On Sunday I put a call out on Twitter for books that a 60-year-old guy could use to teach himself to cook and got scores of suggestions: Lots of Julia of course, but others that got three or more votes were Bittman's How to Cook Everything, Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food, and The Joy of Cooking. A couple mentioned Tom Collichio's Think Like a Chef and Madeleine Kamman's The Making of a Cook. A few kinds souls mentioned Ratio, a not unreasonable suggestion as it explores the fundamentals. But after I read all these comments, and, having been speaking intensively with a couple of publishing executives about the changing nature of cookbooks I wanted to put this out as a post, to discuss the nature of the new cookbooks and also so that people can name their favorite teaching cookbook in comments so we have a more permanent record of them than we do on twitter.
I pulled the above stack (photo by donna, thanks!) randomly but they are all good books and all teach in their own way. And "own way" is the key here. Most of them don't overtly try to teach (Alton's and my books do, and the CIA pro chef series is an explicit culinary textbook), but some are more effective than others by being more than simply a compilation of recipes.
Now that the tsunami of free recipes has flooded the cooking landscape, what is the purpose of cookbooks? Some of the points addressed by Sydny Miner of S&S and Bill LeBlonde of Chronicle Books at The Greenbrier included the fact that once we needed books of recipes, compilations, such as Joy or Craig Claiborne's The New York Times Cookbook. But now, because recipes are a click away, books have evolved. They come now with voice, with story, with a distinct personality. Also, as Miner pointed out, decades ago, somebody in most households cooked (usually a mom) who passed a fundamental set of skills down to the children so that recipes could read, "use a lump of butter the size of a walnut, mix together with flour, egg, sugar, pour into a cake pan and bake in a moderate oven until done." That was enough. Now we must be very specific in our instructions because not everyone knows what moderate means, mix together how, etc. We managed to lose a generation of cooking knowledge.
Bill LeBlond commented that he was much, much more interested in unconventional ideas because the old model is just not selling anymore.
And while at Greenbrier a reader emailed to say this: "After getting used to reading food blogs, I’m
looking for the stories behind the food. Today, for example, I browsed
through 2 older David Lebovitz cookbooks and I missed the stories. I
now find traditional cookbooks to be dry/boring without the wonderful
stories I read on (good) blogs. Plenty of people can make up a recipe,
but not many are good story tellers or have something particularly
interesting to say."
What are the best teaching cookbooks out there and what are we now looking for in today's cookbook?
DC
A vote for Jacques Pepin's "The Art of Cooking" and "Complete Techniques" here. And a hearty nay for Bittman.
As to what people are looking for: no idea.
underground chef
definitely cookbooks with narrative attached. the river cottage series is particularly helpful in this respect. i have always wanted to know how to think about food, not simply to know a recipe. about five years ago i determined that this was the best way i could learn. first purchase was larouse gastronomique. and since then i have never purchased a cookbook that did't have the thoughts/stories of the chef. food without story is disembodied and impersonal, the anti-thesis of what food should be.
Todd
I vote for Charcuterie - I learned (and am still learning) a ton from it!
chris brandow
the original chez panisse cookbook written with Paul Bertolli, was absolutely incredible. to think that it was written 20 years ago, it shows why chez panisse was on the forefront of fresh, local & simple. I learned a ton, though I have yet to cook many of the recipes.
Brad Urani
Alton Brown's 'I'm Just Here for the Food". Beneath the humor and Nickelodeon graphics is real usable cooking knowledge properly presented and scientifically explained.
Leslie
I think the best cookbook to teach someone to cook is the one that makes them want to cook. Photos are key for beginners, as are explanations of techniques. Anything heavy enough to double as a doorstop is out. I think Bittman's book is a great resource for someone learning to how to cook, and Kamman's is wonderful for forming a bond with the food.
Michael Greenberg
Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone is fantastic. It has a large section on vegetables discussing selection, storage, cooking techniques, and complementary flavors for each -- along with a few sample recipes to help you get started.
Fuchsia Dunlop's Land of Plenty teaches technique and approach as much as it provides excellent recipes. The stories are interesting, also, with Shark's Fin and Szechuan Pepper making a good companion.
Of course, Charcuterie is the first cookbook I read that really changed the way that I see food, not just the way I use it.
Schlake
Long ago, if a cookbook only had recipes, I called a recipebook (with disdain) and not a real cookbook.
Now, I can cook, and I don't need help deciphering even the most obscure recipe (such as pork pie in Kurlansky's new book whose cooking instructions are only an admonishment of how not to cook it).
What I admire most these days is genuineness. Cookbooks written by anthropologists are the best cookbooks out there. They give detailed recipes that are deadly accurate in their reproduction.
By the way, Twitter is a sign of impending brain damage.
When I recommend starting cook books my list is: Alton Brown's I'm Just Here For The Food, Mark Bittman's I Can't Believe I Wrote The Entire Thing (How To Cook Everything), and Marion's Joy Of Cooking (either an old one or the very recent one). After that it gets harder to choose. I'd have to jump from a list of three to a list of 50, because I just can't choose.
CB
Two worn copies of Pierre Franey cookbooks are my guides for so many recipes. And his story is wonderful.
60-Minute Gourmet and Cuisine Rapide.
Oh - and I'd recommend my own - Everybody Grills! - because what's cooking to a guy if it doesn't involve grilling?
Martha
How to Cook Everything was definitely the cookbook that moved me a big step further toward serious cook, rather than someone who just follows recipes really well. I think the way it is laid out explaining an ingredient or technique and then offering several suggestions makes it an excellent teaching cookbook.
Alison
Back in the day, I learned to cook from Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins' The New Basics Cookbook. It's full of interesting little tidbits, which today might seem quaint, but back then they thrilled me.
Jason
I learned a lot from Bourdains Les Halles book. It does a good job of explaining the mental mise en place which has helped me more than anything.
Madison Foodie
I think the The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenberg fits into the same "Cooking 2.0" vibe that Ratio is channeling. Their guide isn't about recipes per se, but an exploration of flavor combinations of different ingredients that can add complexity and interest to a basic dish.
Jason
BakeWise and CookWise, both by Shirley O. Corriher, offer a lot of science to explain recipes and allow for experimentation to change recipes.
Camille
I got How To Cook Everything in college and loved its recipe + variations aesthetic.
In culinary school, I marveled at how "correct" all the methods in The Silver Palate Cookbook were, and learned a lot about how to compose meals.
Working in a professional pastry shop, La Pâtisserie de Pierre Hermé was indispensable: great flavor ideas and solid techniques.
I have most recently fallen in love with Fergus Henderson and his Nose to Tail books. They really urge you to take a step outside your comfort zone, which is a great way to learn and improve your cooking, even if you've been doing it for years!
Chris D
Unfortunately, cookbooks do little more than show recipes. A little plug, Ratio has inspired me to experiment with many things including crepes and homemade bread for the first time. These days, most technique can be found on the web. The future of cookbooks may be Kindle with accompanying video.
Art of Simple Foods does a good job breaking the dishes up into technique (a rarity), but does not go far enough with instruction to be truly great. I would like to see a cookbook that teach technique including what to do and what not to do, what to look for and what to avoid.
Also, it would be cool to have a book on various plating techniques including family style, stacking, deconstruction, etc. But I would not want a huge, coffee table food porn book of pictures. Rather, just simple instructions on what great chefs have learned with accompanying illustrations which support the lesson.
christopher
I have a lot of cook books and never use any. Most are little more than food porn; glossy pictures and uninspiring recipes. "The Whole Beast" is the first book that speaks in a language that makes sense to me. It doesn't take itself too seriously and leaves room for interpretation. "Let the ingredients get to know each other" is more meaningful than "simmer for 5 minutes." Sometimes 5 minutes isn't enough or is way too much. Its better to let the food guide you through cooking it rather than a book. My $0.02 anyway...
The Whole Beast also contains wonderful asides that aren't recipes but give you enough to make it. Bath chaps are a favorite.
Thom
I'm totally surprised that nobody has mentioned this yet, but I'm going to put my vote in for The Fundamental Techniques of Classical Cuisine by the French Culinary Institute. As someone who aspires to one day go to culinary school, finding cookbooks that really teach technique was something I focused on. I must say that the FCI book is more of a teaching book than the CIA book, Professional Chef, because it explains the techniques rather than simply being a sort of new cooks reference, which is what the CIA book seems to be (I also have and use Professional Chef, in addition to the CIA books on baking and pastry and Garde Manger).
Bbq Dude
For a beginner, I always recommend Joy of Cooking (any version before Ethan Becker got his hands on it) and Kamman's Making of a Cook. Making of a Cook opened my eyes to new techniques, new foods and new ideas, while Joy simply pointed me towards the stove and showed me how much fun cooking can be. The first rabbit I ever cooked was using a recipe from Joy.
The thing that cookbooks bring that the internet doesn't is trust. I trust that any recipe I look at in Joy will be good (though perhaps a tad bland). With an internet search, you're at the mercy of the vast majority of recipes which are bad (just try looking up margarita on google and find how many of the top hits are just simply lousy).
Lucy Vaserfirer
Anything by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. Becoming a Chef, Culinary Artistry, The New American Chef, What to Drink with What You Eat, and The Flavor Bible are some of the best teaching books out there.
As far as what readers are looking for next, I’m trying to figure that out before I write my next proposal! I’m hoping that new, exotic ethnic cuisines might be on the list. I grew up with the amazing foods of Uzbekistan, and I would like to share those recipes with readers.
carri
My first favorites were The Silver Palate Cookbooks...I loved the whimsical drawings and great stories, though, truly, Joy of Cooking and Julia's The Way to cook are where I go for practical methods and formula's that work.
jfwells
Hello - just found your site and Ratio and am excited about both.
I would add to Alton Brown's books, the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. Besides those, I find that most of my recipes and cooking ideas come from blogs these days. There are some amazing amateurs out there that have combined a modern writing style, cooking/baking, and excellent photography.
jfwells
19thandfolsom
I learned to cook with Viana La Place's Pasta Fresca, Unplugged Kitchen, and to a lesser extent, Cucina Fresca. They worked for me because they suited my approach to food at the time: simple food that focuses on letting the natural flavors come through, made with organic ingredients.
