In our tech-savvy world, there's no need to buy every cookbook in print. You can google most recipes and cooking techniques that come to mind. Still you don't want to rely totally on the internet, as it's never a good idea to put all of your eggs in one basket. You may have to prepare a meal when your service is down. And, what if one evening nothing comes to mind? There's something permanent and comforting about thumbing through the pages of a cherished cookbook. Something tangible, you can pick up and return to time and again.
For the sake of prioritizing, lets say … you only have space or a budget for up to 10 cookbooks. Which ones would be on your shelf?
My picks are:
1) Joy Of Cooking
– 1931 by Irma S. Rombauer: A classic and respected cookbook for over 75 years. If I only had space for one cookbook, this one is it.
– 1931 by Irma S. Rombauer: A classic and respected cookbook for over 75 years. If I only had space for one cookbook, this one is it.2) Mastering The Art Of French Cooking – 1961 by Julia Child: This cookbook brought French cooking to mainstream America, plus inspired a lovely movie, Julie and Julia.
– 1961 by Julia Child: This cookbook brought French cooking to mainstream America, plus inspired a lovely movie, Julie and Julia.3) Smoke & Spice – 2003 by Cheryl & Bill Jamison: A complete A-Z barbeque premier.
– 2003 by Cheryl & Bill Jamison: A complete A-Z barbeque premier.
4) Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking – (revised) 1995 by Marcella Hazan: Very expansive and easy to follow.5) The Gift of Southern Cooking: Recipes and Revelations from Two Great American Cooks – (revised) 2003 by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock.
– (revised) 2003 by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. 6) Biscuits, Spoonbread, and Sweet Potato Pie – 1990 by Bill Neal: Southern baking explained. The recipes are very authentic.
– 1990 by Bill Neal: Southern baking explained. The recipes are very authentic.7) The Art of Mexican Cooking – 1989 by Diana Kennedy: If you love Mexican, this is the definitive cookbook for it.
– 1989 by Diana Kennedy: If you love Mexican, this is the definitive cookbook for it.8) Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, 2011: All of his cookbooks focus on simple, fresh, affordable meals. They are my go-to cookbooks. His recipes are hard to mess up.
: All of his cookbooks focus on simple, fresh, affordable meals. They are my go-to cookbooks. His recipes are hard to mess up.9) Cabbage Patch Famous Kentucky Recipes – 1956, or 1972 by Cabbage Patch Circle: Delicious, home cooking.
– 1956, or 1972 by Cabbage Patch Circle: Delicious, home cooking.10) Southern Food – 1987 by John Egerton: Ok, I love Southern food.
– 1987 by John Egerton: Ok, I love Southern food.Personally, I'm more of a Jamie Oliver cook than a Julia Child cuisinier. It's fun to get inspired to try to make fancy French food; but in truth, you will never find roasted pigeons or rabbit in cream sauce at my dinner table. Duck, maybe. I have enough to eat without looking outside my windows, thank you.
How about you?
How about you?
Below are favorite recipe websites:
1. All Recipes
4. Jamie Oliver
5. Rachael Ray
7. Cook's County Kitchen: Expert recipes; navigate with patience.
I have some of these cookbooks, and the ones I don't have sound interesting - but these days i go to the web. I received several cookbooks at my wedding shower ( way back in 1964) but the most practical was - the Betty Crocker "Dinner For Two" Cookbook! Don't know if it's still being published - but, coming from a large family to having only one person (my poor hubby!) to practice my cooking skills on, it was more helpful than any of the other cookbooks I received.
ReplyDeleteLoretta, great to have recipes for one or two portions!
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