Cookbook Reviews

[elrohwen]

Anyone else a cookbook fan? I know we''re in the internet age, and I can look up any recipe on the internet (and I often do), but I still love cookbooks. I love having pictures of everything, especially for desserts, and I love just flipping through them for ideas.

My biggest gripe about cookbooks is that many of them seem poorly edited - I can''t tell you how many times I''ve made a recipe from a cookbook and it''s been a flop. But that just makes me love certain books even more because I know I can count on them.

What are your favorite books? Which ones have recipes that always turn out amazing? I''d love to get ideas for some new ones to buy (and maybe some to stay away from).

 

[elrohwen]

I'll start.

I adore The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger. It has recipes for any type of bread, scone, muffin, or even coffeecake you can imagine, and everything I've made has been excellent. I like baking bread more than desserts, and this is a perfect book for me. I highly highly recommend it for anyone considering making bread.

I really like Negella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess. Great variety of desserts and everything has turned out well. Some of the things are a little more British (I can't say I've ever had a sponge) but fun anyway.

I just picked up Baked and I'm so excited to cook from it based on the reviews I've read. Their brownie was voted the best by America's Test Kitchen, and the Milk Chocolate Malt Ball Cake and Sweet and Salty cake sound so good. Every recipe seems exciting and new, though they're just a twist on old favorites. The authors use a crazy amount of butter though, which some reviewers said was fine, and others said made the desserts greasy. So we'll see.

One that has never steered me wrong is Ted Allen's (from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) The Food You Want to Eat. Everything is simple and can be made by a beginner, but it's also good. Every recipe I've tried has been right on.


Now for not so happy reviews. I adore Alton Brown and I watch his show religiously, but his baking cookbook, I'm Just Here for More Food is awful! Nothing I've made from it has turned out well, and a friend of mine has made about 4-5 recipes (different than the ones I tried) which also turned out poorly. She blamed herself for little things she did wrong, but I think the cookbook is just a dud. It has fabulous advice though, it just needs a lot more editing.

 

[Maisie]

I have just started cooking/baking and I would love some ideas for cookbooks. I should stop using my laptop for recipes as I always get flour etc all over it. I want to get a cook book stand too. Really look the part!

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 6/15/2010 7:43:30 PM
Author: Maisie
I have just started cooking/baking and I would love some ideas for cookbooks. I should stop using my laptop for recipes as I always get flour etc all over it. I want to get a cook book stand too. Really look the part!

That''s so cute!

My SIL got me a cookbook stand which I just banished to the basement due to lack of room

I should bring it back up and find a place for it (and actually use it, too). It''s not nearly as pretty as that though! Just a basic wooden stand.

 

[Maisie]

I would definitely use one. I get flour everywhere. I have my recipes (copied down from Lauren the partier''s site) in a folder with plastic wallets. I think I need to be more organised.

Hey, I wonder if Lauren will do book... have you seen her site? link

 

[Octavia]

I use Mark Bittman''s How to Cook Everything (and I really want the vegetarian version), and The Joy of Cooking. Bittman''s is more of a guide than a cookbook -- he often gives a basic recipe and then half a dozen variations on it, and it also has great tips on selecting and storing produce, determining what cut of meat to use for what dish, etc. I mostly bake from Joy, I haven''t actually cooked too many recipes from it, but I guess I should start!

I also have The Silver Spoon but I don''t find it practical. I usually look through it for recipes, then end up turning elsewhere for what I actually make.

 

[NCSUchick27]

I have a cookbook stand that I really like and it is pretty cheap. I got it from Amazon.

Cookbook Stand

Right now I am really liking the Pioneer Woman cookbook by Ree Drummond. I actually have her cobbler recipe in the oven right now.

 

[elrohwen]

Octavia, I have Joy too, but I''ve hardly cooked anything from it. I always go there to get ideas for new ingredients, but the recipes seem a bit too basic and simple, so I often use it as a starting point and find another recipe somewhere else. I haven''t tried any of the dessert or baked goods recipes though, except for pizza dough (which is pretty much the same in all of my cookbooks).

 

[Haven]

Date: 6/15/2010 7:43:30 PM
Author: Maisie
I have just started cooking/baking and I would love some ideas for cookbooks. I should stop using my laptop for recipes as I always get flour etc all over it. I want to get a cook book stand too. Really look the part!

I have a cookbook stand that looks very much like that! I bought it at Hobby Lobby for something like $15. (And that was after I bought a similar, albeit prettier one, for my mom in a an adorable local shop for $50!