What I look for in cookbooks now are the elements of finesse. Can it teach me to reach new levels in flavor, plating, and overall composition?
Amber
I would second (or third) most of the suggestions already listed, but Nigel's Slater's "Taste" really got me thinking about cooking as an extension of eating. I think his unpretentious style would also appeal to a new cook.
StumptownSavoury
I learned from Julia Child, both on TV and "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Early editions of "The Joy of Cooking" are excellent reminders of what I should know. Fuschia Dunlop's "Land of Plenty" taught me what Chinese cooking should be like. Jacques Pepin's "La Technique" showed me how to do the things Julia encouraged me to do.
But now? If I can't remember, I use the cheat sheet I copied from "Ratio" to remind myself. Thanks Michael!
19thandfolsom
Oh, and other things I look for in cookbooks:
(a) authenticity
(b) explanations of the story behind the food, whether that's technical (about some aspect of the dish) or personal ("I first ran across this when I was walking through an Italian meadow...")
From a usability point of view, layout and graphic design are incredibly important. There are some gorgeous and well-written cookbooks out there that are printed with a point size of 11 or 10 or in grey against a white background. They're hard enough to read held close to your face, let alone while sitting on a counter while you're cooking at the same time.
Dennis
I have too many cookbooks. What has by far the most use is Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything. The whole family uses it. Personally, my favorite books are James Peterson's Cooking (along with Sauces but not as a general cookbook) and Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone. I have Alton Brown's books, but the Peterson book is better IMO.
Laura
As a cook that likes to be told just as much how and why to do something as what to put into it, the books that really set me off into being able to cook vs being able to follow a recipe have that style. I always recommend Nigel Slater's Appetite and Real Food - both are simple fare (but excellent) written in an accessible style. Every recipe has variations and suggestions - invaluable to those that want to go beyond the basic recipe.
I also refer to The New Best Recipe regularly for the same reason. The explanations of why and how let me decide if I want to look for a fussy ingredient or substitute, follow all 18 steps or cut corners, and what the consequences of those decisions might be.
Charcuterie, River Cottage Meat, etc, are great references once you already understand the basics. They've taught me a lot, but I wouldn't recommend them as a starting point.
Charles Thompson
It seems to me that there's teaching someone to cook by technique -- and I'd vote for any book that teaches French methods, Julia being top of the list; and then there's teaching the concepts of food and cooking, understanding taste and flavor, cooking and eating as a way of life. Such writers as Richard Olney, Elizabeth David, and MFK Fisher come to mind. As far as today's cookbooks and food writing, maybe that's why the books/blogs with stories and memories combined with recipes and cooking techniques resonate. Maybe we are now beyond just needing to learn technique?
Kevin Hennessy
My go to books are The Art of Cooking 1&2 by J.Pepin. The Way to Cook by J. Child. The Zuni Cookbook by J. Rodgers. The Making of a Cook by M. Kamman. Professional Baking by W. Gisslen
Bruce Harlick
How to Cook Everything was a fantastically useful book; I learned approaches to making things that I thought I'd never do.
I also enjoy Cook's Illustrated magazine because of the approach they takes. Reading through the development of their recipes, I can see what they tried, what didn't work and how they ultimately ended up with what they published.
veron
Glad to see that Zuni Cafe is at the top of the stack...one of my favorite cookbooks! Reminded me on a book dilemma I had 2 years ago...the solution was to buy all the books and get a bigger bookcase...:)
http://kitchenmusings.typepad.com/my_weblog/books/
Pat
I like (and am sad to see it neglected here) Julia Child's 'The Way To Cook'. Its aim is to teach, its recipes are great, its pictures are helpful, and her wise and funny stories and hints are the 'icing on the cake'. Also votes for 'Mastering the Art', Joy (older), Alton Brown's books. I'm enjoying how 'How To Eat Supper' is teaching me what it claims to do, but that may be a second course or a refresher.
beerick
I'm a fan of Peter Berley's books. The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen is fantastic (even for non-vegies like me), as are his others. He sneaks a lot of lessons into his recipes.
Todd
The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking: Techniques and Recipes by Barbara Tropp. It has great chinese recipes and teaches a little bit of method throughout a lot of its recipes.
matt wright
For me, I have learned so much from Elizabeth David's French Provincial Cooking. Just a fantastic book, written in an age when it was OK to write a book that required some skill in the kitchen.
Bouchon is another favorite for learning too.
beerick
to respond to the second part of the question, I look for cookbooks that have a larger picture than just recipes. A seasonal perspective is great, or a look meals rather than recipes. Or interesting insights into ingredients. Present challenges and contexts. Plain ole recipes is a tough market against the internet and already-favorite authors.
Mike Fincham
I don't think that any cookbook actually "teaches" because there is no teacher present. Even the CIA tome is really just a textbook. I view cookbooks as textbooks. The best of them have a strong authorial voice that tries to fill the void and anticipates the potholes awaiting the reader. Shirley Corriher's Cookwise and Alton's books are a good example of books that succeed in this respect. Ratio would fall into this category. The French Laundry cookbook teaches at times (Big Pot Blanching), but it mostly a collection of recipes. The narrative structure in between the recipes in TFL helps, but I think a hybrid approach of using the TFL book and Carol Blymire's excellent blog on TFL is closer to a experiental teaching method. I'd like to see more cookbooks utilize the web and a "cook the book" blogging style to flesh out the measurements and instructions on the page.
Harlan
I once read somewhere someone (maybe it was you, Ruhlman!) talk about how to learn how to cook. They suggested making a list of 30 recipes that you'd like to know how to make. A variety of fairly basic stuff, like waffles, chicken picatta, white bread, a stir fry, etc. And then you make those 30 dishes over and over again. Start out with the recipes in Joy (or wherever), then try some suggested variations, then look at a variety of recipes in other cookbooks or on the web, and try to figure out what makes them the same or different, then make up your own variations.
Someone should write a cookbook like that for beginners who really want to become good cooks. Or better yet, create a web site, where you can take notes, compare with other people doing the course, see links to other recipes, etc.
sara
It depends on what kind of cooking you're trying to learn.
For french, I like Julie.
For italian, any of Marcella Hazan's excellent tomes. I learned risotto from "Marcella Cucina."
I love Zuni for that fresh california take. Jerry Traunfeld's recipes also excel in the simple and fresh realm.
The flavor bible (as mentioned above) for experimenting with food pairings.
Rick Bayless for mexican.
Jennifer Brennan's the original thai cookbook for thai.
But the first cookbook I fell in love with was Jane Brody's, "Good food." Simple, reliable and mostly good for you.
Josh Condon
Absolutely The Best Recipe Book by Cook's Illustrated / America's Test Kitchen.
Rather than giving a single recipe, they look at the various ways fundamentals (roasting a chicken, say), test it out 40 or 50 different ways, then give scientific and practical reasons why they came up with the recipe they did. They also have instructions for everything from boning a chicken to seasoning a cast-iron skillet, plus experiments to see if, say, washing mushrooms really does waterlog them (the answer is no, contrary to popular wisdom).
You can read the book front to back and be a better cook just from the fundamental food knowledge it imparts.
Duncan
I honestly have learned a bunch from The French Laundry and Bouchon books. I know they can be a little intense and complicated in some respects but I love the way the idea behind the method is explained. As an example, after reading about the proper way and the reason behind blanching haricot verts I use that method all the time with lots of different veggies.
Josh Condon
Sorry - just realized the way I opened that post was unclear.
The title is "The Best Recipe Book," not "Absolutely The Best Recipe Book."
Jesse
Wow... until I wrote this, I really didn't understand what a hard question this is! Indeed, I agree that nearly any growing foodie finds their short-list of treasures being overwhelmed by piles of books that are either useless or just boring to them.
I think a great "teaching cookbook" has to have at least three qualities:
First, it must motivate you to seriously read it. Secondly, it must give
you the desire to actually cook from it-- it must have the magic to
actually get you into the kitchen. Finally, it needs to provide
information of great explanatory power, otherwise it is just a recipe
collection.
Here are some books that came to mind while I thought about this:
* "Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook" claims not to be a book that
will teach you how to cook, but accomplishes the opposite. It was the book
that started to give me real culinary tools to go beyond "follow the
recipe". It was too fun to put down, got me in to the kitchen all the
time, and (often slyly) taught me a lot. Another point about it that must
not be underrated is that it provides so many starting points to branch
out of, including a great bibliography that helps you go beyond it. Very
rare, indeed.
* "Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques" for me has a great balance between
the serious and playful, and tons of information. It's also fun to cook
from!
* The CIA book is a bit too dry to read just for fun. Everything's
restaurant scale. Useful? Absolutely. A great teaching cookbook? Not for
me, because I almost never cook from it!
* "Larousse Gastronomique". Not really a cookbook, but I sometimes read it
for very long stretches of time. Teaching? Well, not really: I seldom cook
from it. But, is it ever interesting!
* Fergus Henderson's books are motivating to me. I cook from them
frequently. The better I get, the better the results are. They get me in
to the kitchen, and get me to cook new things. There's little on
"teaching", but tons of magic!
* I think I can add "Ratio" to my list, because it's the only book I have that describes all things dough and baking in a way that actually makes sense to me. Somehow, it's getting through my fear, and I'm actually making the stuff! Interesting + good info + actual cooking = good teaching cookbook!
milo
I have always found Joy of Cooking to be extremely useful for both recipes and techniques, tons of information in there.
And I'm partial to the 1997 edition, it was their best yet, and I consider the newer one a disappointment and a step backwards.
I have to admit, with all that is available on the internet, it takes a lot for me to buy yet another cookbook. They are probably more useful to flip through and get ideas what to make than to go look up a specific recipe.
Roberto N.
It's hard to say what is the purpose of cookbooks. The CAP Books from france were a treasure trove of technique, but on the other hand a book like Cucina of Le Marche gave me a lot of insight about Fabio Trabocchi's origins and let me undertand his cuisine much more. Too bad I read it when I was no longer working for him. Others are more like inspiration.
