World's best cookbooks

[Mayhaw Man]

Texas and Louisiana actually have two books apiece.

Of Course

[AndrewM]

My series of E.D.'s Penguins are badly stained, and broken now, and sadly out of print.  But if I ever find 'French Provincial Cooking' or Mediterranean Cooking' or 'French Country Cooking', I''ll be very happy!

A quick check of my book sources shows that French Provincial Cooking is in print with a new preface by Julia Child, and there are still some copies around through Amazon (and abebooks.com) of the handy collection Elizabeth David Classics, which consists of Mediterranean Food, French Country Cooking, and Summer Cooking together in one volume. Almost unbelievably, Amazon says that most of her books are actually still in print (for quite a while this was definitely not the case, and I'm not quite sure I do believe Amazon on this one).

In Canada at least, I have seen French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, and French Country Cooking in paperback from Penguin in a bookstore within the past week.

[bloviatrix]

If the David books aren't available on this side of the Atlantic, they're in print in the UK. I picked up my copies in London on my last visit. AmazonUK will ship to the states or check out Books for Cooks, my second favorite cookbook store in the world.

[badthings]

In Canada at least, I have seen French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, and French Country Cooking in paperback from Penguin in a bookstore within the past week.

Yes, there are new Penguin pb. editions of these.

Mediterranean Food, French Country Cooking, and Summer Cooking are collected in the hardcover Elizabeth David Classics, published by eGullet Partner Jessica's Biscuit.

[bankchef]

There's a best of ED book out now I just picked up that has a little of everything in it. Looks really good.

[ludja]

Have seen a bunch of my favorites already listed above

Zuni Cookbook, Judy Rodgers

Splendid Cooking, Lynne Rosetta Kasper

Chez Panisse Vegetables and Chez Panisse Cooking (Alice Waters and Paul Bertolli, respectively).

also books by Lidia Bastiniach and Paul Wolfert

Two others I cook from often and can 'trust' any new recipes from are:

Bistro Cooking by Patrica Wells (great basic recipes; everything tastes excellent!)

&

Biscuits, Spoonbread and Sweet Potato Pie by Bill Neal (great southern cookies, cakes, biscuits, pies, etc)

[FoodMan]

Claudia Roden's "The Book of Middle Eastern Cooking" is one of the absolute best on the subject.

Jacque Pepin's "Complete Technique" is a must

I am also a big fan of Jamie Oliver's books, recipes are simple and taste good.

For Bread Baking "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" by Peter Reinhart.

Elie

[heyjude]

I love my whole collection for different reasons, but Cucina Simpatica by Killeen and Germon and Maida Heatter's books rise like cream. The original New York Times Cookbook and Menu Cookbook never fail me. James Beard, Julia and Jacques are on my list as they are on so many others. I have gotten used to the fact that many of my go-to bring a dessert recipes are from the Pillsbury Bake-off pamphlets.I have the complete set and they are a brief history of the food of the second half of the 20th century. I could go on and on, but I'm off to post my new books on the How Many Cookbooks Do you Own? thread.

[laurenmilan]

For me it would have to be Harry's Bar Cookbook, Lidia's Italian-American Cooking, and Barefoot Contessa.

I'm hoping to cook my way through Union Square Cafe Cookbook in the next 6 months, and I've got to get my mitts on Bistro Cooking at Home.

[mags]

There are several cookbooks I turn to over and over again for ideas, rather than specific technique -- and also because they tend to be quirky collections of beloved recipes, rather than any kind of scholarly attempt to explicate a specific cuisine (though I like many of the latter as well, particularly Marcella Hazan for Italian, Barbara Tropp, Ken Hom, and Grace Young for Chinese -- haven't cooked from Fuschia Dunlop yet -- and Julie Sahni for Indian).

Anyway, my quirky picks would be

The Town and Country Cookbook, by James Villas

Sophie's Kitchen and Sunshine Food, by Sophie Grigson (I LOVE these books)

The Frog Comissary Cookbook, by Steven Poses

Pretty much anything by Nigel Slater

Pretty much anything by Simon Hopkinson

Big Flavor, by Jim Foebel

How to Eat, by Nigella Lawson

All of the The Good Cook series from Time Life -- now OOP, but widely available

And oh, yeah, I really like Moro: The Cookbook -- thanks to somebody or other for reminding me!