) Home stores have GREAT cookbook stands.

To answer your question, elro, I love all books (and magazines) from Cook''s Illustrated. They''re all wonderful, and I love reading the background about how they arrived to the particular method that they published.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 6/15/2010 9:27:02 PM
Author: Haven

Date: 6/15/2010 7:43:30 PM

Author: Maisie

I have just started cooking/baking and I would love some ideas for cookbooks. I should stop using my laptop for recipes as I always get flour etc all over it. I want to get a cook book stand too. Really look the part!

I have a cookbook stand that looks very much like that! I bought it at Hobby Lobby for something like $15. (And that was after I bought a similar, albeit prettier one, for my mom in a an adorable local shop for $50!

) Home stores have GREAT cookbook stands.


To answer your question, elro, I love all books (and magazines) from Cook''s Illustrated. They''re all wonderful, and I love reading the background about how they arrived to the particular method that they published.

I love Cook''s Illustrated! I have their pasta book and it''s great. I love learning the best way to do something.

 

[appletini]

I love cookbooks!

Some of my favorites

Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
Bobby Flay''s Mesa Grill cookbook
Southern Living readers favorites
Peace Meals by the Junior League of Houston (I was a recipe tester so I''m biased on this one)

 

[princesss]

OMG! Baked has a cookbook?!?!?!?! SIGN ME UP!

They''ve got two bakeries - one in Brooklyn and one in Charleston, SC. When M and I were down there a few weeks ago we stumbled onto it and tried it - oh holy goodness. That place was amazing. Their sweet and salty dark chocolate and caramel brownie was freaking fantastic, and their white chocolate and rose macaroon was heavenly (if a little bigger/heavier than expected).

I must get that cookbook...

 

[elrohwen]

Appletini, I''ve heard Ina Garten''s cookbooks are really good. I''ll have to check that one out next time I''m at the bookstore.

Princess, definitely check it out! They have one out now, and a second one coming out in the fall.

 

[dragonfly411]

Elrowhen - OMG I am SOoooooooo glad you started this thread! I love to cook, and bake, and I LOVE cookbooks. I have.... like...50. Ok maybe 30. But I love to get cook books and look at recipes and try them and tweak them to be my own. Some that I have enjoyed:

I have one of Paula Deen''s books and it combines all three of her first books. I use it regularly actually. The tuna burger recipe is awesome, and it has a recipe for sweet potato chips that I am still perfecting. I based my new brownie recipe off of her lady brownie recipe. It is fun for traditional southern food when I''m in the mood to make it, and has some fresh takes on some recipes.

I have enjoyed 1001 Vegetarian Recipes which has all types of recipes vegetarian. It is how I developed my spicy cous cous and black beans (I think theirs was a curry though). It has such a wide array of easy to make vegetarian recipes. It has a great baked eggplant recipe (with mozzarella on top)

Fix it and Forget it is my crock pot bible. There is one in the Fix it and Forget it Lightly that is for brown sugar chili and omg it is SO good. I love testing with the crockpot and they have some great meals, and even desserts!

I have several Rachel Ray cookbooks but haven''t tested them yet.

I also have one that is called that features a New Orleans based chef (who now cooks in NY) and one of his gurus, a very old southern black woman. Their cookbook is GORGEOUS and the recipes are so awesome both to read and make.

 

[doodle]

BHG''s Anyone Can Cook kind of changed my life. When DH and I got together, I literally couldn''t even make pasta (somehow I always turned it to GLUE in the pot...then had to throw away the pot because it''d never come out

). I mean I was the worst cook in the world. For anyone on here who doesn''t even know how to turn the oven on, this is your book. It has a section in the front that gives you the basic info you''d feel ridiculous asking someone, stuff like how to mince garlic or the difference between soft and stiff peaks, and every single recipe in the book has pictures, many with step-by-step picture insets so you can see what the consistency of something should look like as you''re making it. There are also a number of entries where the basic recipe is simple, but they give you a list of variations to try, too. Even now that I can cook pretty darned well, I still go back to this one a lot because the recipes are good, and none of them are tear-your-hair-out complicated! I also have an entire set of cookbooks that belonged to my great-grandmother; I can''t remember which magazine published them, but it''s like an encyclopedia set to cooking. I''m not nuts about the whole set, but the desserts sections are MIND BLOWING!