Robin Benzle
I've always been inspired by The Dion Lucas Book of French Cooking for dishes that always turn out beautifully. Also, you must check out my online cooking show, Chow Time, at http://www.robinbenzle.com. My mission has always been to inspire people to make their kitchen a more interesting place - through unintimidating recipes and humor.
Nick
One approach that I particularly liked was in Ming Tsai's "Simply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals." The book teaches a master recipe and then follows up with several other recipes that utilize the master recipe.
Chef Tsai, Jose Andres and others provide tips and beverage recommendations that shed some light on how to elevate a meal and make a recipe substitutions when in a pinch. These "add-ons" help to make recipes more approachable.
Wilma de Soto
I'll probably be run out of town on a rail, but I learned a lot from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.
Joanne Chang
For baking, I always point my bakers to Flo Braker's Simple Art of Perfect Baking and Rose Levy Berenbaum's Cake Bible. Both do a terrific job of explaining WHY you should do something a certain way in baking. I skipped baking school with these under my belt (actually my bed)! Julia's Baking with Julia is a classic too of course.
ctussaud
Please tell him to read M.F.K Fisher, Julie and Julia, Jeremiah Tower's books. I think he would appreciate Victor Gordon's The English Cookbook ISBN 0224023004 (probably oop but available at Abebooks or the like).
Susan Greene
The best baking cookbooks are still those written by Maida Heatter. I love her introductions to the recipes and how she is very ddetailed in her explanations. It is as if she is right there in the kitchen holding your hand and reassuring you along the way. She explains ingredients, cooking equipment and technique. Perfect!
Chris
I have learned more technique from the French Laundry and Bouchon than any other books. While many may critique the focus on 'fancy' food, Keller's (and Ruhlman's) explanations of the fundamentals have permeated all my cooking, most of which is thrown together based on what's in the house at the time.
As for what I personally am looking for... I often find myself wishing that cookbooks had more photos of the process. Take Keller's agnolotti in the French Laundry, which I'm planning to make this w/e as my first foray into homemade pasta. Great photos of how to roll and cut them, but a shot illustrating what is meant by (and I'm paraphrasing here) 'the dough should be rolled thin enough that you can see your fingers through it but not so thin as to be transleucent' would be valuable. Otherwise, more detail on flavour pairings. I love Culinary Artistry for this.
AliceWaters:Abridged
I adore Julia's Kitchen Wisdom by Julia Child. It's a very thin book that's all about the basics of, say, a quiche and then goes on to suggest a few variations. It's what I turn to again and again for ideas about where to start.
gabriella
i am one of those cooks with few cookbooks.
i grew up with the joy of cooking and julia. that is what I know. that is what i love. and i a ma pretty good cook.
Florence McCarthy
While my husband was preparing Cal-French cuisine for high paying guests I was left at home to fend for myself -- a foodie but not a cook. I turned to my cooking trinity: Learning to Cook with Marion Cunningham, our complete collection of Cook's Illustrated and Jacques Pepin (La Methode &
La Technique.)
P.S. My husband wanted me to add his first cookbook experience - The Joy of Cooking.
Steveo
I really learned a bunch from mario batali's book molto Italiano for taking the intimidation out of cooking. And I stand by the river cottage meat book, because it is probably one of the most overlooked cookery books.
Sara
I really like "The Practical Encyclopedia of Baking" (it has pictures of each step in the recipe) The Joy of Cooking, Fannie Farmer, I'm Just Here for the Food and now Ratio. For Indian food I highly recommend "The Indian Spice Kitchen" by Monisha Bharadwaj.It's food history and recipes all in one.
123
I agree with many here that books with an emphasis on the stories and/or histories behind the food are great teaching tools. Understanding why a particular recipe is important to a culture or a place, and then having a thoughtful, well explained take on a recipe - particularly when it is sensitive to what can actually be done at home - provides a context that helps you better work with a recipe. Years ago, I enjoyed books of this type by Lynne Rosetto Kasper (The Splendid Table), Jeff Smith (many of the Frugal Gourmet books - in particular Three Ancient Cuisines), and I recently enjoyed reading Jamie Oliver's latest - Jamie at Home, in which he focuses on ingredients that can be grown in a home garden, with growing and harvesting tips. It is also beautiful to look at and hold.
Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking" is practically a food geek degree program packed into 800 pages...and has been a remarkable book in teaching me how food works.
One other note: Although not books, both Cook's Illustrated and Saveur magazines are amazing "teaching" tools. Cook's actually publishes all of the year's magazines into a hardbound edition. The excellent writing in Saveur that focuses on the cultures and people behind a cuisine have taught me a lot over the years.
Natalie Sztern
I actually wish I could open a cookbook and press a button and watch the cook doing the video of the printed recipe in front of my eyes....
Brooke
I started my own blog of recipes as a simple online archive of what I've tried, what we liked (and didn't) and what modifications I would make for next time.
I include links to online tutorials and other sites (like yours) with real recipes that work as a reference for the future.
I am excited that family & friends are now contributing but it honestly was started to reduced the volume of cookbooks & magazines in my kitchen!
Kristine
Ditto on Bourdain's Les Halles. It taught me some great "basics." I also go straight to Jacques' La Technique and La Methode when trying something new, as well as Julia's "Way to Cook." All have been mentioned already, but they are my go-tos. I haven't finished Ratio yet, but I'm pretty sure it'll be added!
Lorrie
I absolutely agree with the reader who e-mailed you whilst at Greenbriar. Reconnecting with the soul of the recipe is vital. In my own on-line food journal/blog, it is my hope that people will reconnect with nourishing their bodies, as well as their souls, while at the sime time, nurturing the global environment. This can be hands on, messy and flat out fun, because one is connecting with the passion of the recipe. It is for this reason, that I have come to to adore both Nigella Lawson and Nigel Slater. Both have stated that there is nothing more precious to them, than to have a reader come to a signing with a spattered, dog-eared and written in cookbook, because they know the reader/cook has really connected with their writing and recipes and made them their own, simply using the given recipe as a suggestion. I think that is the heart and soul of cooking.
In recent publication are Molly Wizenberg's "A Homemade Life" and Tessa Kiros's "Falling Cloudberries". Both are wrought with rich narrative, so much so that by the time one reaches the recipe, they find themselves sprinting for the kitchen--or at least planning their next meal.
Additionally, as chefs/authors find wider audiences, I believe that both European and North American measures will have to be included in cookbook publications.
Lorrie King
http://read-n-eat.com/
blowback
As a Brit, I would suggest Delia Smith's three-volume How to cook as the ideal book for some one learning to cook. When it was first published, it was ridiculed for including instruction on how to boil an egg but since then I have seen enough under and overcooked boiled eggs to understand where Delia was coming from.
As for learning to cook from any Fuschia Dunlop book, forget it. While I think they are wonderful books, you have to be a fairly accomplished cook to even understand the recipes.
Jennifer S
I like having the Joy of Cooking (reference always available at Mom's & Grandmom's), but I think now I would suggest one of Jamie Oliver's books. They have great pictures, and he uses a voice that is encouraging to cooks, not intimidating. Certainly some ingredients might not be easily available in rural areas, but he has master recipes and ways to change them. I love the "come on, get your hands dirty" voice.
Elmer
I did get to learn some kitchen basics from my mom, but did a lot of learning and experimenting on my own. When I got my first place in college, my older sister sent me the best gift ever - a good wooden spoon and spatula, some kitchen towels, and some cookbooks that she had always found useful: Fannie Farmer (which I still use as a quick reference guide), Betty Crocker, Better Homes and Gardens, and two Jeff Smith cookbooks (the first Frugal Gourmet and Frugal Gourmet cooks American). Those last two books were the most useful. Fifteen years later, I still go back to those when I need ideas for dinner. I liked them because they gave a realistic idea of what you need in your kitchen, they had a good reference section with diagrams of the items he was talking about, and because he gave the recipes or foods a reference point for the user.
Since that time, I have kept collecting the Frug books (even Alton Brown refers to him in his first book) because the recipes work, and because they are just interesting books to read. They certainly aren't cutting edge, though I have read many a recipe in those older books which still pop up as "the next thing" for home cooks in the glossy food mags.
The cookbooks I look for now are the ones that explain the techniques I don't yet know, rather than the ones that give me a specific ingredient list. I strive to not need a specific ingredient list with measurements in order to make dinner. I usually want to look at a recipe, get a feeling for the ingredients and what the final product should be, and then just dive in from there. If I understand the method, and have a good feeling for the target, then I know what to do.
JB in San Diego
OK, I just posted a home-made recipe for stir-fry to another blog (Rochelle Bilow's) and realized that I wanted to add commentary to every step. I use frozen minced ginger - how exactly do I prepare and freeze minced ginger ahead of time? I use random ingredients that I have on hand - but which ones take longer to cook (onions, carrots, celery, bell peppers) and which ones take less time (bok choy, etc.)? I like to play with the finishing sauce (soy, oyster, fish, corn starch, mirin, whatever), but how do I translate the fact that one should experiment in a recipe... with a footnote?
I find it extremely heartening that battle-tested cookbook authors are soliciting advice from their readers. Getting feedback on your published works in real time is a 21st century phenomenon that wouldn't be possible without the (so-called) blog.
CookingSchoolConfidential.com
My ideal cookbook: Recipes that are tested. No, really tested. Repeatedly. By people who have nothing to do with the book. And really work. Really.
Pictures. The more the better. But, at least, one per recipe.
Very clear instructions on technique. No, I mean VERY clear. And why.
What I don't need are super specific ingredient lists. It's okay to say a cup of two of mangoes, diced. I like mangoes; I'll add more. I do it now, anyway.
And if the recipes are stupid fast and simple with
accessible and not too expensive ingredients and if it delivers the sort of taste you remember a week later, then sign me up.
I go through recipes like candy at culinary school and that's what I look for.
Now, is that too much to ask?
