel at a time when the internet will be down.

I like the old Tassajara Cookbook and Bread Book (and they have an ex-boyfriend's possessive mark in them ha!).

I just got the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary book from the library and we couldn't live without Cookwise which isn't really a recipe book, so much as an explanation about everything having to do with cooking.

Pie in the Sky is the best resource for baking at every altitude.

[bmccasland]

Because I think I might be moving away from this place, I bought the Times-Picayune's Cooking up a Storm - a collection of recipes the local paper put together from requests for lost recipies after Hurricane Katrina. Each recipe has a bit of history about it, and in true New Orleans fashion, has good drink recipies, fish & game, and desserts.

For basic reference I have my Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book a notebook type binder that looks like it's covered with a red check table cloth.

I have to admit, I have a weakness for cookbooks, and have a bookcase full of them. Don't ask me to cull the stacks. Can't do it, just can't.

[snapdragen]

I'm a huge Jacques Pepin fan - Simple Healthy Cooking is my favorite.

[SadieKate]

This time of year: Rose's Christmas Cookies. Her almond toffee recipe is a dead ringer for Almond Roca, except it's flat.

For equipment, science and technique: Cook's Illustrated. Because of the articles, I've learned how to alter recipes for the better. The equipment and product comparisons are terrific, and since it's advertisement-free I trust the research.

[GLC1968]

For equipment, science and technique: Cook's Illustrated. Because of the articles, I've learned how to alter recipes for the better. The equipment and product comparisons are terrific, and since it's advertisement-free I trust the research.

YES!! I totally forgot but I have to add my recommendation to the above. I love Cook's Illustrated - my mom bought me a subscription and I get so excited when it arrives every time. My husband actually makes fun of me. Such a GREAT resource!

[indysteel]

YES!! I totally forgot but I have to add my recommendation to the above. I love Cook's Illustrated - my mom bought me a subscription and I get so excited when it arrives every time. My husband actually makes fun of me. Such a GREAT resource!

Cook's Illustrated is what got me to start cooking. Even if you don't rely on the recipes, it's just an interesting read. I joined their online site before finally getting a subscription to the magazine. I've relied on many of their equipment reviews in outfitting my kitchen. I'm such a "researcher," so the way CI approaches cooking really appeals to me.

[hoffsquared]

For basic reference I have my Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book a notebook type binder that looks like it's covered with a red check table cloth.

I have this one too. It is over 25 years old now and is quite battered. It's my standby for substitutions and a biscuit recipe my family loves.

Should still be able to find the Vegetarian Epicure. I replaced mine with a new one just 1 or 2 years ago.

[Bike Chick]

I have the old Joy of Cooking (over 30 years old) and the red and white checked Better Homes and Gardens from the same year. I bought the Betty Crocker Healthy Home Cooking cookbook last year and it's really great. Healthy, tasty recipes that list all the nutrition information. I would highly recommend it.

[badgercat]

I'll also chime in on behalf of Better Homes and Gardens. It's my go-to for stand-bys--it's a great reference if you're looking for solid recipes for basic doughs, sauces, etc etc etc. It's not 'fancy' but there are plenty of tasty recipes in there, nothing too fussy. Plus it has good tips/tricks/references.

[OakLeaf]

As long as we're discussing our favorite reference books, gotta give a shout-out to Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking. That's my go-to book for understanding why a recipe calls for something-or-other. I keep meaning to just sit down and read it, but I've been really backed up with my reading the last couple of years...