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I wonder, have things progressed to the point where the internet provides better recipes than cookbooks? Clearly, there's a lot of garbage online. But the savvy user has access to quite a lot of excellent sources. There's everything from the professional recipes from the magazine-driven websites (Gourmet, et al.) to hobbyist recipes that are quite rigorous. Cookbooks, on the other hand, seem less reliable to me than they did in the past. With a few exceptions (like the magazine-produced books), cookbooks are the product of a single recipe tester (if the recipes are even tested). I think they're working with less time and money than ever before. The best cookbooks are still great, but very few of them make the cut. It seems like the trend lines are moving. Whether they've crossed, I'm not sure. But if they haven't I think they will.

A buddy of mine is in Vienna, and has fallen in love with the cuisine. He asked me if I knew of any good Austrian cookbooks. I've no clue, but I'm sure peeps here do. (And he can read German.)

So, if I were to get only one cookbook by Madhur Jaffrey, which would I get? Sincerely, Dante

I did get the book today from Amazon. So far I have only read it but I find it very interesting. The story, pictures and how they go from looking for a B and B to buying and giving themselfs 2 years to get it up and running. Some of the recipes I find interesting are roquefort broiche and walnut rolls just to start with. There are several more I want to try. What are your thoughts on the book. Jane

Greetings Fellow Foodies I am so confused right now, I know that August Escoffier invented this dish, and I own Escoffier: The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern Cookery isbn:0471290165, and for the life of me can't seem to find this epitomise recipe in this book. I have searched under "fillet en croute" and went through the entire beef section to try to find it. This whole search started as I was watching MasterChef and they had a recipe calling for a crepe to protect the pastry from going soggy. This does make perfect sense actually, I just had never heard of it before. I checked Julia Child and she doesn't include a crepe, nor does Larousse, nor Herrings reference. I did find online recipe that does include it, but as we all know what's online isn't always AUTHENTIC and classically correct. I went to my apprenticeship books (canadian) and they don't include it. (Actually I just thought of a couple more reference books I can check though - Eugene Pauli and Paul Bocuse. I checked in my Joel Robuchon, Michel Roux and Alain Ducasse books and although their recipe all differ slightly, they don't include a crepe (I did learn that a lot of them use foi-gras and/or truffle-pate as an ingredient though) - but these are all modern renditions. I hit the escoffier.com web site and tried a search the original Escoffier recipe but came up dry. I have lots of cook books that have lots of great recipes but alas none of them contain a crepe. I know I'm being a little persnickety with this, but really want to find the old, old classical recipe done by escoffier - I did find websites with descriptions about who it was really names after, but alas none of them contained the "original, classic" one. I do realize that a lot of modern cooking, is only a variation of the classic Escoffier methods, but I am flabbergasted I can't find it in the one book it should be in - I feel really stupid that I can't find this, and slightly embarrased I have to ask this community with the 400+ books I own. Thanks a lot!!! Cheers Gregory Bastow

The Korean Table by Taekyung Chung and Debra Samuels I learned to love Korean food at the source. Even while I was living in Korea, however, I struggled to find a useful English-language cookbook that could help me recreate the dishes I loved there. It wasn't a major crisis, however - I could always ask my Korean "family" for pointers, or at the worst - refer to the back of the packets for directions on using products. Now I'm in Japan, I can't bear to pay the prices of Korean food in the restaurants (charging for panchan! Scandalous!) and I want to make it at home. My husband, who was initially cool to Korean food, now craves it. I like to make the few dishes I learned for my friends in Japan, because Korean food has such happy memories for me. In fact, when I was in Seoul over the holidays, seated, as ever, around a table in a galbi restaurant, I was talking with a friend about a mutual friend of ours, now living in Canada, and what he missed the most about living in Korea. "This," he said, "Sitting around a table with my friends, cooking dinner, eating, and drinking soju." There is something about the Korean table, the way that everyone cooks, shares from the same dishes, and eats the same food, that brings you together. Some of my favourite memories from Korea include my friends and I, huddled outside a station exit, trying to negotiate what kind of food we would go for that evening. So I was thrilled when I was listening The Splendid Table podcast to hear that there was a new English-language Korean cookbook out. This book covers a lot of the basics that I've been interested in making, along with some things that I've never seen, but am very eager to try out. It also contains a useful section on Korean ingredients, and the recipes contain suggestions for substitutions for an American audience. I've been trying to change my diet to one based on vegetables and whole grains, and Korean food - as much or even more than Japanese food, I feel - focuses on healthy dishes. It's not all barbecue! And because there are so many vegetables involved, it's a naturally cheap cuisine. Even better in winter - Korean food makes use of a wide range of fermented and preserved vegetable side dishes, which last several days in the fridge. It's the perfect cuisine for people who don't have a lot of time to make dinner in the evening. You spend a little time getting the dishes together, but then you can feast on them all week, as long as you've got a bit of fresh rice to round out the meal! I can't wait to start cooking from this book.