Tags
It's sad that I have to preface my choice with
"in the USA, you are innocent until proven guilty"
but there it is, Jeff Smith and the forgotten but brilliant Frugal Gourmet series.
It was him that taught me "chi fan le meiyou," Chinese for "have you eaten yet?" which led to the circumstances in which I met my wife.
Also, Eugene Walter's "hints & pinches" is ostensibly a compendium of ingredients, but is lush with anecdotes about food and show business. Anybody Fellini would let occupy his precious time would have to be an interesting fellow indeed, and Eugene does not disappoint. Recipes are great, too.
Melissa
Michael, I just wanted to let you know that Pioneer Woman plugged Ratio in her latest post, so people are surely hearing about your book. 🙂
As for books on how to cook, I don't think I've ever used one like that. I learned to cook from my mom, she learned to cook from her mom, etc. My mother's most favourite cookbook is Fanny Farmer, which DOES have some instructional stuff in it.
Jonathan
Anything from Christopher Kimball (Cook's Illustrated, America's Test Kitchen).
I really took to their descriptions of what did and did not work for each recipe that they develop.
And, as a result, their recipes are really tested.
That got me started on cooking. From there, I'm still looking for more fundamental technique descriptions: What do you mean, "braise" ?
In the long run, I'd like to get more improvisational in my cooking. More fundamental technique descriptions plus something like your "Ratio" (which is sitting on my nightstand, about to be opened) will hopefully get me along that path.
Tags
I'd be remiss if I were to omit Shizuo Tsuji's "Japanese Cooking, A Simple Art."
Patonthis
Linda Carucci's book "Cooking School Secrets For Real-World Cooks" includes lots of tips and is a good book for both a beginner and someone with more experience.
Pat
I have to +1 the "French Laundry" book + Blymire FL@H blog combination, as the blog drew me in to buying and then cooking from the book, and gave lots of battle-tested information about how.
As a lesser parallel, I find it useful to read the recipe reviews, when a website makes them available, in order to see the flops, workarounds and amendments that people have made in their kitchens in order to apply them in mine.
Natalie Sztern wrote:
> I actually wish I could open a cookbook and press a button and watch the cook doing the video of the printed recipe in front of my eyes....
I love this idea, and think someone must be working on it now.
My own dream is to have an iPhone or Kindle or application (something that I can keep handy in the kitchen) that 'coaches' the recipe/meal... from ingredients and mise-en-place to timers for each step to pictures of what things should look like at each step. I know it's out there, just waiting to happen.
Arturo
Zuni Cafe cookbook, Judy Rodgers
Elements of Taste, Gray Kunz
Sauces; Cooking;EoC; James Peterson
A Mediterrainian Feast, Clifford Wright
Dean and Deluca, David Rosengarten
There are lots of great ones out there, but these are exceptional.
HankShaw
Honestly, Harold McGee is probably the best book out there for serious learning. But I also love Bertolli's "Cooking by Hand," as well as the CIA books. And not to blow sunshine up your ass, but "Charcuterie" is a pretty damn good book...
Bob Y
And let us not forget the original two "Silver Palate" cookbooks. They had a voice, obvious passion for food and they're books to this day I use often. Based on all the commenters above, I've been tracing my own arc: from Claiborne and Julia to Silver Palate(s) to Marcella Hazan to Richard Olney and the blessed Alice to what is now my food. Today however, I must admit that much of my food is from Epicurious, Cooksillustrated,com, and several blogs. A new paradigm as I watch a friend cook dinner with a small laptop perched on the counter. 🙂
lisadelrio
The first book I cooked from was my Dad's 1962 edition of "Joy of Cooking." In the 80s, I read Linda West Eckhardt's "The Only Texas Cookbook" - which is filled with humor and entertaining stories. I'm not sure how much cooking I learned from Linda, but I sure developed a love of cookbooks. I've been collecting them ever since. Recently, I learned some useful things from Elements, and while I'm sucking up, Ratio. 🙂
Cindy Corbett
One of my first cookbooks was Elizabeth David's Italian Cooking. Also remember learning a lot from the Time-Life Cooking of the World series.
Robin
Pam Anderson's "How to Cook Without a Book" is very practical, I still even remember some of those silly rhymes at the start of each chapter.
Robb Walsh's books are fun, because he gives some great background on why or where the recipe came from.
Lots of good suggestions here...
Matt
Culinary Artistry showed me there could be more to it than picking out a recipe from Joy of Cooking and trying not to burn it. It really sparked my imagination.
Now that they've expanded it into The Flavor Bible and I've got Ratio; I feel like there's a whole world out there for me to overmix/undercook/drop on the floor on the way to the sink.
tyronebcookin
I like Alton, I have read all Michael Ruhlman's Chef books, and then Ratio, & Elements. Loved those. Liked the Einsteins Cook...series 1&2. Got plenty of quick useful knowledge out of The New Kitchen Science...own the Professional Chef and Larousse Gastronomique...But one day I found ‘The Creative Cooking Course’ and it’s edited by Charlotte Turgeon (no author-and at one point she was an editor on Larousse I believe) found it for a few dollars at the Books Warehouse in Dallas.(I think that was the name of the place) I loved it not because it was a cook/recipe book of sorts but because it was 'old school' great pictures, diagrams, and techniques...foods that use to be 'The Food' to have or cook, gave catering and party tips, sections on sauces, drinks, desserts..etc. I was intrigued by it. Currently I don't have any recipe books, don't buy them...I think people nowadays want technique, instructions, simple ways to create great flavor and WOW people...stories, some history, anecdotes, lots of humor and maybe a few recipes along the way to illustrate their point. AND of course they need lots of EXCELLENT photos from Donna Ruhlman!
Micheal you should come up with some 'limited prints' involving technique, elements, and ratios (besides the one you did pdf) combined with Donna's photography...those would sell...make them to be beautiful and inspiring hanging in the kithen or over the hearth in the 'great room'.
People are looking for experiences...just throw a few recipes in for guidance along the way!
Connie
Just to name a few: Le Guide Culinaire, Auguste Escoffier. Baking With Julia, Julia Child. On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee. The Art of Eating, MFK Fisher.
What I look for in cookbooks: Jennifer McLagan's Fat book is great. It has good recipes, plentiful information, and its pleasing to the eye just to look at.
Cookbooks I avoid like the plague: what I refer to as "coffee table cookbooks," all fluff, no substance, or worse yet, recipes that don't work.
Sharon
I agree with the comment that the best teaching book is one that gets you cooking. So many cookbooks are fun to read but never used for their actual purpose. Tops on my list: The Silver Palate series, Molly Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook, The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper, Sunset Magazine's Favorite Recipes, The Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis.
amy
The books I use are
Herbs and Spices Jill Norman
The Flavor bible Karen Page and Andrew
Knife Skills Charlie Trotter
The New Foodlovers Companion
The new Food lover's tiptionary
My first "official" cookbook was Fanny Farmer...
I don't really use any of the recipes in my cookbooks...Only have them for inspiration and influence....
Tammi
Joy of Cooking...everything I made from that cookbook worked...everything.
Steve O.
I find that my favorite cookbooks are more reference books than anything else. I use Bittman's "How to Cook Everything," the "Joy Of Cooking" and Pepin's "Complete Techniques" as my go-to references. If I've never made something or never worked with certain ingredients, I take a look at these books, then I hit the internet to find out how (infinitely) more people do it. I then take what I like, leave what I don't, and if it doesn't work out in the end, I regroup and read some more.
I was fortunate enough to grow up without cable and watched PBS almost exclusively. The cooking shows on PBS have been invaluable, now just as much as always. The Food Network cannot hold a candle to the shows on PBS. I've learned more essential techniques from these shows than I have from my mother and grandmother combined (just don't let them know!).
casacaudill
I love anything with a narrative - tells you about the food, why it matters, how to get it fresh, etc - and photos. MUST HAVE PHOTOS. In that regard, I love Mario's cookbooks. I could read them probably if I wasn't wanting to make everything in those pages.
Canice
I was hoping to see a word about David Tanis' "A Platter of Figs" from the sometime chef at Chez Panisse. I haven't spent enough time with it yet, but was hoping it would turn out to be the non-cookbook for the seasonal home cook. If that makes sense. In other words, the philosophical, regional, professional perspective that should replace the "Recipe Book" in today's home kitchen.
Greg Turner
I'm surprised no one mentioned McGee's On Food and Cooking. It's an amazing book given the information it contains, and is even more amazing given its tone, humor and readability.
I also have gained much from the CIA's Professional Chef, Alton's book (and television series) and Ruhlman's own Elements of Cooking (plug, plug).
Two ideas for cookbooks that would be infinitely valuable for novice and seasoned cooks alike: The first, a cookbook that talked about flavor profiles by region. Native spices, methods, etc. Essentially, a book that provided you tools to cook a chicken as if you were in a province in China, the American south, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, etc. The second would be a book that details ways to think about food. Where it comes from, how things go together. The difference in thought behind vegetarian cooking and cooking with meat. This idea for me is less crystallized than the former, but as someone whose daughter recently converted to vegetarianism, I've found myself having to think about dinner in a different way than before.
Emie
I first read about "Ratio" from a post at
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/
in her May 20th post and I quicky ordered it.
To date my favorite cookbooks to learn from are CI's books and Alton Brown's.
ntsc
My first choice on teaching cookbooks is Joy. We have two different editions prior to 1980 and the most recent one.
The two Time-Life Series, The Good Cook - one of which is in your photo and Foods of the World are excellent secondary texts.
My wife would go with Julia and Mastering the Art Vol I, we are on our second copy. Her next choice would be anything by Child or Pepin.
I don't know Ratio well enough to offer a firm opinon yet. As you point out the CIA texts are texts, and we have most of them.
