The Sacramento Bee compiled a list of the
most valued cookbooks in America,
based on previous lists and interviews with members of "cooking trades" - which I take to mean caterers and
professional cooks. They are definitely some of the best general interest cookbooks that cover everything from
breakfast to baking, roasts to vegetables, and excellent books to have, especially if you only have one or two
cookbooks. I, on the other hand, have six of the top ten. I'm not going to try to count how many other cookbooks I
have.
- "Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book," first published in 1930
- "Betty Crocker Cookbook," first published in 1950
- "Joy of Cooking," first published in 1931
- "The New Basics Cookbook," first published in 1989
- "The Silver Palate Cookbook," first published in 1982
- "The Art of French Cooking," first published in 1961
- "The Fannie Farmer Cookbook," first published as "The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book" in
1896
- "The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook," first published in 1988
- "The Moosewood Cookbook," first published in 1992
- "Larousse Gastronomique," first published in 1938
Source
4-27-2006 @10:06AM Myron said... "The Best Recipe" from Cooks Illustrated is the best. I hate to say it, because I'm turned off by the way they keep repackaging the recipes into other cookbooks, and other bs business practices. But The Best Recipe is comprehensive and very reliable.
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4-27-2006 @10:21AM J.Ho said... Well, I can say I agree with the first three. I'll take a look at the rest.
However, I think everyonw should take a look at these two:
Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques - Jacques is arguable one of the best culinary technicians in the world
Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques
Cheers!
How to Make Everything - This may be too simple of a book for most of
us, but it was a big help for me when I started cooking on my own. How to make everything
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4-27-2006 @10:33AM liz said... "how to cook everything" by mark bittman. great for new cooks, or even experienced cooks wanting a reliable method for preparing unfamiliar or expensive ingredients.
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4-27-2006 @12:09PM cyndi said... I am a cookbook fan any and all cookbooks interest me. new ones ,old ones, any books. I enjoy going into antique stores and searching for them as well as yard sales. i have found a great many still with family recipies,hand written ones from a long time ago. I love to cook and they are an insperation to me, to try new things and to get me started on trying to come up with my own original recipies.
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4-27-2006 @1:21PM Myron said... I've had bad experience with Bittman's book "How to Cook Everything." Its good for meat and fish but anything else I've tried has been terrible. Could be me, but I've had much better success with other cookbooks, including Fanny Farmer listed above.
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4-27-2006 @1:25PM Joe said... I'll second "How to Cook Everything" but I have to say that Bittman's new book, "The Best Recipes in the World" is fast becoming my go-to cookbook. Its scope isn't quite as broad, but it's still fantastic.
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4-27-2006 @1:34PM Nivedita said... I cook vegetarian(ovo-lacto) meals only and I do have a copy of "The Joy of Cooking", but I find myself using Deborah Madison's "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" most of the time. When I have an unusual vegetable or a weird bunch of ingredients that need to be used or I need a nutritious meal in a hurry, I always end up with something from this book. The little notes in the margins are great for variations, substitutions, serving suggestions - without cluttering up the main recipe.
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4-27-2006 @2:23PM Miriam said... I think that's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, or..? The article didn't list authors, either.
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4-27-2006 @3:08PM Linda said... I'd have to include Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Cookbook (1961).
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