What is your main go-to cook book for when you just need to know something basic

[Stinky The Clown]

Like how to roast chestnuts. Or make meringue or cobb salad. Or hard cook an egg.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. mark bittman, how to cook everything

[surrealAmerican]

2. The Settlement Cookbook.

If it's not in there, I'll check The Joy of Cooking. Both are older editions.

[EFerrari]

3. I just ask The Google.

:)

[beac]

5. For me too, The Google is The Decider.

;)

[EFerrari]

6. I've given away all my cookbooks except the collectible

Mayberry Cookbook which has a great recipe for cornbread.



Blue Ridge Mountain Corn Bread

2 eggs, separated
2t sugar
1c cornmeal
1c milk
1c sifted all purpose flour
2T butter, melted
3t baking powder
Pinch salt

In separate bowls, beat the egg whites and egg yolks. To the yolks add the sugar and beat well. Add cornmeal, milk and flour. Add melted butter, egg whites baking powder, salt. Pour into a greased pan.

Bake @ 450 until golden and done. Serves 4-6

Thanks, Aunt Bee!

[hippywife]

4. The internet.

I've really stopped using my cookbooks and search the internet for what I want, looking at several links and user recs to decide which I will use.

[kestrel91316]

7. I have at least half a dozen favorites that I go to again and again.....

Them, and the internet for obscure stuff.

[kfred]

8. Fannie Farmer from the 60's

Ancient but really easy to understand, convert stuff, just plain old educational about meat cuts and stuff.

I gave one (newer version) to my adult daughter as she ventured into the wild wild world many Christmas's ago. Mine came from my Mom.

It's a step by step how to even about making bread, or how to knead, measuring etc. plus a raft of good recipes.

[Retrograde]

31. my go-to as well

I'm now using my copy from the 40s since my 60s paperback version (one of the first cookbooks I've ever owned)has literally fallen to pieces. I'm not so fond of the 90s version - it seems to have dumbed down a lot of recipes, and left out others. I also like my James Beard bible.

Never got into or saw the attraction in Joy of Cooking.

[BarbaRosa]

35. That's the book I used to get me started cooking.

[housewolf]

9. Often Google

because there's rarely one definitive answer to anything and I like to see various opinions/options. Or, just as often, one (or more) of my trusted baking or pastry books if it's something that I want a know source for. Once in a while, I'll look up something in the Joy of Cooking.

[randr]

10. Joy of Cooking

[Tesha]

11. I second that...

the old one. It even has the "how to corn meat" recipe...

[japple]

13. Ditto here. They also tell you about larding and barding meat,

which I have never done, but it's interesting reading. Lardoons! Also use Fannie Farmer, Better Homes & Gardens, and Betty Crocker.

[Arkansas Granny]

20. That's the one I turn to. My kids were casting envious glances at my copy, so

I got one for each of them. They use them all the time.

[ginnyinWI]

36. I got the new edition and gave my daughter the old one.

Not only is it a great basic cooking and food encyclopedia, my old copy has check marks and notes from me that she might appreciate.

[Phentex]

21. same here. I have so many cookbooks but for basics

I like this one. Really, I could read it for hours!

[randr]

22. I have gathered several editions over the years

It is interesting to compare one to the other on occasion. As trends and food resources evolve this book generally stays right in tune with the changes.

[Inchworm]

24. Same here.. and often

:)

For the longest time I stuck meat tips you get off the meat packages to the sleeves. In time all that stuff withered away hehe.. the book still informs though

:hi:

[Warpy]

12. The Doubleday Cookbook

It was never a popular book but I've never found a bad recipe in it and it gives estimated calorie counts for all of them. It's well illustrated with basic techniques described very nicely.

It's well worth adding to a collection if you have room on the shelf.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

19. I agree that this is a fantastic all around basic cookbook

I far prefer it to Joy of Cooking. You're right, this book never got the cudos it richly deserves.

[Warpy]

25. I'm glad somebody else discovered it

If I had to pare down to only one cookbook, that would be it, above Child, Larousse, Bitman, and everybody else.

It really does have everything in it.

[elleng]

14. So sorry to say mine, whatever it was/they were,

have been 'lost' in sale of house. I wasn't there to protect them as I'd moved out years before, and family didn't do it for me. Just discovered HUGE 2d-hand book store where I've moved, but not at all sure that I can find them there.

James Beard + ? Joy, Settlement, FF?

One had measurement conversions inside front cover.

[EFerrari]

15. My late mother in law used to have this beautiful Womens' Day

Encyclopedia of Cookery. It had everything in it and I lusted after it in my heart.

[grasswire]

16. you can replace them on eBay probably...

...or at a site called abebooks.com. The ones you really cared about, at least.

[housewolf]

18. Or half.com, or Powell's used books

The internet has truly revolutionized the used-book business, all to the good for used book buyers and sellers alike.

[pengillian101]

17. Betty

My copy was a 1971 wedding gift and it is in well-worn tatters, with duct tape along the spine holding it together :-) But it still has the basics.

Now with the internet - wow - way more options and variety.

[Vinca]

23. Me, too. I'm on my third copy.

[blaze]

26. Don't laugh.... Cooking for Dummies.

:D

I didn't discover the fun of cooking 'til my early 40s (Mom did NOT enjoy cooking) and when a friend discovered my new love, he gave me Cooking for Dummies. All the basic info that a mom might have passed on... It was my bible for the first few years. I was *thrilled* the first time I cooked a whole, moist chicken!! :D

Next came Cooking Light magazine... and now the internet.

So many sources!!

[NMDemDist2]

27. Joy of Cooking circa 1973 n/t

[woofless]

28. I use America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook as default.

I also have a treasured copy of June Platt's New England Cook Book for when I need to get my Yankee on.

Woof

[mtnester]

29. Put me in the Google crowd

if I need to know how to boil water, I go to Epicurious of course :p

[hippywife]

30. LOL!

I do think about that now and again. :rofl:

[Mira]

32. I Kid You Not: Its the 1966 Edition

Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery.

12 Volumes, I have them in a stand in the middle of my other cookbooks, and when it comes to just about anything concerning food in any way it does not let me down.

My son, who is a good and solid cook, swears by it, too. He found his at a flea market one day and called me ecstatically that he now had one, too.

I have a lot of cookbooks, but given a choice they would all go and the Encyclopedia stays.

[pengillian101]

38. Thanks for that info.

I wasn't familiar. Ebay has listings. Looks like a great set. I have a bid in...on just one volume.

:-)

[eShirl]

33. Cooking Down East, by Marjorie Standish

The cookbook Mom and Grammie used. I made the popovers just this morning.

[Tab]

34. I don't hit up cookbooks often, but the ones I keep at hand are...

The Way To Cook - Julia Child
Think Like a Chef- Thomas Colicchio
Roasting - Barbara Kafka
Sauces - Peterson
How To Read a French Fry - Russ Parsons
What's a cook to do? Peterson


I have about another 8 others I refer to, but I'm just trying to pick the top ones here. I also keep a chinese menu and a Quiznos URL bookmarked just in case.

- Tab

[cleveramerican]

37. Fannie Farmer

the same one my mother used