I'm less concerned with photos than illustration but I do want a cooking primer to read as a book, not a recipe collection.
robin
I'm certainly looking for a narrative. The best cookbooks seem to explain not just the how, but the why, the meaning of what you are about to cook. I imagine people who put a good deal of their time and effort into food and cooking want something more, or at least I do.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Even with blogs and sites like Epicurious, I'm constantly drawn to my cookbooks. I trust them. And somehow it seems more intimate to cook from a book's recipe rather than one found online, however silly that seems. I was actually a little bummed the other day to see the strawberry sorbet recipe in Paul Bertolli's Cooking by Hand up on Epicurious. That recipe was such a personal one for me. I made it with the book on my table and later ate the sorbet while reading it. I was so happy to have bought the book and to be able to read it front to back. You can't get that online. (Though you can get something else, just as good: a look into someone's kitchen diary. And while that's just as (more) intimate, it's less polished, more real but less dramatic I guess.)
But I'll stop rambling and get down to brass tacks, a few favorites:
Cooking by Hand
Zuni Cafe Cookbook
Charcuterie 🙂
The French Menu Cookbok (Richard Olney's)
Falling Cloudberries
Everyone Eats Well in Belgium (a great cookbook, even if I'm biased because it was co-authored by my aunt Maria)
River Cottage Meat Book
robin
Oh, and Diane Kennedy's books.
Michele
Inspired by Carol Blymire of French Laundry at Home Blog, I've been cooking my way through The French Laundry cookbook and find it one of the best at teaching the home cook restaurant secrets and how to get everything prepared ahead so that it's just a few minutes when the guests are there.
sara
James Peterson's 'Vegetables' is a practical and hands-on approach to learning what to do with various veggies, without making the would-be cook go hunting for obscure ingredients, jump through weird procedural hoops, or otherwise feel like an ass.
Madhur Jaffrey's 'World Vegetarian' is good, too.
For all-around cooking advice I still look to the Fannie Farmer Cookbook (the Joy of Cooking was never used in my household growing up, for whatever reason), and Bittman's 'How to Cook Everything' is great, too.
If I have a procedural/technique question I'll usually go to 'The Professional Chef'.
Nick Malgieri is good for baking advice and trouble-shooting.
MikeV
I heartily agree with the Zuni Cafe Cookbook, Cook's Illustrated "Best Recipe", and Alton Brown cookbooks.
But the cookbook that made all the difference for me was Pam Anderson's "How to Cook Without a Book". It changed my mental map of cooking. I went from knowing a collection of recipes to knowing a collection of basic techniques and Ratios. (Pun intended - I love your new book).
Each chapter in the book is a basic technique (say, sautéing, with a deglazed pan sauce) with a lot of variations. The book opened my eyes to how those techniques are used in ALL the recipes of that type. That was when the top list of books started to help me - they did the best job of explaining when, why and how you would use certain techniques and ratios.
luis
Recipes, can't live with them and can't live without them.
It's important that book writers get with the lastest information regarding how food affects us.
Case in point is kesller's book and research. Don't have it in my grubbies yet but its at the UPS.
After becoming food and technique aware I think I know who to go for what.
Lots and Lots of great books out there like Ratio, The elements and Charcuterie.
I need recipe books for a NEW TYPE OF COOKING. Same dishes Same custards and Ice creams etc... but non addictive. The sugar, fat, salt addiction that cuisine and modern restaurants and prepared foods thrusts on us Americans needs to be clearly seen as a danger to the population and there is room for a new movement sympatico with the grow local and natural and eat organic fresh...movement.
I am talking food textbooks for THE CHILDREEN. THE CHILDREEN writer folks is the future. Nobody gives a darn about them.
You take organic fresh and marry it to Kellers sousvide without much fanfare and fancy shit... Sousvide for the CHILDREEN.
And you find a way to turn it into a movement and gain acceptance and you will change the fate of all Americans forever.
You can kiss degenerative diseases goodbye..heart attacks....Lower the cost of MEDICAL and grow the most wholesome and healthiest population in the entire world.
Laura
The River Cafe Cookbook...the recipes are so simple you can do them without the cookbook in no time.
Harry
My response is long but I hope you stick with it because I put a lot of thought into the whys of what I like.
You asked two questions. One, how did one learn to cook. Two, what does one look for in a cookbook.
1) How I Learned
I taught myself to cook in the pre-internet age, from books and TV shows. From the 1970’s edition of JOY OF COOKING I learned about foods, ingredients, techniques, cooking methods. (To this day the only way I can really know how to appropriately cook beef is to know where the cut is on the cow.)
From 365 WAYS TO COOK CHICKEN I got recipes and learned how to follow them. I like the 365 Ways series as beginner’s cookbooks. The ingredient list is short and has only common inputs, the instructions are simple and to the point. They use a lot of shortcuts, such as canned cream soup. As one learns to cook it’s easy to substitute the real thing, such as roux or white sauce.
From Jacqueline Heriteau’s recently reissued (yay) A FEAST OF SOUPS I got recipes and learned how to cook soup. Since I was on a very tight budget at the time, soup was a big part of my diet. It remains an important element of my repertoire.
Had I learned to cook a couple decades later, I would have also used Julia’s THE WAY TO COOK, Cook’s Illustrated THE BEST RECIPE, and Shirley Corriher’s COOKISE in addition to JOY. All three go into the whys and wherefores, teach you how to substitute and change, and show similarities across methods and dishes. The Way To Cook has well-chosen illustrative photos as well.
2) What I Look For In a Cookbook
Not recipes, that’s for sure. I have about 100 cookbooks, each marked with several dozen recipes I want to try someday. (IOW, I’m only an advanced beginner in the cookbook game.) I want one that teaches me what lies behind the recipes. I also want to know what distinguishes this version of roast chicken from that one. I like how CI describes exactly what sort of, say, brownie, is the goal, and the descriptions of the variations to get there. Even if I don’t want, say, chewy brownies, I know not to try their recipe and I learn what variations might lead to my cake-like outcome. I will grant that this level of detail is not for everyone but some description of the desired outcome is always in order.
I generally do not buy for the pretty pictures, unless they’re illustrating a new technique for me.
I look for good layout: are the recipes on one page? Awesome! I will – and do – pay extra for that. If not, is the recipe at least broken up in a way that makes it usable, or will I be forever leafing back and forth while I’m cooking? That’s a strong disincentive for me, because I put my cookbook behind a bookstand. To turn a page I have to move whatever is in front of the stand, drop down the stand cover, turn the page, and undo the disorganization. The book gets dirtier faster, too. Is the print and layout readable? Another plus is a covered spiral binding that allows the reader to open the book flat without breaking the binding *and* still has the book title on the spine.
Is the index thorough or is it just an alphabetical listing of recipe titles? I want an index that, for example, lists all the recipes with bok choy or sesame paste, even if those aren’t the main ingredients. I am passionately fond of Joy’s index, with the major subject header in bold. Why isn’t that more common? I am passionately unfond of The Way To Cook’s index, which doesn’t have bolded subject headers and is printed in gray and doesn’t indent enough.
For a small, short cookbook, stapled pages (like a magazine) are better than a narrow glued binding. The latter breaks far too easily while the former has staying power.
365 WAYS TO COOK CHICKEN is an excellent model to follow for readability, layout, and binding. The print is a strong black, on a slightly off-white background. Title, story, ingredient list, and instructions are easy to distinguish visually. All recipes are on one page or facing pages. It has a covered spiral binding. It has a good index.
Kenneth H. Lo’s TOP 100 CHINESE DISHES does very well on almost all my points. All recipes are on one page or facing pages. (The publisher clearly could have made the book more compact, to the detriment of usability. I paid extra to get the usability.) The index is great. The layout of ingredients and instructions is easy to follow. The dish descriptions distinguish one dish from another. The only thing it lacks is a covered spiral binding.
Are the instructions easy to follow or do I have to rewrite them in order for them to be usable? Barbara Tropp’s otherwise excellent Modern Art of Chinese Cooking stays unused on my shelf because I got tired of rewriting each and every recipe.
I do not recommend Harold McGee’s ON FOOD AND COOKING to many cooks. It’s only for people who want to know the science of food and ingredients. For most beginners its intimidating and overkill. I do recommend it to scientists learning to cook and to geeks.
Given all this, what cookbooks do I like/use now, as a seasoned cook? They tend to be either specific cuisines or books of fundamentals, from which I devise my own recipe.
- JOY, although I don’t need to refer to it much
- THE BEST RECIPE
- Julia’s THE WAY TO COOK
- 365 WAYS TO COOK CHICKEN is still tops for layout and usability
- Claudia Rodin’s BOOK OF JEWISH FOOD, for the recipes and the stories. I’ve given it to noncooks because they’ll enjoy the history.
- any bread book by BERNARD CLAYTON, although there are better ways to lay out the different kneading methods (hand, standing mixer, food processor). His descriptions of bread and technique can’t be beat and his indexes are good.
There are two books I’m afraid to buy, given how little time I have to delve into the heart of a new cookbook, learn what it has to offer, and experiment. But someday:
1. Corriher’s BAKEWISE.
2. Ruhlman’s CHARCUTERIE. I want to break down a half a pig so bad I can taste it. But I have neither the time nor the freezer space for that job right now.
misuba
The New Best Recipe is a fave of mine - I learn best when I know why we're doing what we're doing, and TNBR is better than the competition at putting that out simply and comprehensively.
EB
I think you hit the nail on the head. With books now, it really is about a voice. A human connection. As for learning, for me it was Pepin and back issues of Gourmet.
Carol Blymire
I agree with Sydny's assessment that we've lost the tradition of passing down the craft of cooking from one generation to another. As a child, I spent a decent amount of time with my grandmother and great-aunts in the kitchen, but that stopped when I had to focus on school and extracurriculars to be able to get into college. The whole notion of passing along all the rituals and how-tos of "keeping house" doesn't exist like it used to, and call me old-fashioned, but it makes me more than a little sad.
As for cookbooks that teach, of course I'm biased, but The French Laundry Cookbook changed how I cook. Cooking my way through that book ingrained a heightened sense of intuition in my day-to-day shopping and cooking.
