Search the Community

I'm in the process of buying a wonderful house with many lovely features. To my despair, the stove has electric burners. I can't stand electric but will probably have to live with it for a couple years (or until I win the lottery!) Any tips for an electric virgin? Thanks!

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered a cookbook to get just one recipe. Actually, I figured that if one recipe was good, there were probably several good recipes in it. (Since it has yet to arrive , the jury is still out.) When I was a beginning cook, it wasn't unusual for me to buy a cookbook to get just one recipe. But now that my cooking horizons have expanded, I often purchase a book based on the author's reputation. What are the reasons that will prompt you to purchase cookbooks?

i would want to find some book about the chocolate display. May i know anybody have idea? thank you very much

hi what do you think about herbs? i m talking about culinary herbs i have tried some international herbs with my own country's regional food(indian food) how does it sound........i had amazing results........ i cn send you some recipes of the same for your experience thanks culinary regards chef renu

If you were to give one MFK Fisher book to someone who had never read her before, which would you choose and why?

It's $100.00 with an 8" knife included...although I can't see what brand knife it is. Just wondering if anyone has taken this class and what you thought of it. Feedback? Classes offered

Hello everyone, As it becomes available in Canada, Asia and Australia and the UK over the next few months I thought you might like to have an advance peek at the long-awaited Giorgio Locatelli book, "Made in Italy". http://www.danlepard.com/giorgio/pdf (the page that comes up contains links to early adobe acrobat pdf files of some of the pages, containing low-res image scans and text before final proofing that may contains errors). Although there will be some imported copies of the book in the US, it is possible that there will be an Americanised edition so the US distribution might be delayed until the rights are decided. I worked as the photographer on the book (an old hat of mine) and for everyone involved it's been an immense challenge over the last 4 years. The book is part biography, in small 3 - 6 page sections that precede each chapter, and the rest is recipes and essays on ingredients. It's 600+ pages, hundreds of photographs, quite extraordinary. We took on the task of making a "chefs book for the home kitchen" and I hope achieved a good balance, as I didn't want the book to either ignore the fact that Giorgio is a restaurant cook, nor give the impression of some wincingly contrived set up in a pretend home kitchen. I tried to keep it real always, and as raw as possible even if that bordered on brutal and plain. There were no home economists or prop stylists, but just chefs and home cooks throughout Italy as well as Giorgio preparing and cooking food while I dashed about capturing it on film (rather than digital). I hope that this documentary style will be useful and honest. A copy arrived yesterday and I'm still at the point where it's just like an object, as it's a beautiful book to hold and feel. I'll do some cooking from it this weekend and post the pictures here. regards Dan

As a new (Experimental) vegetarian (See here for more details) I have been going through quite a few cookbooks and online resources. A lot of them are fairly poor to say the least. Also seems to be a theory that if you are vegetarian you must want to eat 'Healthy' food all the time, or they are full of meat substitute recipes. The thing that really gets me is that in so many of the books - even some of the better ones (The Cranks one in particular) is that they seem to put soy sauce (Well usually tamari actually) in everything. Don't get me wrong, I love soy sauce - in moderation and in the right things. But to put it in anything creamy, cheesy or mayonnaisey just seems wrong to me!

I'm wondering what you recommend as the best books about cakes?

I need recipes for a child that is allergic to wheat, soy, and milk. I don't know if he is allergic to other common allergens such as corn, yeast, nuts, etc. I would like it in a book form so I can offer it as a gift to the parent. This child is not highly allergic but, rather, has negative reactions to the above food. As you know, children can be finicky eaters and I need tasty healthy recipes. I have found a couple of websites and sent those off. Thanks.

I have some cookbooks I love, other's I hate. And, it goes beyond the recipes. I want a good and complete index, and I don't want to have to buy higher powered readers to read the index (Gourmet, good on the first count, bad on the second) Oh, and at the beginning of a chapter, if you've got an index to all of the recipes, wonderful! Oh, and offer tips and hints. I love the fact that Molly Stevens in "All About Braising" talks about the cuts of meat. Try and make it so I don't have to take my greasy fingers and turn a page at a crucial point in a recipe. And, do not, I repeat do not, break a page during the ingredient list. Oh, and don't have so many cookbook potions such that I have to fix 8 things before I start cooking, or I will put the book in the box to go to Half-Price books. And, oh, those baked goods, please tell me what they should look like (don't just give me 350 for 15 minutes) and what should happen when I poke them with a finger and what they will be like when done -- crunchy, soft, cakey, etc. (Thank you Maida Heatter). And, do include plenty of margin space for notes!