 

[Ninna]

Big fan here! My first favorite now is Bread and Pastry from Michel Suas, big book perfect formulas. Bittman's How To Cook Everything is my second and Charmaine Solomon's on Asian Cooking my third.

After The Bread Bible feud [respectfully] I tend to wait for friends reviews on a book before I to buy it. I'm sure Elrohwen purchased the corrected version, if not I'll post errors/corrections if you would like

I know Baked has their signature Millionaire's Shortbread recipe in there.... sounds amazing!

 

[princesss]

I love the BHG basic cookbook - you know, the one with the red plaid cover? (Yes, this is how I recognize my cookbooks.) It''s helpful.

Mostly I just troll online and print off recipes I want to try, though. But cookbooks make me happy.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 6/16/2010 12:31:57 PM
Author: Ninna
Big fan here! My first favorite now is Bread and Pastry from Michel Suas, big book perfect formulas. Bittman's How To Cook Everything is my second and Charmaine Solomon's on Asian Cooking my third.


After The Bread Bible feud [respectfully] I tend to wait for friends reviews on a book before I to buy it. I'm sure Elrohwen purchased the corrected version, if not I'll post errors/corrections if you would like

I know Baked has their signature Millionaire's Shortbread recipe in there.... sounds amazing!

Oo, do tell! I haven't noticed any errors in mine - I have the paperback, so it's possible they made some edits before printing it. That or I've somehow missed making the recipes that had errors. I know there's another book called The Bread Bible, which is confusing.


Speaking of Rachael Ray - has anyone tried her books? I have one that someone bought for me, and everything I tried was a flop. The ideas sound good, but they were pretty flavorless and I found myself adding lots of extras to everything I made.

eta: Now that I think about it, my favorite dinner roll recipe from The Bread Bible calls for at least an extra cup of flour, but I'm an advanced enough bread baker that I just added in as much as I needed without bothering about the recipe too much. These kinds of errors cause far more problems in cookie and cake recipes I think where the proportions need to be just so.

 

[pennquaker09]

Date: 6/16/2010 2:06:59 PM
Author: princesss
I love the BHG basic cookbook - you know, the one with the red plaid cover? (Yes, this is how I recognize my cookbooks.) It''s helpful.


Mostly I just troll online and print off recipes I want to try, though. But cookbooks make me happy.

Yes, yes the BHG New Cook Book is fabulous and probably the one that I use the most. I think a new version is coming out soon.

I also think Martha Stewart''s Cooking School is great. Many of Jamie Oliver''s books are great, but the standouts are Food Revolution, and the Essential Family Cookbook. Nigella Lawson''s, Nigella Express and Nigella Bites. And there are a lot more from Ina Garten, Paula, and some of the other Food Network peeps.

 

[Aryana]

I am new to PS and wanted to chime in.

I too love Cook''s Illustrated. Just this year I started subscribing to the magazine and yesterday I received the 2008 and 2009 Annual editions.
Everything I have made from the magazines has been great. Regarding the cookbooks I received yesterday, I find the organization to be a little
unusual but maybe once I start using them I won''t find it to be an issue. I ''think'' I prefer cookbooks to be organized via sections (appetizers;
soups and salads; main dishes; etc.) but these books are a compilation of each magazine issue. So, there might be a baked chicken recipe on
page 8 of the Jan/Feb issue and another chicken recipe on page 8 of the Sep/Oct issue. Sometimes I like to look through a section to find ideas
so I think this format will make that more difficult. But since I haven''t used it yet, maybe I''ll end up loving it.
I also really like
Southern Living Annual cookbooks
Barefoot Contessa cookbooks (everything is always very good, however I find most recipes use a lot of butter)
Another favorite way to buy cookbooks is when a group/church/organization is selling them as a fundraiser. From my experiences, I have found
recipes that are usually not too complicated and use common ingredients. Bed and Breakfast cookbooks always look great too, but I haven''t
purchased any of them.

 

[AsscherGirl]

I love cookbooks! I have two shelves worth, but I think I could fit an entire wall''s worth.

I like Ina''s cookbooks (Barefoot Contessa) as well. She has beautiful pictures and I''m a sucker for pictures of recipes. I usually make her recipes for parties or special occassions as they are a bit unhealthy (mostly), but she does have some reasonable things in there as well. I have Barefoot Contessa at Home & Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics and everything I''ve made from there has been extremely tasty. I just made her italian wedding soup from back to basics and yummmmmm (and healthy!).

I also really like Giada''s book Everyday Italian. Her recipes always come out spot on for me. I come from an Italian family and don''t have recipes for a lot of standards, but I always like to check her recipes against my instincts.

