So here's what we do: below, in the comments section, post a short--say, 20-50 word--review of your favorite cookbook. Be sure to include the title, the author, and maybe the publisher. Tell us why you like it, naming a couple representative recipes. See my sample, below.
Then wait a few days, come back, and see what everyone else has posted. Pick and choose, then pass the relevant details along to the shopper in your family, reminding them that cookbooks are one of those gifts that benefits them just as much as it does you!
My favorite cookbook: SMALL BITES by Jennifer Joyce.
ReplyDeleteThis is an appetizer book, full of every kind of finger food you can imagine: tapas, sushi, meeze, anti-pasta, and on and on. Almost all of it is reasonably easy to make, and most dishes are full-flavored. My favorite is the pork larb recipe, which sounds gross but isn't: "larb" is the Thai word for ground meat, and this dish is basically spicy, lemony fried pork that you serve in fresh lettuce leaves. The combination of the carmelized pork and the crispy lettuce is amazing. This book also has several pages full of simple one step recipes: marinated olives, for example, or a crushed feta dip.
My favorite cookbook: Desperation Dinners by Beverly Mills & Alicia Ross (Workman Pub., 1997)
ReplyDeleteThe gimmick of the book is that all the recipes can be made in 20 minutes. In practice, some take a little longer, but I have yet to try something from the book that wasn't easy and tasty, and generally uses everyday ingredients. My favorite recipes are Southwestern Chicken On the Spot (rice & black bean casserole with chicken & peppers & salsa) and Jamaican macaroni (mac w/ ground beef, onion, tomatoes, and spices). I have about 10 or 12 cookbooks I use with some regularity, but this is the one I turn to the most.
From Beckie Scotten Finn:
ReplyDeletefor the crock pot, my favorite is: Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger, Julie Kaufmann
filled with interesting things that i didn't realise you could make in a crock pot, and everything i've made so far has come out great! good mix of "ethnic" choices, vegetarian, and omnivorous stuff. not just meals, but deserts and granola as well. pretty happy find.
From Maura:
ReplyDeleteReal Food by Nigel Slater. Warm filing food that turned my housemate and I from sad people who lived on tost (me) and poppadoms (him) to people who get vegetables delivered to our house. And it was a Christmas gift, so it's successful in that regard.
From Kris:
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely - it features weekly Menus with the shopping list - saves me hours a week deciding what to make and making my grocery list! Most weekly menus feature one crock pot meal, one seafood meal and meatless meal. The Sweet Bean Burritos are a favorite (sweet potatoes and black beans) OH and Asian Burritos with Ginger Salsa ... HMMM, looks like I need a Burrito cookbook!!! Leanne is creator of Menu-Mailer.net - a subscription to that is a gift I would love to receive!
From Catherine:
ReplyDeleteVegetarian Express by Nava Atlas (although it looks to be out of print) - 30 minute multi-part meals. Although it's a bit hit and miss, there are a bunch of really good meals in there, and they're mostly actually doable in 30 minutes. Perfect for brain dead and hungry after a long day at work.
From Eric:
ReplyDeleteThe New Basics is a must-have for anyone wanting to expand their repertoire beyond the ordinary. In addition to a wide variety of solid and occasionally sophisticated recipes, the book is a great resource on cooking techniques, ingredients and even menu selection for an entire meal.
From Jacob:
ReplyDeleteFlour by Joanne Chang. It is a fantastic book for decadent baked goods and a few other little tasty treats. Flour is a bakery in Boston, so many of the recipes are tried and true, and they are famous for their sticky buns which are in the book.
From Christine:
ReplyDeleteFrom Asparagus to Zucchini, Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition: a wonderful resource for what to do with all those CSS veggies. It lists them alphabetically and includes general information and idea as well as specific recipes. There are also sections for seasonal combinations and kids recipes.
From James:
ReplyDeleteI have a LOT of cookbooks, but I find myself going to Joy of Cooking more than anything else. It is an apparently inexhaustible source-- I have never consulted it for anything and found it lacking. A friend of my wife's asked her last week if she had a recipe for clam chowder. I went to good old J of C and there it was, and the friend reported afterward that it turned out great. And just a few days ago I used their recipe for turkey tetrazzini to get rid of our leftover turkey, and again it turned out wonderfully.
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ReplyDeleteFrom Sarah:
ReplyDeleteI like Moosewood Restaurant's Low-Fat Cookbook. My favorite dishes include: Caribbean Stew and Jerk Tofu; Persian Split Pea and Barley Stew; and Mushroom & Spinach Stuffed Zucchini. The dishes are a bit time intensive, but I think they're worth it. Lots of flavor, vegetables, and tasty vegetarian goodness. :)
From Cain:
ReplyDeleteRoasting, A simple Art, by Barbara Kafka (no you won't wake up entwickelt into an ungeheimliche Ungezeuer :-) ) Using a 500 degree oven you can make roasts or a chicken in no time that will just melt for you and your family. (my two main go-to recipes.) She also has many recipes for what to do with the leftovers as well as many recipes for roasting vegetables and fruit. "...when you're in a rush, roast. When you're in doubt, roast. When you're entertaining, roast"...)