Cookbooks, Etc.

[cantienne]

Nadia. I'd say Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, or The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. They both have a variety of recipes and lots of explanation about techniques.

[nadia]

I can definitely use help with technique. I'll check those out. Thank you.

[tiller]

Another vote for How to Cook Everything. It's the first cookbook I turn to when I'm trying to decide what to make.

[dwanollah]

tiller said:

Have you all seen the Gallery of Regrettable Foods book or website? The mind reels at what some people find appetizing.

Speaking of Jello, one of the most horrifying recipes I ever saw was corned beef Jello mold. I believe it involved lemon Jello and mustard. Who can come up with that?

We had the Thanksgiving of Regrettable Food one year. (Every year, we have a different and weird theme for TG dinner.) It was AWESOME. THTM made these bologna "cups" with green peas and a couple Jello molds, and I made these hard-boiled-egg and black olive "penguins" and several horrible appetizers involving ketchup or white bread. I was thrilled when I first saw Lileks's site that I actually OWNED two of the cookbooks he was poking fun at.

Now! The menu for a Mommie Dearest party is:

Mildred Pierce's Roast Chicken Dinner
Deluxe Mashed Potatoes
Blueberry Pie
Cola-Glazed Pork Chops (as a "nod" to Joan's Pepsi days)
and
What Ever Happened to Baby Back Ribs?

[Deleted]

I was thrilled when I first saw Lileks's site that I actually OWNED two of the cookbooks he was poking fun at.

One of the cookbooks I took from my grandmother's house I took specifically because I recognized it from the Gallery.

[kateln]

I couldn't live without Nigella Lawson's "How to Eat" great book--good read as well, "Nigella Bites" is awesome as well (especially her recipe for Hot and Sour Soup, a staple in my house). I hate to say, because I'm not a fan of her shows, but Rachael Ray's cookbooks, especially her original 30 Minute Meals Cookbook is actually a great beginners cookbook, easy recipes that can be pretty tasty, and which you can adjust as you become a more confident cook.

[Deleted]

nadia said:

I don't have a single cookbook. Granted I don't have my own kitchen either, living with the parents and all.

That hasn't stopped me from collecting a bunch (25 or so). And unlike my mother, who owns hundreds of cookbooks, I try to cook out of them!

And I third the recommendation for How to Cook Everything. Also a huge Nigella fan, but the recipes don't always work for me. Sometimes it's my fault, but not all the time.

[BarbR]

I'm totally revising my baking methods after reading Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for MORE Food. I never knew about weighing the ingredients, and my god, it makes a huge difference!

A couple of my favorite books are by Diane Worthington The California Cook, and The Taste of Summer.

Also, Suzanne Somers got me back into cooking real food several years ago. I forgot how delicious even simple things taste if you're not afraid of a little fat/butter. I was way too hooked into lowfat, and both my DH and I lost weight and kept it off for five years now. REAL food!

(I just realised after my Suzanne Somers reference that I'd better watch out with the Alton Brown book.)

[Karrit]

I'm totally revising my baking methods after reading Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for MORE Food. I never knew about weighing the ingredients, and my god, it makes a huge difference!

It is really a so much more precise way to measure ingredients. When I first moved to London, I couldn't figure out why it was so difficult to find measuring cups (which are used in all my US recipes). Then I started buying UK cookbooks and realized the ingredients were measured differently. I started weighing the ingredients...and once I figured out my oven, the results were fantastic.

I love Jamie Oliver's cookbooks, and his shows, most likely because my cooking style is pretty is similar to his. I also think he is really a genuine guy. I really admire his work on behalf of getting healthier food for schools and his project restaurants that train disadvantaged youth to become chefs.

[heyalice]

I too loves me some Martha.
Any opinions on Deborah Madison's books? The 10th anniversary edition of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone goes on sale next week and I'm curious.
Chocolate and Zucchini is another favourite. And I just started reading and using the Heirloom Sisters Baking and Two Meatballs in an Italian Kitchen.
And I want Lidia or Marcella to be my nonna.