Classic Cookbooks

[Jordan Lea]

Anxious moments here........my first post at egullet, or probably anywhere for that measure. and it's my birthday.anyway throwing my hat into the ring

Julia Child - The Way to Cook

JUlia / Jacques Coooking at home with.......

Madhur Jaffrey...Intriduction to Indian cooking

James Peterson - Simply Soups. That said his other books such as fish and shellfish and vegetables have been huge letdowns.

True Thai - Victor Sodsok

I like all of Peter Kump's books and some Joyce Goldstein's efforts. Someone mentioned Zarela martinez and Diana kennedy. I like both a lot, and have been to school with Kennedy but her books are almost as much a cultural expose as a cooking class. She's still my favorite individual but Rick bayless's book is best of that genre...

[Suzanne F]

You did just fine, Jordan :pat on the hand: (Since I pretty much agree with your selections and comment, of course I'll say that.)

And Happy Birthday!

Wow, what was it like studying with Diana Kennedy?

[Steve Plotnicki]

Welcome Jordan. And thanks for that contribution. I agree that Bayliss's book (I assume you are speaking about his first book) is the best of the genre. But Zarella's books are full of passion and shouldn't go unnoticed. There's another book on Mexico that I like but can't think of the name. Something like A Cook's Tour of Mexico where they go to food markets in each region. It gives you a good feel for one of the world's great, but underappreciated cuisines.

[Steve Klc]

Aurora--I'll pick up a bit with respect to Trotter's books in a way Steve P. perhaps doesn't feel qualified to. This thread originally started to develop a list of "classic cookbooks" or "some books no cookbook collection should be without." Clearly food pros vs. home cooks may have different criteria for inclusion on their lists--and it's interesting to figure out who was moved and why.

The Trotter books moved you at a point in time--with reflection--would you call them "classic" and do you feel no cookbook collection should be without them? If not now--do you feel they will evolve into classics and still be sought out and referenced time and time again in the future? You also wrote that the Trotter books helped you "learn how to take more chances with ingredients, infusions, reductions and flavor combinations" and that "Charlie Trotter is not the only chef who is known for such inventiveness." At this point I'll interject that I'm not a chef and haven't even opened any of his books other than "Charlie Trotter's Desserts," which came out in 1998. So my reaction would be only to this book and only as a pastry chef.

By the time Trotter's dessert book came out, we already had serious, groundbreaking, inspirational dessert books by Pierre Herme, Michel Bras, Frederic Bau and Alberto Adria.

From my perspective, there is an enormous qualitative difference between these superior titles--all destined to become "classic"--and the Trotter book. Compared with these roughly concurrent titles--the Trotter book is distinguished more by gloss than actual substance. The volume stands out for 1) glorious full page food photography, 2) chapter introductions which noted friendly dessert wine pairings and 3) an "exoticism" of ingredients which seemed intentionally, purposefully weird rather than "inventive." And I don't mean to deny that visual gloss can't be inspirational. I know many chefs who open books and magazines solely to see how dishes are presented--for visual stimulation--and never cook from any of the recipes.

There's hardly anything "inventive" or new about the Trotter in terms of dessert technique, no valuable step-by-step or revealing in process shots, and nothing on the order of the personal inspiration, the searching or the creativity that comes through so clearly in the other books I mentioned. Perhaps pastry was Trotter's weakest area, perhaps this is more a reflection of his pastry chefs. I was wondering what reaction you might have had, if any, to the Dessert volume specifically as opposed to the other volumes of the series.

But shortly after his Desserts came out--the French Laundry Cookbook came out. Now that is an impressive, inspirational, even lyrical book--again, I'm not a chef--but it would get my vote for the pre-eminent modern chef's cookbook, dwarfing all that came before. A "classic" which all other chef's cookbooks will be held up to and have a shadow cast upon. I don't think you have to be a chef to appreciate this book, either. How does the Trotter series compare with the single volume Keller/Ruhlman collaboration? Anyone else agree this will be the benchmark classic?

[Toby]

Steve, It's A Cook's Tour of Mexico by Nancy Zaslavsky

[Steve Plotnicki]

Toby - Thanks. I have the book and have enjoyed reading it. But it's not at the location I am logged on from.

[Jinmyo]

Welcome Jordan....

There's another book on Mexico that I like but can't think of the name. Something like A Cook's Tour of Mexico where they go to food markets in each region. It gives you a good feel for one of the world's great, but underappreciated cuisines.

Welcome Jordan.