Hello all, Ok, I was watching Alton Brown's Good Eats episode where he goes into an Asian store and tells you about some of the items in there he'll need for the recipe he was making. As Alton is known for doing, he educates you, and in doing so, I realized how nice it would be to have a reference of Asian store-bought groceries. When browsing an Asian store, it's very difficult to know which brands and items are which and which is best for the job. I'd like to have a better command of the groceries in Asian markets than just having to search for what I need based on a specific recipe, which in itself can be a challenge. So does anyone know of references (books, Internet, etc.) that categorize, list, or otherwise note the many (typical?) Asian ingredients you can find in Asian stores? Last, the attendant in the store I visited would only point me to a bottle of Pad Thai seasoning and not give me the real ingredients and method of how the market's adjoing restaurant prepares Pad Thai. Rats! Thanks much, Starkman

http://www.amazon.com/Creole-Babette-Rozi%...pd_bxgy_b_img_a I've been eyeing this book for awhile now -it seems fairly comprehensive but there hasn't been enough reviews to persuade me to purchase it. So here's a shout out to anyone who has this book. What are your thoughts?! A good choice for Creole cooking?

I just got this book yesterday and I must say, I'm quite intrigued by some (if not most) of the recipes. Does anybody here have this book, and if so, have you used it? I'm tentatively looking for that one book to cook myself all the way through (like the French Laundry, Alinea, etc blogs). From what I've read so far, I can get pretty much everything needed at local Asian markets. I'd be curious to hear from others that might have used this book already, as sometimes books read nicer than they actually work in the end... The book is thinner than I expected, but it's really a gorgeous publication with very good and appetizing photos. Lots of technique photos too with step by step instructions. While I really don't care for the "cooking" show Iron Chef at all, I must say that I'm very impressed by this book so far, and it at least appears that Morimoto was very involved in it's creation. Lots of personal little anecdotes just add to the fun of reading. Oliver PS: I did a search here and could not find a thread about this book, if there is one I'm sorry for starting a new one.

I'm planning on going to a Chinese supermarket later today to pick up the basic staples I'll need for cooking from this cookbook. However, I left my copy at work and won't have access to it until Monday. If you own it, could you please reply (or PM me) with a list of the basic ingredients needed? She has a page toward the front of her ingredient guide that says something like, "these are the basic ingredients needed for the recipes in this book," and then lists about 8-10 things. Please save me an extra trip to the bookstore! Thanks!

Does anyone know where I can find this book? Les postres d'el bulli albert adria oct 1998 ISBN 84-7596-606-3 I've been searching for this but to no avail. Anyone help me?

Anybody have this? It looks pretty solid. http://www.amazon.com/Art-Making-Fermented...howViewpoints=1

My wife and I came across Denis Cotter by happy accident while cycling through Ireland. Once we got home, we immediately purchased this two (now three) cookbooks. They are a regular source for dinners, especially when we want something fancy. I was wondering if anyone else has his books and what you think about them. Dan

Hi all, Does anyone know if any Thai cookbooks with good lists of noodle soup (not the fried ones, which we regularly see in common cookbooks)? The reason is I'm looking for a cookbook that contains good recipes for the likes of beef noodle soup, special pork noodle soup (dark soup, pork slices, with eggs), boat noodle, that you can find in some really authentic Thai-style food court stalls in big Western cities due to extremely high Asian student populations. I already have David Thompson's Thai Food on my bookshelf, and Murdoch Book's The Food of Thailand, Tommy Tay's Noodles Rice and Something Nice, and Thai Cuisine by Sisamon Kongpan. None of them spend too much time on noodle soup. Thanks,

can someone recommend one please? in english

I just received a copy of Pichet Ong's Sweet Spot and see some interesting new ideas and formulas that I will have to try out. Last night I made the dragon devil's food cupcakes and they are amazing! Next time I will use less tea and more burbon in the ganache, otherwise, spot on. Does anyone else have this book? What are your thoughts? Dan

Cocao- Vanille is the title by Francois Pralus and Laurence Cailler. It has a sub title of " L'or Noir de Madagascar A more enticing picture. Pralus is a rather "underground" chocolate house it seems. I know Pastry Chef Alex Stupak of wd50 has used it in at least one recipe. It's in French, of course but any info on this would be much appreciated. Thank you!