Dorie Greenspan''s Baking from My home to yours is also a favorite! It''s a great resource for a multitude of desserts, plus there is a blogging group about the book so you can see if they''ve done the recipe and get a general consensus about it.

Not a cookbook but I LOVE the smittenkitchen foodblog. That is my go to place for everything. The writer is putting out a cookbook next year and I definitely will be purchasing.

I have the Baked cookbook - it''s good! The banana chocolate chip espresso muffins are FAB and I have also made the granola out of there and that was also delicious. I haven''t made any of the cakes yet and I''m a little weary b/c a lot of them call for shortening. I''m sure I could sub butter but when you''re spending 5 hours on a layer cake I want to know it''s going to come out good.

I do NOT like Rachael Ray''s cookbooks. I find them to be bland and boring and she relies on salt pepper and parmesan cheese to flavor everything.

I don''t own a cookbook by either of them, but I really enjoy Bobby Flay & Emeril''s recipes when I get them off the internet. They are always seasoned well. Bobby uses a million kinds of chili powder, but if you make his recipes a lot it''s worth investing in a couple of bottles.

 

[elrohwen]

Danielle, great recommendations. I adore Smitten Kitchen too! I use her site more than any of my cookbooks at this point and I totally trust her recipes (unlike cookbooks, which aren''t always that well edited). Everything I''ve made has been wonderful. I wanted to start a food blog thread, but without links I figured that wouldn''t go over too well.

About Baked - I noticed in some Amazon reviews that other reviewers didn''t like the use of shortening. Can I ask why? I don''t make a lot of cakes, but I know shortening is great in some things (like pies and biscuits), but now I''m curious about why people don''t like using it in cakes. I can''t think of any cake recipe I''ve made with shortening (and maybe that answers my question a bit).

 

[AsscherGirl]

heh well for me personally I just think shortening is weird. Something about it just seems so manufactured and fake to me and when I''m baking I like it to be as "Real" as possible. I''ve successfully substituted butter in a lot of pies and biscuits and even biscotti, but never tried in a cake. So I don''t know what to expect (and don''t really know why I''m so worried about trying). I know realistically that plenty of bakeries must use shortening so I prob. should get over it .

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 6/16/2010 5:22:17 PM
Author: *~*Danielle*~*
heh well for me personally I just think shortening is weird. Something about it just seems so manufactured and fake to me and when I''m baking I like it to be as ''Real'' as possible. I''ve successfully substituted butter in a lot of pies and biscuits and even biscotti, but never tried in a cake. So I don''t know what to expect (and don''t really know why I''m so worried about trying). I know realistically that plenty of bakeries must use shortening so I prob. should get over it .

Oh, I get yah. I thought maybe it was a texture thing in the final cake. I''m not a huge fan of shortening either, but I do think it''s useful in pie crusts and biscuits since it has different properties than butter, but I don''t know why it would be necessary in cake. I''d be interested to see their recipes done with and without shortening side by side (and I know I don''t make enough cakes to ever try this out

)

 

[Ninna]

Date: 6/16/2010 3:16:29 PM
Author: elrohwen

Oo, do tell! I haven't noticed any errors in mine - I have the paperback, so it's possible they made some edits before printing it. That or I've somehow missed making the recipes that had errors. I know there's another book called The Bread Bible, which is confusing.

Speaking of Rachael Ray - has anyone tried her books? I have one that someone bought for me, and everything I tried was a flop. The ideas sound good, but they were pretty flavorless and I found myself adding lots of extras to everything I made.

eta: Now that I think about it, my favorite dinner roll recipe from The Bread Bible calls for at least an extra cup of flour, but I'm an advanced enough bread baker that I just added in as much as I needed without bothering about the recipe too much. These kinds of errors cause far more problems in cookie and cake recipes I think where the proportions need to be just so.

You are right, The Bread Bible I was referring to is the 2007 by Berandaum very confusing indeed [my bad]

Rachel Ray's Big Orange---I think is called? I GAVE it away. Cute thing but her white lasagna was greasy...sausage, white sauce, 4 cheeses, nutmeg, way too much! Her family sauce? yuck. The pizza crust had white wine in there, never rose- a complete mess, sorry but I hate throwing away good ingredients.
Big ditto when it comes to bread, I take flour amounts as a guide, always end up with a cup or so extra, even from Peter Reinhart's "American Pie" and he's known for slow/longer rise of weter/stickier dough, love that book btw~ Unlike cakes, bread/AP flours differ from brands time of year, protein %, etc, I was amazed of the actual water absorption between brands about a year ago when a bunch of friends did a challange sponsored by KArthur.