Oh, and I'd throw Burt Green's books in there as well, particularly Green On Greens. If nothing else, they're such a pleasure to read.

Edited January 11, 2004 by mags (log)

[ronnie_suburban]

Big Flavor, by Jim Foebel

LOL...I love this book but I didn't know anyone else even owned it!

=R=

[mags]

Big Flavor, by Jim Foebel

LOL...I love this book but I didn't know anyone else even owned it!

=R=

I swear by his recipes for gazpacho (best I've ever tasted) and coleslaw (ditto). And I've found some things I like in both his diet (low-fat) book and his book on casseroles. Oh, Ronnie, I owe you the draft of that article on low-carb products -- check your PMs.

[Sandra Levine]

One of my favorites is the Horizon Cookbook and Illustrated History of Eating and Drinking Throughout the Ages. It was published in 1968. It contains delicious and reliable reipes for some of the basic classics of many cuisines, and is fun to look at, too.

[mpav]

I have a couple of standbys which answer many of my needs. One is the Doubleday Cookbook, a huge anthology I won as a prize in a Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream recipe contest about 30 years ago when I was a kid. It helped me learn to cook, and I still use it as a reference for cooking times, temps and basics. A new favorite is Christopher Kimball's Dessert Bible. Nika Hazelton is pulled off the shelf frequently, Regional Italian and American Home Cooking. The Spice Cookbook is another oldie but goodie and my more recent favorites are Greens and Fields of greens.

[mpav]

Oops, forgot Paula Wolfert's Mediterranean.

[Sandra Levine]

Did anyone mention Madeleine Kamman's When French Women Cook? It's a gastronomic memoir with recipes with each chapter devoted to one woman who helped teach her to cook.

Edited January 11, 2004 by Sandra Levine (log)

[cbarre02]

The pastry books that are used in many culinary school that are writen by Bo Frieburg. I am not sure off hand what the title is. Some of the reciepes are old school, but they always seem to work. Wich is more than I can say for many other cookbooks.

[Pere Hugo]

The most dogeared and stained of my several hundred cookbooks is Pierre Franey's 60 Minute Chef. I always come back to Pierre when I want something right-on delicious.

[Naomi]

I learnt to cook from Delia Smith's Complete Illustrated Cookery Course and would still recommend it for teenagers or people starting out.

Nigel Slater's Real Fast Food, for great ideas when the fridge is nearly empty or when you're short of time.

Nigella Lawson and Tamasin Day-Lewis's books for the infectious joy and pleasure in food that comes across.

[romit]

I'm not sure I saw Larousse Gastronomique.

Very humbled by the collective knowledge here, so just wanted to know how is the Larousse currently rated in culinary literature?

[Amuse Bouche]

I know people hate Nigella Lawson but I think they get distracted by the hype of her TV show (which isn't a great cooking show) and never check out her cookbooks (which are great IMO).

How to Eat is probably my favorite, most used, most practical cookbook. I like Forever Summer, too. Nigella Bites and Domestic Goddess are less practical, though they still have some good recipes.

Other favorites: The New Joy of Cooking for reference, Jane Grigson's English Food for reading, Marion Cunningham's Fannie Farmer Baking Book, and the Three Chimneys Cookbook for stunning photography.

[JennyUptown]

Are there any Southern-focused cookbooks you'd recommend? How about Soul Food?

[Squeat Mungry]

Are there any Southern-focused cookbooks you'd recommend?  How about Soul Food?

Jenny, do yourself a favor and pick up The Gift of Southern Cooking by Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis -- absolutely wonderful. Also look for anything by the late great Bill Neal.

Cheers,

Squeat

[fimbul]

Are there any Southern-focused cookbooks you'd recommend?  How about Soul Food?

Jenny, do yourself a favor and pick up The Gift of Southern Cooking by Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis -- absolutely wonderful. Also look for anything by the late great Bill Neal.

Cheers,

Squeat

I also really like John Martin Taylor's Hoppin' John's Lowcountry Cooking. Though, I must confess that Taylor's obvious love of Edisto Island, SC and its environs might bias me -- I've spent a lot of my life there.

[Mottmott]

I'm not sure I saw Larousse Gastronomique.

Very humbled by the collective knowledge here, so just wanted to know how is the Larousse currently rated in culinary literature?

Think of it as an encylopedic reference book for French cuisine. My favorite use of many years before the current flood of cookbooks was to lose weight by reading Larousse instead of cooking/eating.