Hello, I'm a pretty decent home cook, I love to cook and spent time in the kitchen. I would describe my food as flavourful and rustic. I'm looking for books that will teach me how to take my cooking to the next level. For me that means that I'm not so much looking for a regular recipe book, but I would like to learn about flavour combinations, refinement and more advanced techniques. By now I've got a long wish-list and I'm looking for some advice (and ofcourse recommendations if you know of a better book) on which books to buy. The books I have been looking at: For flavour combinations: Culinary Artistry- Andrew Dornenburg The Flavor Bible -Andrew Dornenburg The Elements of Taste- Gray Kunz Which one of these books would you recommend as the best starting point for learning about combinations and starting to develope ones own creations in the kitchen? For technique and generally taking my cooking to the next level: Think Like a Chef- Tom Colicchio Home Cooking with Charlie Trotter or the Dummies book by Charlie Trotter Bouchon- Thomas Keller Cooking by Hand- Paul Bertolli As I can't pop down to shops to actually thumb through these books, I would love to hear your input and suggestions before I make (another) dent in my bank account. Thanks! Agnes

Any feedback on these two? B&N has Eof out of print but avialable in paperback at Amazon. Really wanted Essentials but haven't heard anyting about Cooking. Feedbac appreciated. ~Maria

The most recent addition to my library of italian cook books was Giorgio Locatelli's "Made in Italy," and while it is a magnificent book, it set me off on to a hunt for another book... Is there any sort of definitive, penultimate, authentic book of Pasta? In my mind, a book like this would really be two parts: pasta and sauces. The first part, pasta, would be alphabetical and describe all of the different shapes of pasta, and include such information as basic details--size, shape, fresh/dry?, where it is from, and what its made of; what the traditional sauce for it is and WHY; a basic recipe and suggestions for close variations; and what wines are regionally had with it. The second part would be the sauces.... again, to match the pasta with such details as traditional ingredients, loose recipes, history, etc... Am I dreaming this up?

I'm close to making absurd pronouncements about The Flavor Bible by Page and Dornenburg. I got their What to Drink with What You Eat as a gift last month, devoured it, and immediately ordered the Bible. I haven't been disappointed. The book is a treasure trove of information for advanced cooks who want to think about flavor pairings that are both ordinary and extraordinary. I've been marking up the book with three marginal notes: an arrow for "good idea," an exclamation mark for "wow -- check this out," and a bunch of plus symbols for combinations that I could use in the kitchen. There's not a single recipe for the novice cook, but if you know how to handle your proteins, grains, and plants, you'll be overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the possible ideas inside, many of which come from the best chefs of this generation. I'm averaging about three pages an hour because I'm constantly testing ideas against my mental palate -- a remarkable pleasure. Anyone else hooked?

My shop is closed in the winter so I like to take this time to get new recipe books and try some new things out, so tonight I found some interesting books on Amazon and wondered if anyone has an idea what they are about. The cost is pretty high on them and my usual go to reference person - The Chocolate Doctor - has not heard of them so I thought maybe someone out there has some input! http://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Confectioner...3195633&sr=1-12 $1936 seems a bit out of this world And there is a pre-order listing of a book to be released in July http://www.amazon.ca/Technology-Coated-Cho...3195633&sr=1-11 If anyone has suggestions on more reasonably priced confectionery books I would love to hear them. Thanks for your input!!

Has anyone had a look at his new book? Also does anyone know who to contact to find out if an English edition is in the pipeline? Cheers

My fiance and I are too fat. Can any of you recommend a non-fad (low carb or whatever) cookbook?

We have really really been enjoying "The Complete Robuchon" by well, Robuchon. The recipes we have tried have been delicious, get prepared within a reasonable amount of work, and have a wonderful delicate and complex flavour. The only real flaw is we probably can't make over 1/2 the recipes due to ingredients issues, though we do sub some. I have the urge for more. A recent CI article complaining about the 11 pages on omelet making in Julia Child's book ("Mastering the Art of French Cooking" I think) gave me a pretty strong urge to buy that book; I could really dig a book which is willing to spend 11 pages on omelets. So, I am looking for a modern-ish book on french cooking that focuses on technique. For reference, one of my favorite books in this style is "Sauces" by Patterson; that is, ideally, the kind of book I'm looking for. I think Child's book *might* be the one, but my primary concern is it's age; modern tastes tend to prefer things with a little less fat (well, ok sometimes). Does it hold up? Is there another book which I should consider? Would one of the english translations of Escoffier be a good idea? I'd like a book without *too* much focus on stuff I can't buy, although I am resigned to have at least 25% (maybe more).. Your suggestions are appreciated!