Favorite Cookbooks

[Bon Appetit Cookbooks]

This topic was hijacked from the Vancouver Board.

What cookbooks do you love to cook out of at home?

Is there a specific recipe that is your favorite?

Or is there a book you just can't live without?

If you have pictures, even better! Lets see how it turns out!

Some of my favorites to cook out of:

The Balthazar Cookbook - The Beef Tartar is amazing! As is the Chicken Liver Mousse

The Babbo Cookbook - The Strawberries & Peaches with Balsamic Zabaglione

Barefoot in Paris - The Blue Cheese Souffle looks JUST LIKE THE PICTURE!

The Bouchon Cookbook - The Roast Chicken will seriously change your life

Gordon Ramsey Makes it Easy - The Chocolate Pots are the easiest dessert in the world and tastes so good....especially with the Amedei #7

There are lots more. Hopefully I can take pictures and show you.

Hopefully this post can be an ongoing thing.

I think we are all interested in what eachother cooks!

Happy Cooking

J

[Obese-Wan Kenobi]

Hi,

The books I find I am using, more often than not, are the clearnance ones they have at Borders. Usually $5.98-$7.98. With titles like "The Complete book of Pasta," "Three to four ingredient meals," or "Around the world in 300 meals." Not only are they very economical, the recipes taste good and there are so many!

Also, those little Periplus books. They are handy.

[jul3z]

I have a few books, but my favourite is actually a magazine. <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com">Eating Well</a> is the only magazine I subscribe too and I've been reading them for about 6 years now. It's healthy eating, but they refuse to sacrifice taste for anything.

I made my first turkey dinner (for 14 people) from their recipe for <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/roasted_turkey_chestnut.html"> Roast Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing</a> and it was (thankfully) a huge hit. One recipe that's a staple of mine now (that's not on their site) is their Fragrant Chickpea Stew.

My favourite to look at is the French Laundry Cookbook, from which I have only dared to attempt the Gazpacho so far, which was very yummy.

Edited October 3, 2006 by jul3z (log)

[Tweety69bird]

My go-to cookbook is the wonderful Fannie Farmer cookbook. It's got all the basics in there. Next on the list is Martha Stewarts Living Cookbook. Great recipes in there. Her Beef Bourgignon is great!

[Bon Appetit Cookbooks]

My favourite to look at is the French Laundry Cookbook, from which I have only dared to attempt the Gazpacho so far, which was very yummy.

←

I've attempted the Salmon Tartar with the Sesame Cones.

The Tuilles didn't work for me and I tried it three times. It kept splitting on me.

But I have made a bunch of other stuff and it turned out very tasty.

The Quail Eggs and Smoked Bacon "Bacon and Eggs", the the Blini's with the Eggplant Caviar and Roasted Peppers, and the Gougeres....easy and tasty.

[-sheila mooney]

My favourite to look at is the French Laundry Cookbook, from which I have only dared to attempt the Gazpacho so far, which was very yummy.

←

I've attempted the Salmon Tartar with the Sesame Cones.

The Tuilles didn't work for me and I tried it three times. It kept splitting on me.

But I have made a bunch of other stuff and it turned out very tasty.

The Quail Eggs and Smoked Bacon "Bacon and Eggs", the the Blini's with the Eggplant Caviar and Roasted Peppers, and the Gougeres....easy and tasty.

←

i realize that i never buy cookbooks anymore! i go to the net: epicurious, marthastewart living or just google. and i cook out of magazines (gourmet and martha stewart; i guess it's because the recipes reflect what's in the market). For instance, this weekend i made raspberry cornmeal muffins (gourmet, via epicurious, tho i had seen the recipe in the mag a way while back- fabulous BTW); plum jam (a mashup of recipes in my torn-out-of-magazines folder and -- mainly french -- websites); and jarrets d'agneau aux herbes de provence (saved lord knows when in my epicurious.com recipe box). bottom line: i see an ingredient and get inspired, then check out my web resources. the comments from cooks on epicurious.com have kept me from cooking loser recipes... that's a big extra added bonus plus. and then i have a big manila folder of clipped recipes...a habit inherited from my dear mother... my cookbook library? odd french and italian stuff, plus all of julia, marcella and several claudia rodens. oh yes and those silver palates i haven't cracked in a decade...

[Lesley C]

I'm on a huge Nigella Lawson kick right now. For home cooking she's hard to beat -- and certainly fun to read.

[Bon Appetit Cookbooks]

My favourite to look at is the French Laundry Cookbook, from which I have only dared to attempt the Gazpacho so far, which was very yummy.

←

I've attempted the Salmon Tartar with the Sesame Cones.

