What's your favorite cookbook?

I have cookbooks on bookshelves and stuffed in cupboards but my overall favorite is San Francisco A La Carte by the Junior League of San Francisco. Over the past couple of years, though, I'm increasingly coming to the Internet in search of new and interesting recipes. This forum is a terrific example of that. I've learned a great deal here in just the last week and look forward to your answers.

Katie - I too have several cookbooks. My favorite, I guess, is the New York Times International cookbook. It seems to be the one I turn to first when I'm looking for something special.

My favorite cookbook varies over time Right now it is "Made in Italy" by Locatelli.

My favorite cookbook is probably Thomas Kellers French Laundry, I also like Charlie Trotters Seafood, and most recently Grant Achatz Cookbook, Alinea. All of these books have won James beard awards, and have great pics of there food, also great concepts.
There is a black book called the Basics, its hard to find and I will get back to you with more info, its at work, also Culinary artistry is a great book if you like to cook with the seasons. I love cookbooks and I have around 300 or so, even more if I ever got them all back after lending them out.

Katie - I too have several cookbooks. My favorite, I guess, is the New York Times International cookbook. It seems to be the one I turn to first when I'm looking for something special.

If I had to live with just one cookbook for the rest of my life it would be this one. Last I heard, Robin was a fan too.

[Jenise]

Katie - I too have several cookbooks. My favorite, I guess, is the New York Times International cookbook. It seems to be the one I turn to first when I'm looking for something special.

If I had to live with just one cookbook for the rest of my life it would be this one. Last I heard, Robin was a fan too.

Is that the Craig Claibourne book or something more recent?

[Jenise]

No one favorite. I have a number of favorite cookbooks which I look to less for general recipes than the knowledge and inspiration of a particular chef/restaurant. Keller's French Laundry and Bouchon, Judy Rodger's Zuni Cafe, Mario Batali's Babbo and Daniel Boulud's Braise come to right to the fore as recent favorites. Rick Starr--I have Alinea too, but haven't opened it yet. For basics, couldn't live without Larousse Gastronomie. For bread, Reinhart's Bread Baker's Apprentice. And the best recipe book I have that nobody's ever heard of: a paperback called something like "Wine Country Cooking", but I don't think that's right (it's still packed away, so I can't check). It's a relatively small, maybe 150-200 page compilation where every recipe was contributed by a winemaker, winery owner or winery chef in Napa-Sonoma. I have no idea who gave it to me (maybe my friend Chris?) many many years ago, but it's full of killer recipes for the kind of wine and fresh herb-centered food that is pretty much my personal cuisine.

I collect cookbooks, but must admit, I rarely use them. I don't have one favorite, but ones I have used a few times in the past are "Gastronomique" by Laroussse, "The Silver Spoon" by Phaidon, "The Zuni Cafe Cookbook" by Judy Rodgers, "Ideal Home Entertaining" by Susan Spaull, "Chef on Fire" by Joseph Carey, "The Arab Table" by May S. Bsisu, and "The Dean & Deluca Cookbook" by David Rosengarten with Joel Dean and Giorgio Deluca.

My husband bought the "French Laundry Cookbook" for me several years ago and I have yet to make one recipe from it. Above are the cookbooks I use for at least one recipe...but most of the time I get something off the internet or from you guys...LOL! This doesn't count all the "allergy" recipes I need to make for my son...I have TONS of cookbooks for that...none of which are very good, but c'est la vie.

No one favorite. I have a number of favorite cookbooks which I look to less for general recipes than the knowledge and inspiration of a particular chef/restaurant. Keller's French Laundry and Bouchon, Judy Rodger's Zuni Cafe, Mario Batali's Babbo and Daniel Boulud's Braise come to right to the fore as recent favorites. Rick Starr--I have Alinea too, but haven't opened it yet. For basics, couldn't live without Larousse Gastronomie. For bread, Reinhart's Bread Baker's Apprentice. And the best recipe book I have that nobody's ever heard of: a paperback called something like "Wine Country Cooking", but I don't think that's right (it's still packed away, so I can't check). It's a relatively small, maybe 150-200 page compilation where every recipe was contributed by a winemaker, winery owner or winery chef in Napa-Sonoma. I have no idea who gave it to me (maybe my friend Chris?) many many years ago, but it's full of killer recipes for the kind of wine and fresh herb-centered food that is pretty much my personal cuisine.

Jenise, I have one called "The Wine Lover's Cookbook by Sid Goldstein. Each recipe offers a recommended wine and alternative wine. Another is Favorite Recipes of California Winemakers. This is a spiral bound book with recipes from wives of winery owners, Wine Advisory board,Wine institute, and so on.The recipes are more everyday cooking rather than very gourmet as in the first book, by Mr. Goldstein. Another is California Wine Country Cooking Secrets, with recipes from Napa/Sonoma restaurants and wineries. All are smaller books with excellent recipes. The Goldstein book has beautiful photography. I love these types of books and pick them up in restaurants or book stores when we travel.

Can't say I have a favorite. It is what ever I am using for the moment.The ones that are the most tattered are my Sunset books, Favorites of CA Winemakers, and Private Collection 1 and 2 from the Junior League of Palo Alto. Of course, these are some I have had the longest.