Barefoot Contessa books are simple yet beautiful, who couldn't resist her roasted veggies, I honestly think my bebe eats them because of her layouts

I'm going to check 'Baked' this weekend

Hi Aryana, you're not alone!

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 6/16/2010 5:30:42 PM
Author: Ninna

Date: 6/16/2010 3:16:29 PM

Author: elrohwen


Oo, do tell! I haven''t noticed any errors in mine - I have the paperback, so it''s possible they made some edits before printing it. That or I''ve somehow missed making the recipes that had errors. I know there''s another book called The Bread Bible, which is confusing.


Speaking of Rachael Ray - has anyone tried her books? I have one that someone bought for me, and everything I tried was a flop. The ideas sound good, but they were pretty flavorless and I found myself adding lots of extras to everything I made.


eta: Now that I think about it, my favorite dinner roll recipe from The Bread Bible calls for at least an extra cup of flour, but I''m an advanced enough bread baker that I just added in as much as I needed without bothering about the recipe too much. These kinds of errors cause far more problems in cookie and cake recipes I think where the proportions need to be just so.

You are right, The Bread Bible I was referring to is the 2007 by Berandaum very confusing indeed [my bad]



Rachel Ray''s Big Orange---I think is called? I GAVE it away. Cute thing but her white lasagna was greasy...sausage, white sauce, 4 cheeses, nutmeg, way too much! Her family sauce? yuck. The pizza crust has white wine, never rose- a complete mess, sorry but I hate throwing away good ingredients.

Big ditto when it comes to bread, I take flour amounts as a guide, always end up with a cup or so extra, even from Peter Reinhart''s ''American Pie'' and he''s known for slow/longer rise of weter/stickier dough, love that book btw.

Unlike cakes, bread/AP flours differ from brands time of year, protein %, etc, I was amazed of the actual water absorption between brands about a year ago when a bunch of friends did a challange sponsored by KArthur.



Barefoot Contessa books are simple yet beautiful, who couldn''t resist her roasted veggies, I honestly think my bebe eats them because of her layouts

I''m going to check ''Baked'' this weekend

Hi Aryana, not alone!

I actually worked in the baking industry for 4 years (national company, not local bakery) so I know all about flour variation

Far more annoying for a large factory than a home cook, I can tell you that!

 

[pinkstars]

I love a good recipe, but I''m terrible about getting cookbooks. We love the Joy of Cooking, it''s the only recipe I use for tacos now.
I got BF The Flavor Bible, I think it has some recipes but it mainly tells you about what flavors would go well together. BF seems to really enjoy it.
When I moved out of my mom''s house, I had to get my own copy of Better Homes and Garden Cook Book. It never seems to let me down on baked goods.

 

[Ninna]

Date: 6/16/2010 5:36:20 PM
Author: elrohwen

I actually worked in the baking industry for 4 years (national company, not local bakery) so I know all about flour variation

Far more annoying for a large factory than a home cook, I can tell you that!

I take my hat off to you elrohwen, 4 years in a factory with those scary machines, can''t imagine. Nin

 

[Lulie]

I always love a good cookbook. However, I also treasure my cooking ''bibles'' specially Cake Bible, so easy.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking and Craign Claiborne''s New York Times Cookbook. I bought both when I was 14 and they are very well used.
Latest: Barefoot Contessa Family Style, easy going recipes, loved most of the soups, roasts and chocolate mousse

 

[elrohwen]

Just picked up another cookbook today that I noticed while buying Baked yesterday. I flipped through it and came home to research - it just came out this month, so not really any reviews yet, but I decided to go back today and buy it anyway. I couldn''t resist!

The book is called Eating Local: The Cookbook Inspired by America''s Farmers and is all about the CSA and local food movement. There are a few short stories about small local farms across the country, with great pictures, but the best part is the recipes. The book is divided up by type of produce, so you can easily turn to the section on "beets", "peaches", or "eggs" to find recipes. Almost all of the recipes are simple and easy and obviously meant to highlight the great taste of farm fresh produce, which is my favorite type of cooking. I joined a CSA this year for the first time, and while I love veggies, I already find myself scanning the internet for recipes for the beets and kohlrabi I got (and have no idea what to do with). I''m so excited to use this book throughout the summer.