The Desert Island Collection

[awbrig]

Is this a

Desert Island

or a

Dessert Island

There is a major difference! Edited May 28, 2003 by awbrig (log)

[MatthewB]

Is this a

Desert Island

or a

Dessert Island

There is a major difference!

Post both your lists, awbrig!

[torakris]

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?

I really like this book!

It is a great overview of the Asian cuisines, not just recipes but information and lots of it!

I have tried a couple recipes and they have been great, way better then average.

If you want just one book on Asian cooking I would recommend this one (and I have a lot of books on Asian cooking!)

[torakris]

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

I am considering buying this book. There is one copy left at Amazon Japan, how do you like it, do you cook from it.

I own none of her books and thought this would be a good place to start.

[Priscilla]

Lessee, Craig Claiborne's Favorites (4 volumes counts as one, right?); Madeleine Kamman's The Making of a Cook, the original one; Elizabeth David's French Provincial, French Country, Italian, Mediterranean, & Summer, all in a neat little Penguin box; La Cuisine de Mapie, the Countess de Toulouse-Lautrec.

I reserve the right to edit worldwithoutendamen.

[Kim WB]

Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian

Julia Child, The Way to Cook

Bastianich, Lidia's Italian Table

Madhur Jaffrey's Step by Step Cooking,

Calvin Trillin, Feeding a Yen, which I am in the middle of and enjoying immensely..to the point that I slowed down reading it in order to extend the pleasure

[fifi]

I will assume that I have been bonked on the head by flotsam (or is it jetsom) and will not be able to cook my favorite things without a recipe...

Emeril's - Louisiana Real and Rustic

Victor Sodsook - True Thai

Rick Bayless - Mexico One Plate at a Time (or any other Bayless book)

Zarela Martinez - Food From My Heart

Patricia Wells - At Home in Provence

I had to leave a lot of books on the boat.

[essvee]

fifi, True Thai is an outstanding cookbook. I'm glad someone mentioned it. I have fallen out of love with Thai food or I would have definitely listed it. Plus it's just plain great reading.

[Suzanne F]

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

I am considering buying this book. There is one copy left at Amazon Japan, how do you like it, do you cook from it.

I own none of her books and thought this would be a good place to start.

I don't really COOK from most of my food books. I read them to learn how to use an ingredient, or to get new ideas for using standard ingredients, or to find how to substitute a new ingredient for a standard one -- that sort of thing. The point is, I like to READ them. And Elizabeth David is, as they say, a very good read. She tends to be a bit vague sometimes about quantities, and assumes you know how to DO things. She writes the way I like to cook. Mostly you're reading her descriptions of food, and her opinions. The volume in question has something closer to standard recipes than many other of her books. But it still has plenty of her voice.

[maggiethecat]

First order of Business: Read everything that Suzanne has posted on this thread. Dead right, as always.

Me?

Yeah:

The Unrevised Joy of Cooking

Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian...wow, nuts and berries never tasted better

The MFK anthology...because there is so much good writing.

Boxed set of Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking and More Home Cooking , ditto

Larousse

[snowangel]

The point is, I like to READ them.  And Elizabeth David is, as they say, a very good read.

My husband used to wonder why there is always at least two cookbooks on my night stand, and was often puzzled when he'd awaken and find me asleep, night light on, book on chest.

He no longer asks why, he just knows that I like to read them. In fact, I'm hard pressed to buy a cookbook that is not a good read.

[gsquared]

I agree with Suzanne - books serve as a source of inspiration, ideas and to get the juices flowing.

Pellaprat - Modern French Culinary Art

Shirley Corriher - Cookwise

Harold McGee - On Food and Cooking

Larrousse

Leith's Cooking Bible

[hjshorter]

fifi, True Thai is an outstanding cookbook.  I'm glad someone mentioned it.  I have fallen out of love with Thai food or I would have definitely listed it.  Plus it's just plain great reading.

How does one fall out of love with Thai Food?

Mine:

Laurie Colwin Home Cooking and More Home Cooking

Julia Child and Jacques Pepin Cooking at Home

Fannie Farmer the 1986 edition edited by Marion Cunningham

Mahdur Jaffrey Quick and Easy Indian Cooking

Oxford Companion to Food, in case I need to know if something is edible.

[essvee]

I read them for pleasure, but I definately cook out of my books. The way I look at it is: here is this compendium of literally centuries, in some cases of knowledge and experimentation. Why dick around? After I make a recipe, I might tweak it to personal taste, but often I don't. I lost interest in trying to create my own food long ago. I would much rather faithfully recreate a work of art than to create my own. But that's just me.

[butterchik]

Is this a

Desert Island

or a

Dessert Island

There is a major difference!

Currently stuck on a Rainforest Dessert Island and with weight restrictions on incoming luggage I had to choose carefully (books or wine? - always make room for the wine). I brought these five:

Baking with Julia

Au coeur des Saveurs - F. Bau

Dessert Notebook - Michel Bras

The Roux Brothers Patisserie

Beard on Bread

I feel well armed for any creative battle.

[MatthewB]

Different direction from cookbooks . . .

Reference

McGee, On Food & Cooking

Corriher, Cookwise

Wolke, What Einstein Told His Cook

Larousse

Escoffier

[MatthewB]

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

Assuming we have fire, perhaps . . .

Aidells, Complete Meat Cookbook

The Jamison's, Smoke & Spice

Schlesinger & Willoughby, Let the Flames Begin

Schlesinger & Willoughby, Thrill of the Grill

Kirk, Championship Barbecue Sauces

[hollywood]

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

Assuming we have fire, perhaps . . .

Aidells, Complete Meat Cookbook

The Jamison's, Smoke & Spice

Schlesinger & Willoughby, Let the Flames Begin

Schlesinger & Willoughby, Thrill of the Grill

Kirk, Championship Barbecue Sauces

Nice list. I think Wilson will approve.