I have several cookbooks that I turn to more often than others. No real favorite for the recipe or information factor. But, the one most special to me is my Fannie Farmer cookbook, because it is the first cookbook given to me -- by my grandmother.

I do not have one favorite, but some of my favorites are...

Marcella Hazan - Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

Phaidon - The Silver Spoon

CIA - The Professional Chef (more for reference than recipes)

Escoffier - Le Guide Culinaire

The first two Pierre Franey New York Times 60 Minute Gourmet books

Rick Bayless - Mexico, One Plate at a Time

Victor Sodsook - True Thai

Susanna Hoffman - The Olive & the Caper (Greek)

Martha Rose Shulman - Mediterranean Light

Judy Rodgers - Zuni Cafe

Madhur Jaffrey - Indian Cooking

Out of the shelf-full of cook books, the one I am most likely to dip into "just because", to read and imagine rather than to cook from, is Seven Hundred Years of English Cooking (Arabella Boxer, ed.).

[Jenise]

Hey, several have mentioned, and we need to give a shout-out to, Joseph Carey's Chef on Fire. It's next up for me, sitting atop the pile of books that is my bedside reading queue. Katie--Chef Carey is one of our regulars. Let me introduce you: Katie, meet Chef. Chef, meet Katie, she lives about halfway between you and I in Gig Harbor.

These days I get most of my recipes online where I can look at reviews from people who have already made something. That said, the cookbooks that I've had the most success with are Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa Series"--hands down. Her style of cooking really just fits with our lifestyle. I also like Todd English's "The Figs Table" cookbook. We bought it at his restaurant after fighting over one order of his White Chocolate Challah Pudding with caramel sauce, but there are lots of great recipes in there.

Is that the Craig Claibourne book or something more recent?

Yup! It is the one by Craig.

We too have lots of cookbooks, many from famous Chefs. If by favorite you mean the one that most excites you, that varies regularly. Ming Tsai's "Blue Ginger" would be one such, as would Rick Bayless's first book. Having just received "Chef on Fire" and the recent English translation of "I Know How to Cook" by Ginette Mathiot, they may now assume that role. If, however, you mean the book most used in our collection, that without question would be the hand-me-down 3rd Ed of Joy of Cooking, falling apart and stained with thousands of kitchen stains but nonetheless a treasure. I would keep it for the Rombauer's deadly bulk eggnog recipe alone (hic!).

Mark Lipton

For technique:
Chef on Fire , Joseph Carey
The Way To Cook, Julia Chlild

For recipes:
True Thai, Victor Sodsook
1000 Indian Recipes, Neelam Batra
The Joyce Chen Cook Book, Joyce Chen
The Chinese Cookbook, Craig Claibourne and Virginia Lee
Lord Krishna's Cuisine, Yamuna Devi

-Paul W.

These days I get most of my recipes online where I can look at reviews from people who have already made something. That said, the cookbooks that I've had the most success with are Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa Series"--hands down. Her style of cooking really just fits with our lifestyle. I also like Todd English's "The Figs Table" cookbook. We bought it at his restaurant after fighting over one order of his White Chocolate Challah Pudding with caramel sauce, but there are lots of great recipes in there.

Carrie, thanks for the reminder about Ina. I have all her books and love them. It is the way we like to eat, and cook, as well. The best of ingredients, very fresh and simply done. That is the true gourmet. I really like her shows too, I love seeing the countryside she lives and works in. Not to mention the beautiful home.

I don't use a lot of cookbooks. I mainly use an old version of Bittman's How to Cook Everything for basic info and then just use google for inspiration with specific recipes.

But, maybe I should get some actual cookbooks. The publishing industry probably needs my help!

Cut my teeth on Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison and it remains one of my favorites.

[Jenise]

I don't use a lot of cookbooks. I mainly use an old version of Bittman's How to Cook Everything for basic info and then just use google for inspiration with specific recipes.

But, maybe I should get some actual cookbooks. The publishing industry probably needs my help!

Even if you're not cooking from cookbooks per se, the inspiration not only for different ingredients but also plating can go a long way toward making even the foods you make over and over feel new again.

...the inspiration not only for different ingredients but also plating can go a long way toward making even the foods you make over and over feel new again.

Good point. Although with all the food-related media I consume I have no shortage of ideas...

Actually doing the ideas is another thing. But...

It's been very interesting reading all the posts. So far, Paul is the only one to mention a Julia Child book.

I'd also like to know how you choose to buy a cookbook.
Is it because it has a 'big name'?
Or because some cook you respect suggested it?
Do you buy it sight unseen or do you read parts of it before purchasing?
Do you like people to buy you cookbooks as gifts or prefer to buy your own?

What's the strangest cookbook you own? (Someone bought me The Garlic Lover's Cookbook.)

Your replies have been fascinating and I'm looking forward to reading more!

Katie,

The cookbooks I've bought mainly have been those that I've browsed through in a bookstore, and I've thought, "hey, this has recipes I really want (or techniques I really want to learn)".

One exception was Chef on Fire, which I bought online, sight unseen, based on my respect for Chef Carey, which he earned by his many illuminating posts in this forum.

The ones I listed in this topic are the ones that I keep referring to again and again, or whose recipes/techniques I have incorporated as part of my personal cook's repertoire.

-Paul W.