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15 December 2006
Cookbook roundup! Inspired by gaspode's thread. Tell me about the cookbooks you've bought and loved this year. →[More:]Not a cookbook, but Schott's food and drink miscellany is a highlight for me, because I love trivia.
My daughter bought my husband the cookbook from the tv show The Sopranos a few months ago. It's unbelievable. The recipes are easy, the photographs are wonderful, and the food is orgasmic. I scoffed at the idea that a cookbook associated with a television show could be any good, and eeesh was I wrong. This is actually one of the best cookbooks we've ever had. I didn't read any of the little stories or anything; I don't watch the show and wouldn't have any idea what anyone was talking about. But the recipes are fantastico. Highly recommend it!
I'm always picking up cookbooks for cheap at library sales or Goodwill, and then bringing them back if they prove unsuitable. Although I think my favorite for this year is one I haven't bought yet: a book about cooking with tempeh I got at the library and made serious notes from.
jonmc, you'll get no brickbats from this quarter. I have Rachael Ray's first two cookbooks, and used to monitor the Food Network webpage religiously for recipes from new episodes of 30 minute meals.
I have a Rachel Ray sampler- not a full cookbook, but a little tiny book (it's Rachel Ray 30 Minute Meals: Comfort Foods). It has some good stuff! I made a delicious pumpkin black bean soup.
As for other cookbooks, I'm still a big fan of How to Cook Everything. Great basic cookbook to have in the collection.
I don’t think I’ve bought any cookbooks this year, but I’ve been given a few, of which Colman Andrews’ Catalan Cuisine stands out as being particularly well-written & appetizing to read; although I can’t really vouch for the recipes yet as I only tried one of them so far... I must dig it out & get cooking again.
The favorite one I've found this year isn't new at all. It's from 1591 and is called A BOOK OF COOKRYE: it's great fun. I've tried a couple of them, eg the duck with cloves and onions. It makes you realise how much early modern cookery depended on spices like ginger and nutmeg.
Oh it's good. I like it anyways. A little less basic than How to Cook Everything, but that's to be expected. I probably use a recipe from it (modified, because I can't follow recipes) weekly.
photo by splunge
photo by TheophileEscargot
photo by Kronos_to_Earth
photo by ethylene