I actually just now wrote, "But is it the right book for a 60-year old fella who wants to learn to cook? Maybe not." But, I deleted that line because I think you have to click with the right book to be able to learn from it. And who knows? This gentleman may go to his local library or bookstore with a list of all the books we're suggesting, and none of them might be the right fit, but a few of them could be. He may look at the gazpacho recipe in TFLC and be able to smell it in his mind merely by reading the list of ingredients. He may open the Zuni cookbook to the pages about roasting a chicken and crave that and click with it. Or, he may recognize foods from his past in one of the other books and decide to go with that. I don't think there's one book (or 2 or 5 or 10 books) that are the best-suited for teaching. I think it's something you've got to take the time to figure out what clicks with you and what gets those salivary glands working.
That said, when considering a book that teaches, I would hope any of us would choose a book that doesn't just go about reinforcing what we already know, but pushes us to do more or do better.
Zuni is a great book, as is the CIA text (it's one of my most-used reference books). I also love Julia and Jacques at Home. But TFLC is the book that forever shifted how I cook and reinforced that it's all about respecting the ingredients and striving for perfection -- even if perfection for any given meal is part food, part state of mind: the ripest, most beautiful tomato from my garden (its skin still warm from the sun), sliced and drizzled with olive oil, a few drops of balsamic vinegar, and fresh-plucked tarragon, laid out nicely on a plate and eaten at a pace where you let yourself truly taste and enjoy with few (or no) distractions.
Whatever book enables you to take pride in what you've made, and really and truly savor it and enjoy it... that's the book for you.
jah
I think you have to mention Marcella Hazan's Classic Italian cooking books -- these books are special because they provide a complete education about a different approach and philosophy toward food/life -- it's not just a bunch of recipes.
ruhlman
From Nurit Asnash, of http://www.familyfriendlyfood.com/
"First, thank you for relating to my comment AND incorporating it in your post. I was so surprised and excited to see it.
"I own more than 130 cookbooks (I stopped counting long ago) – most of them are good - and am/was subscribed to more than 5 different food magazines. These days, unless it’s a very special cookbook, like my recent purchase “Ottolenghi”, I am less excited about buying traditional cookbooks (the ones with a little description of the dish before the recipe). A regular cookbook has got to have very creative food and/or great stories and/or super gorgeous food photography, or something else that stands out (like Ratio) to get my attention and dollars.
Recently I find myself attracted more to food memoirs and books by food bloggers because of the stories, their personalities, and their unique voice. (Also because I have a concept for a food memoir that I would like to write and so I’m trying to learn what makes them special.)
"I personally find that the personal story leading to a recipe (it’s the food blogs’ “thing”) has tremendous added value. With the easy access to millions and millions of recipes and pretty good food photography, why should I make THIS recipe or not the other one? This is where the story plays a role. There was something about the dish that made the people who wrote about it laugh or cry, feel love, maybe closeness to someone, or maybe it’s their way to remember a good trip or have a better day… In any case, it was something valuable and worth sharing with the whole world and it makes me want to be a little part of that. I would buy such a foodbook (I already have) the same way as as I would buy good literature and fiction books, only it happens to have good recipes (and maybe photos) as well."
Judi
I love Shirley Corriher's book - probably for the same reason I love seeing her on Alton Brown's show. She is so warm and natural and has such a great way of explaining food science.
Rory
I haven't checked out Ratio yet, and have honestly not used Charcuterie as much as I thought I would. However, I would put a hearty recommendation in for two of your earlier works: Bouchon and The French Laundry cookbook. I can honestly say that I learned more from those two cookbooks than all of my others (~100) combined.
mary lynn
Places that I have lived influence my votes for my favorite cookbooks. I live in the southwest, so I have used Rick Bayless's first 2 books, "Authentic Mexican" and "Mexican Kitchen" until they are falling apart. We also lived in Beijing for 2.5 years and I used and learned so much from Ken Hom's books. I spoke Mandarin, but couldn't read it, so the few cookbooks they had were of no use to me. In addition to the English cookbooks, I also learned from a few Chinese women who were willing to teach me. Great experience for learning to cook the cuisines of foreign countries.
stuandgravy
Another vote for Nigel Slater, for his book 'Appetite'. The first half of the book is mostly about food - seasons, tastes, relationships - not cooking.
It's such an important element that too many 'learn to cook' books ignore, perhaps because it's easier to write procedures. Most of my non-cooking friends have as many problems in the supermarket as they do the kitchen.
marcj
I see "New Best Recipe" in your stack, so let me put a vote in for it. I bought this about a year and a half ago and absolutely love it. I think some folks can get turned off by the Cook's Illustrated bowtie guy's tone, but ultimately this book does what it says it does: it tells you how to cook a broad range of common recipes, and walks you through the process of how they worked out the recipes in the first place.
Compare their recipe for pancakes to the Joy of Cooking one, and you'll see what I mean.
luis
Rory Charcuterie is a work in process for me too... Can't find casings and ingredients locally. I need to turn to the internet to get going with sausages etc. Have the Kitchen Aid attachements but no casings.
Carol Peterman
I was just given a copy of The Art & Soul of Baking and I am surprisingly impressed with it. Great explanations of why and how, and the recipes all have ingredient weights. Shirley O. Corriher's CookWise and BakeWise are very good. I also like the Cook's Illustrated books like Best Recipes. The Professional Chef and Professional Pastry Chef are two books I reference the most. Not a book, but the online cooking school at http://www.rouxbe.com is excellent.
Dave
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned James Peterson's excellent cookbooks. His "Vegetables" book is one of my favorite cookbooks of all time, as is his fish book, the "Sauces" book, the "Soups" book. Oh heck, they're all good, and very good teachers.
Another book I'd recommend to someone learning to cook would be Bruce Aidell's "Complete Meat Cookbook". It explains pork, beef, and lamb in great detail, discussing cuts, cooking techniques, etc.
Mike Pardus
I teach Asian Cuisine at the CIA. Robert Danhi - the guy who trained me to teach that class, and who has remained a friend, colleague, and resource for many years- has just written and self published Southeast Asian Flavors (www.southeastasianflavors.com).
From an educators point of view, this book breaks new ground.
Danhi tells stories, documents them with fantastic photos, collects, transcribes and tests the recipes himself and best of all, each recipe contains a section called "How and Why" explaining the nuances behind each dish and the reason it has to be done that way. This is a true teaching tool, at home and in the class room. Even if you're not that much interested in SEA food, it's worth a look for anyone interested in advancing culinary education - and, oh yeah, the website has short video tutorials to help you with techniques in the book - cutting edge stuff, I think.
sjwoodin
I learned to cook by helping my grandmother, and relying on what my mother relied on - Better Homes and Gardens. It's still there as one of my most-consulted sources, along with Joy, James Beard, New Basics, andof course the scrapbook of my grandmother's "recipes".
Kevin
I am fairly new to cooking, and the books I have found thus far that interest me have to do with fundamentals (Alton's Books, Ratio, and Elements for example), and they also have to do with cooking seasonally from start to finish, including tips on how to grow vegetables and prepare meats. I like knowing that I was able to regulate pesticides, or salt content, and things like that. Jamie at Home and Charcuterie are examples of the latter.
Karen Hollings
My go to books are The Margaret Fulton Cookbook (revised updated edition), My French Kitchen by Joanne Harris & Fran Warde and lastly The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins. With the help of these 3, I am never lost in the kitchen!
Mike Pardus
A good friend and part time co-conspirator of mine, Robert Danhi, has just written and self published what I consider to be a ground breaking "cook book". In "Southeast Asian Flavors" (www.souteastasianflavors.com), Danhi tells stories, documents culture with great photos, and best of all from an educational point of view,explains each recipe with a "How and Why" section exposing the nuances of the dish and the "why" behind it. To complete the package, the supporting Web site contains tutorial demos for related techniques. This is a model for all teaching cook books to follow. Congratulations Robert, I wish I'd written this book.
Anne
Nigel Slater's Appetite is a great book, IMO, for beginners. He talks about ingredients and the pantry, includes some basic staple recipes (tomato sauce, custard, risotto) in addition to the rest of the recipes, and for each recipe he gives suggestions for possible variations on the basic theme or technique. I think that's a good way to encourage new cooks to start really learning how cooking works, similar to what's in Ratio: not just following a recipe, but using techniques with various ingredients so that you can adapt as needed and make something your own.
Of course, I'd also like to cast a vote for Mastering the Art of French Cooking. And while I'm at it, Alton Brown's books are fun for people who want to know the why behind the how.
Natalie Sztern
Mike Pardus,
I am loving Robert Danhi's site....this is why I love m.r.'s blog....it alway's add's to my intellect and knowledge.
Natalie Sztern
Oh how i wish i read my comments before i press Post because i actually know the proper grammar....
Rouge Chef
I just gotta have my cookbooks. The internet is not enough plus sifting through the many recipes that absolutely suck online at first click of a search. So many people are teaching people how to cook the wrong way. I have almost every book in the stack above and cherish them all dearly. Some cookbooks can be so comforting and hit home in a way that can make you cry almost. I must add that my current obsession is the river cottage series. Don't ever forget Julia!
luis
The "Batter Continuum" Rhulman, it would take me a lifetime in a bakery or pastry shop to gain this type of insight into the process. I bet there are thousands of bakers and pastry folks out there cranking out recipes without even suspecting the delicate relationships you describe and hint at in RATIO. Wild stuff.
tim
For the reader looking for "stories" in a cookbook -- Marc Vetri's "Il Viaggio di Vetri" is full of good stories and some very accessible recipes for northern Italian food.
jscirish27
Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" has already been mentioned, but another great book is "Cookwise," by Shirley O. Corriher. It is kind of like McGee meets Bittman in a very readable form. I love the Professional Chef and FCI's book (I am an alum and working chef) but they may be too voluminous for someone just starting out. Btw, Michael, picked up Ratio and it is a great book... good work as always.
Peter
James Peterson's "Sauces" was inspirational to me, especially the examples of derivations from mother sauces. It was one of my first three "serious" cookbooks, and it's still in my top-3 favorites. Sauces are my favorite topic of cooking, though.
Larouse Gastronomique was also inspirational for the history, but also very helpful for the terminology that keeps popping up (but is never really defined) in serious cookbooks.
