I'll admit, I'm a cookbook addict. I love leafing through recipes and imagining the act of creating and eating fabulous meals. Truly some cookbooks are best just for that, imagining - not cooking! But my favorite cookbooks, the ones I grab when I need to get a meal onto the table, are usable, approachable and unpretentious. In honor of the Read All About It event here at Suite101.com I'm giving short reviews on the books I use most.
- The
Joy of Cooking and The
New Joy of Cooking
First of all, I rarely if ever COOK from these books. I use them as my reference workhorses. If I need information on a dish, this is where I start. These books are most useful for basic fare. You won't find fancy exotic cuisine in here - other than a few dishes which have been part of American cooking long enough to be incorporated into our daily lives. What you will find is tons of useful information, well written, to the point and well organized. - The
New Food Lover's Companion
This is a great little gem to have. It's a dictionary of food terms. Very quick and easy to use. Fun reading for those of us who are food-obsessed. - The
New Housekeeping Cookbook
The recipes in this book are simple, hearty and tasty. I use this book often for basic cooking that pleases a crowd. The Good Housekeeping name and tradition means you can trust that these recipes have been tested and will work. - The
Silver Palate Cookbook, Silver
Palate Goodtimes Cookbook, and The
New Basics Cookbook
The first two of these are the absolute best modern entertaining reference books that I know of. From a buffet brunch to a formal dinner the ideas just pour off the pages. Fun to read, fun to cook out of, fun to flip through. The Silver Palate series were quite the trendy books to have back in the 1980's. Now they've become classics for the home cook and entertainer. The New Basics Cookbook is much more about food than advice, but the quality and style of the dishes make it a must have as well. - Cheese
Primer or French
Cheeses or The
Cheese Bible
I have the first two of these and I've heard good things about the third.
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