The Tuilles didn't work for me and I tried it three times. It kept splitting on me.

But I have made a bunch of other stuff and it turned out very tasty.

The Quail Eggs and Smoked Bacon "Bacon and Eggs", the the Blini's with the Eggplant Caviar and Roasted Peppers, and the Gougeres....easy and tasty.

←

i realize that i never buy cookbooks anymore! i go to the net: epicurious, marthastewart living or just google. and i cook out of magazines (gourmet and martha stewart;

←

That's an interesting point. Before I had a lot of cookbooks, which is recently, I used the internet a lot. And it was great to have the convenience without the cost. It wasn't until I was surrounded by cookbooks that I realized how useful they were.

And not to mention the romance about looking through a book.

I have yet to cook out of any Nigella. Is there a standout for you Lesley?

Edited October 4, 2006 by Bon Appetit Cookbooks (log)

[Lesley C]

Just pick up How to Eat and start to read. You're bound to find something that grabs you, if not Nigella herself.

[Salomon]

It might not be very original, but "A la DiStasio" is doing the job for me, both the book and the website. Simple technique, simple ingredients; better for everyday cooking than gourmet meals. Not enough fish recipe though...

Sal

[Tweety69bird]

I'm on a huge Nigella Lawson kick right now. For home cooking she's hard to beat -- and certainly fun to read.

←

I find her books read just as she speaks on her show.

[Pat Churchill]

I like Jamie Oliver's recipes because they always work:

Enjoy his scallop recipe: http://cookingdownunder.com/courses/fish/rf165.htm

and the pork on rhubarb: http://cookingdownunder.com/articles/2001/064.htm

For Indian I like Manju Malhi (aubergine and potato curry): http://cookingdownunder.com/articles/2006/228_aloo.htm

When I start feeing guilty about the number of cookbooks I own, I drag one out and cook from it for a week. Tonight it was a fish dish, very loosely interpreted. Baked fish with capers and spring onions. Just looked at the recipe and it bears little resemblance to what I ended up doing. But, heh, that's what it's about - a recipe is just a springing-off point.

[Bon Appetit Cookbooks]

I like Jamie Oliver's recipes because they always work:

I like Jamie Oliver too. His recipes work all the time for me. At home, I make the best roasted chicken legs from his Jamie's Dinners book. 5 mins to prep, 1 1/2 hours in the oven. Fall off the bone goodness.

Pat, you should try out Vikram Vij's new book. I've made his world famous Lamb Popsicles and Pakoras. Awsome.

Tonight I'm making Rob Feenies Sake Maple Marinated Grouper from the Lumiere book. It's marinating as we speak.

I'll try to remember to take a picture.

[Lesley C]

Jonathan isn't there a new Jamie Oliver book coming out called something like Jamie Cooks? Do you have it yet? Also, do you have his Jamie Cooks Italian book? I got a copy in England but I haven't seen it on shelves here yet.

[Bon Appetit Cookbooks]

Jonathan isn't there a new Jamie Oliver book coming out called something like Jamie Cooks? Do you have it yet? Also, do you have his Jamie Cooks Italian book? I got a copy in England but I haven't seen it on shelves here yet.

←

Ya, I've had Jamie's Italy for the last 2 or 3 months. It's a great book. I'm hooked on the Cauliflower Risotto with anchovy.

"Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook"

Released today or tomorrow. I have a bunch coming in from England. When they arrive? Not sure. I ordered them a few weeks ago.

A bit about the book from another website:

"With this ultimate kitchen companion you can be a student of Jamie's in your own home. Learn the skills that the trainees at Jamie's Fifteen restaurant learn during their first year, from basic techniques to advice on ingredients and how to put dishes together. The 100 new recipes range from the very simple to those that appear on the menu at Fifteen. It's a celebration of learning, seasonality and good food! With Jamie as your teacher, enjoy making the delicious recipes that feature regularly at the restaurant. With hints, tips, advice and clear photographs to show you all the practical stuff, this is Jamie's most accessible book yet!"

Sounds pretty good for someone starting out. The great thing is he makes it so unpretentious.

[Pat Churchill]

Ya, I've had Jamie's Italy for the last 2 or 3 months. It's a great book. I'm hooked on the Cauliflower Risotto with anchovy.

"Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook"

←

I love the Italy book and the new Cook with Jamie sounds like another one I will buy. Have you seen the TV series he made in Italy. Unfortunately I missed a few episodes but the book gives the general flavour.

Currently showing here is the series made when setting up the Melbourne Fifteen which opened a couple of weeks back. Unfortunately I've missed it so far.