Peter
James Peterson's "Sauces" was inspirational to me, especially the examples of derivations from mother sauces. It was one of my first three "serious" cookbooks, and it's still in my top-3 favorites. Sauces are my favorite cooking topic, though.
Larouse Gastronomique for the history, but also for defining cooking terms and techniques which show up in more serious cookbooks (and usually in French).
Sophia Twaddell
I learned to cook watching my mother and grandmother at home, my grandfather and uncles at their restaurant. My sons have learned watching me (although I did put together a book of recipes of the things they grew up eating when they went off to college).
I don't use cookbooks to cook very much any more, but I love to read them. I probably have 1000 or more. What's most interesting is how certain flavors appear in recipes that appeal to me, e.g., tarragon or ginger.
My go-to cookbooks are Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Classic Italian Cooking, Craig Claiborne's NYT Cookbook, Silver Palate and Richard Sax's Classic Home Desserts (out of print, unfortunately). My most hated cookbook is Ruth Reichel's Gourmet Cookbook with the yellow type--what were they thinking?
I just looked at my shelves and realized that I have more books on baking than anything else; I love to read them but I hate to bake. Probably because baking is the opposite of cooking.
Michelle
Most of the books I was going to recommend have already been mentioned.
Every kitchen, in my opinion, can use at least one good reference cookbook. A "go to" when verifying measurements or specific ingredients. I usually pick up Joy of Cooking for that.
Also, I think Martha was onto something when they organized Everyday Food according to the seasons. Love that idea!
I would like to have a simple, family style cookbook, organized according to 'type of cuisine'. Similar to choosing a restaurant, my family often decides what they want to eat by deciding what they are hungry for. A 'go to' with ideas from around the world.
I actually like Barefoot Contessa cookbooks and the stories and pictures that go along with each of her recipes.
At the risk of sounding like a pandering sycophant, all of your books, Ruhlman, have been inspiring - and inspiration is the best teacher.
Sally
I'd been cooking for several decades when I realized that I knew how to follow recipes, but I really didn't know how to "cook."
What changed that? Pam Anderson's "How to Cook Without a Book." I also like the Cooking without Recipes" (which Pam Anderson contributes to) series in "Fine Cooking" magazine.
I'm fond of Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food" -- both the cookbook and the magazine, anything from Ina Garten and Bittman's "How to Cook Everything."
Just Me
I like the book Chemistry in the Kitchen by Harold McGee. Also the Joy of Cooking is very instructive. And the cookbook Not just Beans. They have recipes for a lot of mixes we would pay extra to buy premixed at the store but don't really need to.
Graeme
I would have to say going in an order of personal ability and knowledge (from beginner up): 1)On Cooking and Joy of Cooking. I prefer the On Cooking to the CIA books (I've never seen the FCI books though...), and I find it's techniques better demonstrated then Joy of Cooking, and it has the best covering of the generalities (Mother sauces, a thousand things to do with potatoes, etc) since Escoffier. But the actual recipes are often quite painful, so I recommend the techniques being transfered to Joy's recipes.
Level 2) French Laundry, Zuni Cafe. Very good intros for how to think about food.
Level 3) Bouchon, Les Halles. You're getting a little big for you britches. Remeber what makes food good.
Level 4)Charcuterie, On Food and Cooking, Professional Pastry Chef (I am not one, so this is about my speed). This is the stuff that takes patience to acheive, and since On food and Cooking doesn't exactly have recipes, it more about what is going on in you're food and how to make it better.
Level 5) Under Pressure (I'm putting it here since I haven't had a chance to work with a sous-vide rig and therefore am assuming you must make certain rites of passage through the previous 4 before you're allowed near one)
Natalie Sztern
Michael, there are so many reasons you get 130 responses to one post:
1- people want to feel you hear them
2- it is like talking directly to you
3-feedback on others comments
4-everyone feels part of the 'ruhlman community' and therefore that much closer to other chefs and other kitchens
5-u are not untouchable and aloof like perhaps Tony, Eric , or Symon is on their blogs and others of course ie your are a man of your readers and in contact with them - there is a touch and a feel to you NOT having anonymity of sorts
6-you write naturally and from a passion of the heart
7-everything you write has a meaning and a place and a purpose in the food world and therefore your readers get to have a direct relationship with everything au courant in that world
8- you take us everywhere you go: conferences, dinners and even into your own kitchen (THAT VIDEO WAS PRICELESS)
9- and though,not lastly, your readers get a rapport with each other.
so are u telling me that with us as followers you are worried for the future?
No way...I think whatever your venue becomes you will always have a following...but, hey, that's just me
Ohiogirl
If I have adults who really haven't cooked at all, and want to, I send them to Marian Cunningham's "Learn to Cook."
It's a fantastic basic cookbook, and almost as importantly - it has her warmth. She explains, give hints and tips and you feel like you are not cooking alone. She's made many a scared soul brave that first step into the kitchen - and succeed. Hats off to her.
My favorite cookbook with stories is still, after all these years, the lovely late Laurie Colwin's "Home Cooking" books. Wonderful witty writing, and excellent recipes to boot.
CucumberPandan in Jakarta
Oh, that photo makes me very happy! 😀 Last week I took similar shots of my stack of books for a post (on books & reading in general, not specifically on cookbooks) on my personal blog (http://tmohede.blogspot.com).
Talking about cookbooks that teach: "Joy of Cooking" is a personal favorite. Whenever I'm 'reading' a cookbook I am more drawn to the stories/anecdotes than the actual recipes. Cooking and eating are such integral part of life anyway, to reduce everything to technical directions is to cut out much of life itself.
Robert
I have to echo the other votes for Bittman's How to Cook Everything. It's broad ranging and full of basic but solid recipes that are perfect for someone looking to master the fundamentals.
Mister 1-2-3-4
I'm going to give my vote to the America's Test Kitchen series of cookbooks. They may not tell really flash stories about the glamorous life of a chef, but they do explain in great detail how ingredients work together, what tools work best for a given task, and what techniques will give you the best results. I have loved every recipe that I have tried from them.
Rita
I know this may sound too "crunchy granola" for some, but back in the 80s I used to read Laurel's Kitchen aloud to my kids for a bedtime story. That book has a great narrative and doesn't shy away from saying "spaghetti-o's" outloud. It helped my kids try new foods and gave their curiosity about food a useful context.
Karen E
What a fun question! I have relived my life through the comments -- all of the most helpful books/companions have been mentioned. My personal trajectory started with Joy and Moosewood, then I moved to Laurel's Kitchen, to Viana LaPlace's The Unplugged Kitchen (unsung masterpiece of the early 90s), and most recently to Zuni and Alice Waters. I've been baking Brooklyn-style this year with Baked. The jewel of the moment? Freshly-purchased Ottolenghi -- very inspiring!
C. A. Morris
I was one of the lucky ones; I had a 100% Greek mother who taught me how to cook. The concept of wine and garlic and onions was normal in our kitchen, but for a beginner I would say have a copy of Joy of Cooking and you won't need anything else. I always give Julie Childs:The Way to Cook as gifts, because of the way each chapter is structured, like bullding blocks. For me, personally, I agree that the book has to do more. Tell me a story; give me the science. For baking I love Beranbaums "Bible" series and Marcel Desaulniers Chocolate series is the best. In Death by Chocolate the former Vietnam Marine tells about surviving by concocting chocolate recipes in his head. His "orders" are so well written that he give me the confidence to try his chocolate masterpieces.
Peter G Lavery
So, a distinction to be made between teaching and inspiring. A lot of marketing noise, good photos and alluring story will keep your populist soul rapt as you whip up recipes, but not necessarily teach a bit.
Maybe a distinction without a difference? The more you cook, the more you learn and if you need to be inspired to pick up your whisk, then sobeit. But on a spectrum, inspiration teaches indirectly, and certain books fall clearly into each category, but not the other. Consider Mario's Babbo book to Marcella's Cucina, or Steve Raichlen's smokiness and sunglasses to Chris Schlesinger & John Willoughby's books.
But my the Grade A foie of educational cookbooks is (drum roll please), the CIA's Garde Manger book. Guaranteed you will go to it for a recipe and come away with ideas.
P-
Rob Barmore
I’m not a professional in the food industry; I am a decent home cook who has taught a number of people how to improve their kitchen skills. I think that the appropriate books for teaching someone to cook depends on where that person is starting from. You’d have a hard time convincing me that a book is the most effective tool to teach someone the most basic of basic kitchen skills. A lot of the books people seem to be commenting on will help improve a home cooks skills, perhaps taking them from an adequate cook to a good one over time. However, a completely unskilled cook looking at the excellent Zuni Cafe Cookbook would only become intimidated and frustrated.
luis
One of the best ways for folks to come up to speed is reading 'The Elements of Cooking' That pretty much brings them up to speed on elements and techniques. Then the ethnic cuisine of their choice book. And that pretty much is wide open.
Afterwards "RATIO" is the book to OWN. First they learn techniques, then they stock their pantry and RATIO frees their soul to cook great foods with whatever they have on hand.
Sousviding is the future and folks such as Keller's Under Pressure begin to bring it to the home cooks but there is a lot of room there for home gadgets that work and recipes etc.
Yesterday I downloaded something on sousviding that reads like a masters thesis with heat flow equations etc....and for gadgets I need electronic boxes controlling other things like crockpots etc...
Yet if you are to get back to tasting great food and the seasoning from a well kept soil in a farm... sousviding is the way. The way to quality and the way to health.
Michael L. Van Cise
I find "The Joy of Cooking" and Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" to be good resources that explain technique, discuss selection of food, and give enough detail to instruct a novice, but also provide insight that may allow a more experienced cook to generate a new recipe or go "off-recipe" to cater to the cook's own taste.
I also really like "The Big Book of Easy Suppers" by Maryana Vollstedt because the ingredient lists tend to be short and the preparation methods and cook times geared toward cooking at home.