Steve: A Cook's Tour of Mexico, Nancy Zaslavsky.

Quite agree.

Great presentation of the regional cuisines. There is a sense of depth in her presentation that I don't get from Rick Bayliss. The introduction to each recipe is wonderful.

[Jinmyo]

Toby, you quick draw you. Heh.

Steve Klc, I think I posted about being hesitant to call The French Laundry Cookbook a classic earlier. But as I read your post I recognized that this is also how I feel about it. There is a profundity in some of Keller's techniques but certainly in his approach that I feel is important. I think it is indeed a book that casts a long shadow where it stands.

I really enjoy Trotter's books, having access to a complete set sent by Trotter as a very kind and generous gift to our kitchen.

[Wilfrid]

I see we have spread ourselves a little further than essential classics, so let me mention Elisabeth Luard's European Peasant Cookery. This kind of food is not for everyone, though surely everyone will recognize the roots of some dishes they like here. But it captures reasonably comprehensively a certain kind of very important attitude to food and cooking, it's very well arranged, the recipes as far as I have tried them work, and the anecdotal introductions are well written. It has its uses as a reference work too: it provides a handy guide the charcuterie of several countries, has a lot of information of ways of preserving food, and I also frequently have recourse to it for basic offal-cooking techniques.

[Jordan Lea]

I should probably be pretty partial to Zarella as I used to have an apt. right there on 49th between 1st and 2nd and was very regular at her restaurant. Her books are great and the ideas very accesible from a shopping and ingredient familiarity standpoint which is important when feeding the non-adventurous.

I was speaking about Rick's first book and will look at the Zaslavsky book. It is such an undrappreciated tradition, culture and cuisine.

In compiling my list I failed to mention Escoffier and books such as La Gastromonique which I love but really never turn to much anymore. I would never not have them. As for bread, I'm a beard on bread man. Or anything else he did for that matter.

[Aurora]

This thread originally started to develop a list of "classic cookbooks" or "some books no cookbook collection should be without."  Clearly food pros vs. home cooks may have different criteria for inclusion on their lists--and it's interesting to figure out who was moved and why.

Steve Klc - Thank you. This is also my point.

Everyone has added a suggestion that has struck a harmonious chord for one reason or another. Inspiration and celebration come in many different forms. No doubt, one person's kitchen reference will be another person's benchmark, and on and on.

[Toby]

The Grass Roots Cookbook, by Jean Anderson. This was originally published in 1977 and was inspired by a number of articles Anderson did for Family Circle magazine on regional home cooks. It sounds hokey, but the book has pretty much been kept in print since then and is filled with authentic regional American recipes. Great Cajun recipes for shrimp gumbo, chicken a la gros oignon, rice dressing (close to dirty rice) . . .

And while not a cookbook, Heirloom Vegetable Gardening, by William Woys Weaver (who is a specialist on early American foods, particularly among the Amish and Mennonites of Pennsylvnia), is a compendium of heirloom vegetables that Weaver grows in his garden in Chester, PA. Weaver gives the history of each variety, tips on how best to grow it, and also gives a small number of early American recipes for some of the produce. There are some color photos and lots of line drawings to help identify the varieties.

[Rachel Perlow]

fernand point's ma cuisine

Culinary Artstry; Dornenburg-Page

Quentin Crewe Great Chefs of France (something of a hagiography for the Bocuse crowd, but quite important in launching the whole three star chef peronality cult thing)

Of the Elizabeth David books, French Provincial Cooking & Omelette and a GLass of Wine

Reminder: Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page are online for an eGullet Q&A right now.

[NVNVGirl]

I'm going to look out for the Good Cook.  Thanks.

Yvonne, or anyone else who's interested in The Good Cook series ~ I wanted that series ever since it came out and I did get the first volume, which was Pasta...but at the time I couldn't afford the books every month or however often they came. A few months ago, I thought to look on Ebay....I've acquired almost the entire set for less than $100 which includes all the shipping. Occasionally you can find a complete set of them (there are 28 volumes), but they generally go for quite a bit...I think I saw a lot of 24 volumes that ended up going for $190. They are really nice books to have and the pictures (and the double silk bookmarkers) are wonderful!

My favorite bbq book so far is Weber's The Art of the Grill

[caobao]

Hello all,

I am currently looking to start a ph.d. project on Danish cookbooks from around 1900 to 1970. I would like to compare the Danish publications to international bestsellers as well as the most influential cookbooks, especially in German, English, French and Spanish.

So, in your opinion, what books are must-reads for me?

Kind regards,

C.B.