[Thesorus]

I only have one "real" cookbook, the Larousse "Cuisines Du Monde" with recipes from around the world ( duh! ), which I use mostly for inspiration.

I have a japanese/sushi cookbook that I keep because it has nice pictures, and a book for piknics.

I also have one of Ferran Adria's book, that is really nice as a coffee table book, but the recipes are too much "far away" to be usefull in a normal kitchen!

I used to have an old Time Life cookbook collection featuring different countries, a series of large books, and an accompagnying ( sp?) smaller cookbook with the recipes themselves.

[Bon Appetit Cookbooks]

Cooked Thanksgiving dinner on sunday and was inspired by the Casa Moro Cookbook.

I made 2 things from it.

1: An altered version of the Quail with Grapes and Ginger.

I changed the quail to Pheasant, added radishes as suggested by Fred from Joe Beef, and used red, rather than green, grapes. I also gave it a few splashes of red wine every 10 minutes.

Also did the Pistachio and Almond Tart. So rich and very tasty. It turned out just like the picture too.

[no3food]

I look at my cookbook collection - no where near what is at your disposal at Bon Appetit however - and think if I had to limit myself to only 3 on that infamous desert island what would they be? (And it changes everytime you buy a new one, which makes it even more difficult!)

Les Halles from Anthony Bourdain, not only because it is an entertaining read in vintage Bourdain style but the recipes always work and living in Montreal you can take advantage of the french meat cuts he references in the front and cheat a little by buying your stocks at Maison du Roti. The onglet gascon and cote de porc a la charcutiere are favorites.

Eat this Book from Tyler Florence. The recipes cover a number of cuisines but are adapted for the home cook. The Pan-Seared Tuna with Avocado is so simple but incredibly delicious, as is the Sauteed Feta Cheese - an excellent starter for a dinner party followed by the Barcelona-Style Rice.

Marcella Says.... green and orange font on beige paper with several pictures of Marcella shopping and cooking in her classes - no fancy food pics to be found. The book is a bound cooking class, with a lot of reading but full of practical culinary lessons - you learn something new everytime you make a recipe. Any of the chicken fricassees (my favorite the Fricasseed Chicken with Almonds), Pan-Roasted Pork Ribs with Caramalized Onions, White Wine and Chili Pepper and serve either with Baked Savoy Cabbage with Parmesan Cheese.

[ludja]

Any cookbooks from chefs in Montreal/Quebec/Eastern Canada that you use to cook at home?

[FoodieNerd]

Any cookbooks from chefs in Montreal/Quebec/Eastern Canada that you use to cook at home?

←

Oh how I love a good cookbook. My friends think it's crazy that I read them like a novel. Some of my favorites right now are:

The New Joy of Cooking - I am rediscovering this book. It is such a great source for tips and tricks.

Kitchen Sense - I love good, stick to your ribs, comfort food. This book has a great twist on things like Mac n' cheese, chicken divan and cauliflower gratin.

Daily Soup Cookbook - nothing beats a delicious bowl of warm soup on a cold fall evening.

Also, I love anything from cooks illustrated. I love reading how they came to the perfect recipe. I just made their Chicken Francese (served w/roasted asparagus and parmesan risotto)...soooo good. Their technique for breading the chicken is the best because it remains crispy while cooking in a little bit if sauce.

This only touches the tip of the ice burg. I collect cookbooks and I am always discovering new jewels. Recently I purchased The Good Home Cookbook and Easy Entertaining. I’ll keep you posted on how these work out.

Edited October 19, 2006 by FoodieNerd (log)

[cookatlarge]

Grand Livre Mediterrainian and Grand Livre de cuisine, also Spoon,

very big Ducasse fan, also i really do like French Laundry

[Chewie]

The New Joy of Cooking - I am rediscovering this book.  It is such a great source for tips and tricks.

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This is by far the book I refer to most often. Although the old one also gets used quite a bit

For desserts I most often use Gorgon Ramsay's dessert book. Everything I've tried works really well, and he includes a lot of the basics.

Recently I cooked a few things out of Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros, that came out nicely.

I also occasionally use The Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo and Authentic Mexican by Rick Bayless and Deann Groen Bayless, when in the mood for the appropriate cuisine.

Unfortunately, there are not a lot of Quebecois cookbook that I reference frequently. I really should remedy that.

[Bon Appetit Cookbooks]

"Unfortunately, there are not a lot of Quebecois cookbook that I reference frequently. I really should remedy that."

Try out the new Au Pied de Couchon book.

Stuffed pigs stomach and Foie Gras Burger......mmmmm

Edited October 25, 2006 by Bon Appetit Cookbooks (log)

[chopper]

A book from Leméac's Chef-owner Richard Bastien is coming out next week...