So, I was mentally drooling over <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showuser=19804">chrisamirault</a>'s description of savory egg dishes with curry over at the <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=99435&hl=">egg thread</a> while simultaneously bemoaning my lack of real proficiency for making any type of Asian cuisine beyond egg rolls, won ton soup, rangoon, etc., and it occurred to me (with only a smidgen of prompting) that I should ask here to see if you all have some suggestions for some good, solid books that would get me on the right track in this, one of my favorite of all types of cooking. I see lots of titles in the bookstores, but I have no idea what to look for, or which are worth the expenditure... I have no frame of reference! I'd especially be interested in pan-Asian books; my family, friends and I enjoy the nuances in every region's special fare... although I'm not averse to indulging one of my few spending vices and purchasing individual books if they are especially valuable. Thanks in advance!

This topic was hijacked from the Vancouver Board. What cookbooks do you love to cook out of at home? Is there a specific recipe that is your favorite? Or is there a book you just can't live without? If you have pictures, even better! Lets see how it turns out! Some of my favorites to cook out of: The Balthazar Cookbook - The Beef Tartar is amazing! As is the Chicken Liver Mousse The Babbo Cookbook - The Strawberries & Peaches with Balsamic Zabaglione Barefoot in Paris - The Blue Cheese Souffle looks JUST LIKE THE PICTURE! The Bouchon Cookbook - The Roast Chicken will seriously change your life Gordon Ramsey Makes it Easy - The Chocolate Pots are the easiest dessert in the world and tastes so good....especially with the Amedei #7 There are lots more. Hopefully I can take pictures and show you. Hopefully this post can be an ongoing thing. I think we are all interested in what eachother cooks! Happy Cooking J

not sure if this has been addressed elsewhere, but... i finally have moved to a house where i have the space to give all of my cookbooks their own space *hizzah*!! well, i'm wonering how to organize them. do you do it by size? alphabetically? by title? by author? help!

Hello: I am curious to get a little feedback on a series of cookbooks called the "Culinary Chronicals" I believe about 8 volumes were produced (500 page volumes). Each volume representing a geographical region of cooking. I saw some on Ebay and was wondering if they're any good?? Thanks, Adam

Hello everyone, I wanted to introduce my new cookbook, The New Spanish Table, just out from Workman Publishing. I've been covering Spain for the last ten years for publications like Food&Wine, Travel+Leisure, and Los Angeles Times. The New Spanish Table is packed with 300 recipes ranging from traditional to the avant-garde, color photos, and essays on regional ingrdients, interesting chefs, history, and traditions. There are recipes from chefs like Arzak, Adria, Dani Garcia, and Carles Abellan, as well as from more traditional tabernas and tapas bars--all tested and retested and adapted to the American home kitchen. Provecho!

http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/food_an...ticle329859.ece "The Bush family's kitchen nightmares" How to put this tactfully: perhaps the first family could have been better advised... Alternatively maybe this shows how deeply they are in touch with the people..

Good Morning Ms Reichl, I am just a home cook who likes to play around and enjoy food. I was wondering what your favorite cookbook is and what style of cooking do you prefer? Thank you!

article in Christian Science Monitor The book looks like something which might make for a nice host/hostess gift for the holiday... an even more interesting review and info ... all Amazon reviews are excellent and 5 stars

Hello, I have alice medrich "bittersweet" book and i would like to buy her new "chocolate holidays". I would like to know if it encludes past recipes from her books or new ones/ got an idea?

When I was shopping at Costco about last week, I saw in the cookbook section "Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook." I glanced through it (a long glance, mind you), and it looked pretty good. Has anybody bought it and tried it out yet?

While people often comment on their storage and use of cookbooks in the Cook Books: How Many Do You Own? thread, there's no existing thread (I think) on storage, shelving, and so on. I'm wondering where you keep your cookbooks. Do you have an area for ones that you use often? Is it in the kitchen or near it? What about storage? It's an on-going problem for me, and I'd be interested to read how you do it.

Please share cookbooks released this year that you like or have your eye on? There has been much recent excitement on egullet with the release of Paula Wolfert's new edition of the "The Cooking of Southwest France". The thread has recipes that people have tried. Two other acquisitions for me so far from books released this year: A very welcome reprinting of Linda Dannenberg's "Paris, Boulangerie and Patisserie: Recipes from 13 Outstanding French Bakeries" The link is a thread in which people have shared recipes they've made. A new book from Penelope Casas (author of the great "Tapas" cookbook and many other good ones on the cuisine of Spain): "La Cocina de Mama: The Great Home Cooking of Spain" I haven't made anything from this yet, but I'm eyeing many good almond dessert recipes. (The links are or have egullet-amazon sponsored links which donate $ to egullet if you purchase the book through the link.) What else am I missing or that I should add to my birthday wish list?

Looking for a recomendation or two. All of my wife's Italian cookbooks seem to approach desert as an afterthought (not unlike many Italian restaurants come to think of it). Is there such a book? Thanks, -M

When I use this book, I'm always reminded of how great the content is but I have to admit, I rarely use it because as an enthusiastic early buyer, I have the first edition and my middle aged eyes can not see the titles of the recipes. The Yellow on yellow scheme is next to illegible in particular light. Is there any recourse for us early adapters? Did the publisher provide any kind of "trade-in" allowance?