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The Desert Island Collection

MatthewB

By MatthewB
in Cookbooks & References

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MatthewB

MatthewB

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I haven't seen this thread, but if it exists, please point me to it. :smile:

Let's say you have to narrow your cookbook collection down to five titles. (Thus, "The Desert Island Collection." But this thought experiment assumes that you're not actually on a desert island since that might narrow your ingredients to the point that cookbooks would be superfluous.)

Here's mine--at the moment . . .

Bittman's How to Cook Everything

Schneider's New Way to Cook

Alford & Duguid's Hot Sour Salty Sweet

Olney's Simple French Food

Slater's Appetite

Your Desert Island Collection?

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

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I'd rather bring my kitchen and product sources. Books don't taste very good.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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MatthewB

MatthewB

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MatthewB, do they have to be cookbooks per se or can they be food books (such as reference books, or books with descriptions but not formal recipes)?

Suzanne, since I always enjoy your posts, post away, please! Your choice! :wub:

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Anna N

Anna N

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I'd rather bring my kitchen and product sources. Books don't taste very good.

...but Frances Bacon said "some few could be chewed and digested. Anna N

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

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Okay.

Larousse.

Escoffier.

Saint Jacques' Complete Techniques. (pictures of his hands)

Uh...

David Thompson's Thai Food so I can finish it.

Uh...

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

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I haven't read the new version.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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torakris

torakris

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hhhmmm............

the 5 books I wouldn't want to be without (at theis moment) and in no particular order:

Essentials of Asian Cuisine -- Corrine Trang

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone -- Deborah Madison

Hot Sour Salty Sweet -- Alford & Duguid

How to Cook Everything -- Mark Bittman

The Italian Vegetarian -- Jack Bishop

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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davidscooking

davidscooking

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The Art of Mexican Cooking--Diana Kennedy

The Zuni Cafe Cookbook--Judy Rodgers

Mastering the Art of French Cooking--Julia Child

Bistro Cooking--Patricia Wells

Marcella Hazan--Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

Hmm. All books by women. And 6 & 7 would be The Food and Life of Oaxaca (Zarela Martinez) and something by Madhur Jaffrey...

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essvee

essvee

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1. Bistro Cooking--Wells

2. Fragrant Harbor Taste--Hom

3. La Vera Cucina--Middione

4. The Classic Italian Cookbook/More Classic Italian Cooking--Hazan

5. Tie between Classic Food of China--Yan Kit-so and Italian Holiday Cooking--Scicolone

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snowangel

snowangel

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My 1975 Wei Chuan Dim Sum cookbook and Maida Heatter's (first) Book of Cookies (Book of Great Cookies?)?

This assumes, of course, that said desert island has appropriate ingredients for these two books. If ingredients available were different, I might make different choices.

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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AndrewM

AndrewM

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Essentials of Asian Cuisine -- Corrine Trang

I'm curious what you think of this one. It's relatively recent I believe. Does it go into sufficient detail covering all those asian cuisines?

Cheers,

Andrew

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MatthewB

MatthewB

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Essentials of Asian Cuisine -- Corrine Trang

I'm curious what you think of this one. It's relatively recent I believe. Does it go into sufficient detail covering all those asian cuisines?

Cheers,

Andrew

I'm curious, too, torakris.

I've done a couple of receipts from this & I've been happy with the results. However, I've this feeling that some of the receipts will require a bit of adjustment.

What's your experience been with your results?

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Suzanne F

Suzanne F

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Okay, here's a first cut of my list. BTW, I cheated*. :raz:

1. The Oxford Companion to Food (Alan Davidson)

2. Larousse

3. Elizabeth David Classics (Mediterranean Food; French Country Cooking; Summer Cooking)*

4. Mrs. Beeton

5. The Art of Eating, (MFK Fisher. Includes: How to Cook a Wolf; Consider the Oyster; Serve it Forth; The Gastronomical Me; An Alphabet for Gourmets)*

*to me, this is cheating. But at least I didn't say"Time-Life Foods of the World" as just one. :wink:

I figure I won't actually be cooking from the books, just reading them. So I wanted ones packed with information, evocative, and READABLE.

Anyway, maybe I'll come up with a B list, Matthew. :laugh:

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MatthewB

MatthewB

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Suzanne, truthfully, you have a great ability to bring a smile to my face. :biggrin:

I was out sweeping the driveway on Monday afternoon when I thought up this thread topic. While considering groundrules, I figured ED's Classics should be allowed but that the Time-Life series shouldn't.

LMAO. And, of course, you got them both in & in the right places.

Cheers!

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MatthewB

MatthewB

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It does seem like these lists are for a mental dessert island, not a physical one.  On the latter, wouldn't we want books on raw food and, of course, grilling?

hollywood, note this from my first post . . .

But this thought experiment assumes that you're not actually on a desert island since that might narrow your ingredients to the point that cookbooks would be superfluous.

In any event . . .

What would your books be?

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hollywood

hollywood

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It does seem like these lists are for a mental dessert island, not a physical one.  On the latter, wouldn't we want books on raw food and, of course, grilling?

hollywood, note this from my first post . . .

But this thought experiment assumes that you're not actually on a desert island since that might narrow your ingredients to the point that cookbooks would be superfluous.

In any event . . .

What would your books be?

We don't need no stinkin' books. We need F-I-R-E!

I'm hollywood and I approve this message.

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MatthewB

MatthewB

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"Many's the long night I've dreamed of cheese -- toasted, mostly."

Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, chapter 15

Methinks someone has cheese on her brain today. :biggrin:

Or as Ali G would interpret . . . :wacko:

methinks someone as erbal remedy on a brain today.
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