Although I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it, The "Bride and Groom cookbook" by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Barber, is a great cookbook. It contains an opening section that discusses how to stock your pantry and also includes a section about what utensils, electrics, pots, pans, etc. and what every cook needs. Although this cookbook doesn't contain hundreds of recipes (it only has about 60 total, I think) every recipe I have tried has been excellent. This is a great "niche" cookbook as it is geared toward newlyweds. And, as you point out, since a lot of cooking knowledge has been lost, many newlyweds need to know how to stock their pantry and what things to buy to fill their kitchen. They may also need to have recipes for holidays, everyday meals, and entertaining. This book contains all of them. While probably not appropriate for an expert, it probably has more universal appeal than the title might indicate.
truestarr
When I send my granddaughter recipes I usually send her a link to VideoJug- and give her my "tweaks" in a note or as a 'tip', particularly for things she's never made on her own before, like Chinese cooking or Japanese sushi. It's much easier to watch someone do it, then follow what they did.
http://www.videojug.com/tag/food-and-drink
My old Joy of Cooking always answered my early cooking questions. The Moosewood cookbook for beginner vegetarian.
Adele
The very first cookbook my mother gave me was an old edition of Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School Cookbook. It got me through the real basics, and then Claiborne's first New York Times Cookbook and James Beard's Menus for Entertaining, introduced me to some of the finer things (without always clearly telling me how to achieve them). Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking really helped me with technique and terms, and I also must give a nod to The Silver Palate Cookbooks and recently, Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris (very easy to follow and good recipes)and Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook -- as a previous writer said, it really helped me with mise en place, and the Moules Portugaise rock. As I list these cookbooks, I realize that I still use recipes out of each of them,
JW
For people who think they can't cook, I always recommend Cooks Illustrated. When combining the narratives and recipes, there is little left to interpretation. One of my partners at work could barely butter toast, and now routinely makes full holiday dinners for her family using Cooks.
Personally, I am a cookbook junkie and I agree that the books that I return to over and again are the ones that teach. My favorites in no order-At Home with Jacque and Julia, Bouchon, Molto Italiano, and CIAs Professional Chef. I also have the extinct Time Life Foods of the World series that I reference for history lessons. Complete sets are occasionally offered for a bargain on ebay.
PigAngel
For Italian cooking, Marcella Hazen's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking"
JoP in Omaha
I'm late to this discussion, having been away, so this might not be seen, but my current favorite is the recently published Cooking Know-How. It presents 65 techniques for savory dishes. For each tecnnique, variations of ingredients are presented in chart form that result in the creation of different dishes.
This is the sort of thing I've wanted for a long time. The focus is not on stand-alone recipes that result in the reader learning how to cook one dish. The focus is on methods which the reader can apply as desired.
David A. Goldfarb
My favorite basic cookbook, which I usually give as a gift to people who want to learn to cook, is James Beard's _Theory and Practice of Good Cooking_, which is heavy on technique and light on recipes, well written, and illustrated with classic line drawings that perfectly complement the spirit of the book's emphasis on the outline over detail.
Matt
AB's book, for me, was important in the way it framed in the fundamentals of applying heat to food. Cooking seems too broad and unapproachable until a book like "I'm Just Here For The Food" comes along and really breaks things down into its component parts. I know some people don't like Alton or his style, but fundamentally he is one of the best teachers of food to the masses I've ever seen. If this guy were ever allowed to just unload food knowledge on us in a structured manner, I think we'd all be the better for it. I get the impression FN dumbs him down...give him a real outlet to teach!
Too many people are scared to cook because they're afraid to screw it up the first time. Those of us that love to cook learn to accept and embrace that unavoidable step. A cookbook that helps people connect with their mistakes and learn from them...Cooking Troubleshooting if you will...would be very interesting. And I'm not talking about fixing a hollandaise. More like avoiding overcooking steaks, or the cause of flat cookies, or preventing overcooked pasta. Things people cook every day.
mirinblue
Ahhh! Books about food..
I choose John Thorne. I learned the one truth that imparted the most difference in my cooking-letting flavors develop-often on the back of the stove. And I love his stories and asides and comparisons.
Also Bouchon-I reach for that often. It's my go-to roast chicken. And poaching in olive oil... (confit) -those wonderful cloves of garlic have led me down so many delicious pathways...
I fell in love with these books after I learned to cook. I DO have to say that cooking was never anything I set about to learn...it was more of an absorption that happened over many years and began in my mother's kitchen.
John
Lots of great stuff so far, and more for me to add to the "acquire" list. If I was going to hand a new cook one book, it would be Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for the Food. It's a little dorky, yes, but he runs through all of the basic cooking techniques and describes how it's done, what's happening chemically and why it is you would want to use that cooking method. These are the basic building blocks for understanding any other cooking book. His book on gear is good as well.
After that, Pepin's Complete Techniques, Shirley Corriher's Cookwise (after reading that, I finally understand what the difference is between all of those flours) and anything by Christopher Kimball/Cook's Illustrated and good for building on the foundation.
After that, my own inclination is towards ethnic cookbooks. Basic ones that describe the cooking techniques used in the cuisine. Bonus points for info on the history or philosophy of a cuisine. My favorites here are Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook and anything by Martin Yan or Rick Bayless. And New American Chef by Dornenburg and Page.
I also like The Professional Chef as a general reference and have a copy of On Food and Cooking on the to-read shelf (and Ratio on the to-buy list; the local shop was out when I went).
Lamar
For baking, both "The Cake Bible", and "The Bread Bible" are musts. They break down exactly why things happen the way they do. Not to mention some of the cake recipes are just flat-out remarkable.
Sprocket
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
by Marcella Hazan.
It is simply the best Italian cookbook to learn from.
Marla
Sure, the web is a great tool for finding recipes - I print them out all of the time! But how do I know that they are going to be good if I haven't made a few by the author/chef in the past? I don't! That's where great cookbooks (like Joy and Best Recipe) come in - they are comprehensive and you can (usually) trust them! I love the internet and reading food blogs, but I'll always want to own some great cookbooks.
Cevin
The "New Basics Cookbook" by the silver palate ladies started me cooking 20 yrs ago. Today it's "Alton Brown" and the "Joy of Cooking"
Stuart Reb Donald
Thumbs up for the Joy of Cooking.
On Food and Cooking is crucial. Although it is really for more advanced cooks and contains no recipes, McGee has taught me plenty.
Sonja
Like your reader says, I too am interested in the food stories, but I'm also interested in some direction/instruction. The cookbooks I turn to most frequently for these things include:
Cooks Illustrated "Baking Illustrated" and of course any of their magazines.
"Gourmet" cookbook - not so much for the instruction, but a lot of the recipes have stories, albeit short ones.
I also appreciate Jamie Oliver's "The Naked Chef" for both the stories and his unique style of instruction.
Linda
Bourdain's Les Halles. It's entertaining and the seven hour lamb works. It's fun, and so is cooking. And so far, every recipe works....
a home cook
Cooking has always been a see-saw between technique and expression for me. My journey started with the ‘Time-Life’ series. I wanted to recreate what I saw in those volumes as a way to better understands the world I lived in. Cooking and food were the gateways through which I accessed the culture and history of the places I wanted to visit one day. There have been many trips and many meals based on pictures from ‘The cooking of Provincial France’.
As I began to understand that I would need to know the techniques to do this, I focused on Jacque Pepin’s ‘La Technique’ and ‘La Methode’ as ways to get these skills. Later as I became less afraid of technique I learned from Jacque Pepin’s ‘Cuisine Economique’ that good technique could make ordinary food special. It would be another 10 years before I understood the importance of ingredient efficiencies put forth in that book.
The cookbooks that direct the cooking path I am on today position the recipe as a function of history or shared memory. I was deeply inspired by Madeline Kamman's, ‘When French Women Cook’ and ‘The making of a Cook 2nd ed’. I carried ‘Making of a Cook’ around with me for a year, reading it like a novel. When Paula Wolfert talks of the pride one of her contributors has,” We are rich because we use spices” in her ‘Grains and Greens’ book, I’m driven to learn who this woman is through her food and will practice whatever technique is necessary to understand. When I wanted to recreate the pound cake that my now deceased grandmother taught me, I sought to understand the chemistry for creaming butter and sugar in order to successfully re-create the feeling of being in her 1950’s kitchen as this cake came out of the oven.
I still swing between technique and expression. The driving force for me will always be why is this technique happening? Why do cooks in this part of the world treat meat this way or cook in this type of pan? I may need the discipline to master a technique, but the urge to do so will always be fired by a desire to understand the expression of the food.
MIke
Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins' - The New Basics tought me to make food I liked when I first started cooking
Paul Bertoli's Chez panisse cooking (I forget the actual title) is the best cookingbook and one of the best books I've read. It openned my eyes to food and my mind to process.
Dave
Best teaching books:
The Way to Cook (best ever!)
La Technique - Pepin
La Methode -Pepin
Making of a Cook - Kamman
The Best Recipe
How to Cook Everything
Joy of Cooking 1997 ed
-------------------------
Whys:
Cooking - Peterson
Cookwise
On Food and Cooking
ABs books
Iva
A fantastic book to get you started on baking is The Baker's Dozen. It explains a lot about technique and ingredients and gives simple recipes as well as possible variations. I highly recommend it to any beginner baker.
marcy goldman
What a wonderful blog entry. I too, love cookbooks that are as readable as Jane Austen and are also informative and teach me - as some of the great books you mention. I grew up gleaning all I could from many of those great books, alive with vital, vibrant voices (and expertise), a true presence on each page; a presence fused into each recipe. As a chef and cookbook author myself, I try to 'be there' with my reader, in all my own cookbooks. My whole goal is to inform, share, teach and be that culinary friend. Particularly, as I am a baker/pastry chef and write baking books, I could hardly give a recipe for anything and not share techniques, tips, and tricks. The 'story' of my recipes is in their headnotes and that gives (one hopes) context and warmth. Without someone in the kitchen with you (most of the cooking grandmas left the building in the mid 70's)a one-voice cookbook is a treasured friend that keeps you company in the kitchen and breaks bread with you (albeit in spirit) at the table when all is cooked and baked.