Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation What cookbook?

I, unlike some here, have never run a restaraunt. I have worked in a couple, but the only one where I was responsible for cooking was a BBQ joint, so the menu was limited and simple really. However I think I have a pretty good grasp on some basic kitchen techniques, though I don't employ them daily, and sometimes have to refresh my recollection on something. As far as "recipes" from a book go, I consider them guides, or base recipes to be tweeked to suit me. But some cookbooks also contain instructions on base recipes such as rouxs for example, and explain how many uses a roux can have and how to make it light or dark etc, meat cutting techniques, etc, etc. Im talking here like Mannlicher gives advice on a Masters level of cooking, but cooking at his level requires the good "freshman" base classes, and some cookbooks have good "Freshman" level knowledge that is widely applicable. So my question is: "What is the cookbook that everybody should own, novice or master, to refer to for such things?" In my kitchen its the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. There's a wealth of knowledge in it for the novice cook, and its a great standby reference for the seasoned home cook that is getting old and might forget something in some sauce he hasn't made in a while. What's your go to cookbook?

You might look at the "Joy of Cooking" by Irma S. Rombauer & Marion Rombauer Becker.

I have hundreds of 'em...honest!! One of our five 6-foot long bookshelves in the family room is totally dedicated to my cookbooks which are tightly lined up, side-by-side, from one end to the other end of the center bookshelf.

Of all of my cookbooks, I consider the "Joy of Cooking" to be my "go-to" cook book. It's one of the very best plus it has EXACTLY what many novice and even knowledgable cooks want... basic "How-to" instructions concerning most basic cooking procedures plus a ton of excellent recipes of all kinds.

I was lucky... my cooking mentor was the owner of a fine restaurant and his own best chef... and I learned a lot from him as we did unbelievably delicious gourmet dinners together for our wives, almost every week, for over 8 years until he moved to Pennsylvania.

Enjoy the cooking experience... the best part is that you can EAT your mistakes and no one will ever "know"!


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Joy of Cooking is great...
My first copy looked like it went through the ringer...
It's my go-to book...

I still have a lot of the Jeff Smith cookbooks (Frugal Gourmet). Too bad he was a perv........

Regards, sse

The Joy of Cooking is an excellent choice. It was my go to book for a long time. Today I suggest The New Best Recipe from cooks illustrated. A great book for the basics is The New Professional chef. I Personally could not live without a computer or a Larousse. My favorite advanced books are by Charlie Palmer. Trying to choose one book is like trying to choose one knife.

We're big fans of the "New Basics Cookbook" which is anything but basic. Lots of good advice on sauces and cuts of meat for various critters. Ours has about reached the end of it's life with the cover falling off and pages falling out. My sister in law got us a copy of the Gourmet Cookbook for Christmas a couple years ago with our names embossed on the cover (she got it cheap as she designed the cover for it) and it's a very interesting collection of recipes from the history of Gourmet magazine. Given the two I'd go with the new basics.

It's "my bad" that some of things I post are not always clear on technique. Virtually everything I discuss here are recipes that I developed, or used in my restaurant career. Frankly, I write them for myself, and (usually) I remember the fine details and subtle nuances.
I use a lot of cookbooks. There is a world of ideas and ingredient tips out there in books.
The Joy of Cooking should be in every cook's kitchen. Period.
There are millions of other cookbooks, and I certainly have my favorites.

Julia Child's "Mastering the art of French Cooking" explains technique as well as can be done.
Jacque Pepin's "Complete Techniques" is indespensible.
James Beard's "American Cookery" is valuable.
Craig Clairborne's "New York Times Cook Book" is full of technique, ideas, hints, and darn good recipes.
The big "Professional Chef" by the CIA can be very helpful.

I believe my book case has well over 150 cookbooks. The ones listed above are the ones I use the most for ideas and help, when cooking regular "American" food. I have many others that I depend on for Japanese, French, German, South American, and of course, ITALIAN dishes. (Thats my absolute favorite cuisine)

There are several I like,
James Beards' "American Cookery"
any of James McNair's books, but they are all ingredient specific, Chicken, Salmon, etc.
Betty Crocker for back to basics stuff
Hot Barbeque

Very often I resort to the internet. A couple of days ago, I "inherited" some scalions. A whole big bag full. What to do with them? I did an internet search for "scallion recipe" and found a fantastic (yet simple) recipe for a scallion vinegrette. It was excellent.
M

Make a "scallon" style of Cream of Potato-Leeky Soup, substituting the scallons for the leeks. It turns out DELICIOUS!!!




Ron T.

The Complete Hunter, America's Favorite Wild Game Recipes.

There some great recipes in there.

WHat he said.

I search the thrift stores for Junior League cook books. A variety of great regional recipes.