Go for Gin Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 With the colder weather here I've been thinking about soups lately. Does anyone have any good cookbook recommendations? I've been using Lidia Bastianich recipes but feel that I need to expand my horizons. Simple and easy to find ingredients would be preferred but I don't mind if it's a little time consuming. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lizzie Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 With the colder weather here I've been thinking about soups lately. Does anyone have any good cookbook recommendations? I've been using Lidia Bastianich recipes but feel that I need to expand my horizons. Simple and easy to find ingredients would be preferred but I don't mind if it's a little time consuming. Not a cookbook, but this recent list from Saveur includes a few that we have liked (pumpkin black bean and white bean provencal): http://www.saveur.com/article/-/Fall-Soups Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LauraB Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 With the colder weather here I've been thinking about soups lately. Does anyone have any good cookbook recommendations? I've been using Lidia Bastianich recipes but feel that I need to expand my horizons. Simple and easy to find ingredients would be preferred but I don't mind if it's a little time consuming. Lately I've been especially fond of A Beautiful Bowl of Soup by Paulette Mitchell. I should mention that it is vegetarian recipes only, but the recipes are so delicious I don't miss the meat. The book includes an abundance of beautiful color photos. It's a gorgeous book. Some of my recent favorites are: Greek Spinach and Orzo Soup, Mediterranean Saffron Stew, Acorn Squash and Fava Bean Stew, and Moroccan Red Lentil-Bean Stew -- to give you an idea of the kinds of dishes you'll find. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JPW Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 My favorite soup of all time to make at home remains the Squash Soup from TKeller's "Bouchon" as adapted in the Sunday NYT magazine on 12/12/2004. My copy is extremely yellowed (in addition to the yellowish squash soup stains) and wrinkled, but I'd be extremely put out if I lost it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Go for Gin Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Lately I've been especially fond of A Beautiful Bowl of Soup by Paulette Mitchell. I should mention that it is vegetarian recipes only, but the recipes are so delicious I don't miss the meat. The book includes an abundance of beautiful color photos. It's a gorgeous book. Some of my recent favorites are: Greek Spinach and Orzo Soup, Mediterranean Saffron Stew, Acorn Squash and Fava Bean Stew, and Moroccan Red Lentil-Bean Stew -- to give you an idea of the kinds of dishes you'll find. Wow, all the reviews seem very positive. I've been thinking I should have more vegetarian meals in my diet and this book looks like a good start for that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hungry prof Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Public service announcement. The electronic versions of two cookbooks about which I've heard very good things are part of an ebook sale that the publisher, Chronicle Books, is having. Ridiculously cheap, and unclear how long it last: Michael Ruhlman's Twenty is $3.03. Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty is $2.99. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shaho Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Anyone have any recent cookbook recommendations? I tend to find myself enjoying books with plenty of photographs for inspiration, as opposed to the older, more textual classics (although they are a great reference, and readily available at the library). Some newer ones I've been digging are Edward Lee's Smoke and Pickles and Kenji's Food Lab. Lee's book has some really fun combinations of Asian and southern flavors, while Kenji's is more straightforward, essentially condensing his Food Lab articles and essential recipes into a beautiful, massive tome. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ktmoomau Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 I have been really enjoying Heritage by Sean Brock, but I have been getting into the whole seed and foodways preservation stuff. My grandfather was really into that, so it is also nostalgic in a way. I just got it for Christmas though and have only made a few recipes. I will also note that it isn't the type of cookbook that you can follow 100% in terms of timing of recipes or ingredients (he sources a lot of local stuff), so I think it is best for a cook like me who is fine with cooking from the hip and making it work. (Don't have Anson Mills whole wheat flour or cornmeal because Hubby brings me stuff from Mt. Vernon. Didn't have Sea Island peas for Hoppin John so used black eyed, etc.) Surprisingly, one of my most used "chefy" cookbooks is The Family Meal. I thought it would be impossible, but I have made a lot of recipes from it. I am really trying to make more recipes from my Charles Pham Vietnamese Home Cooking because anything I have made is delicious, but sometimes there are too many homemade components. I could probably sub in store bought things, I am just not familiar enough with Vietnamese cooking to know what and where to buy those substitutions. But I want to get there and it is a really good read with really tasty recipes. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DonRocks Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 I have been really enjoying Heritage by Sean Brock, but I have been getting into the whole seed and foodways preservation stuff. My grandfather was really into that, so it is also nostalgic in a way. I just got it for Christmas though and have only made a few recipes. I will also note that it isn't the type of cookbook that you can follow 100% in terms of timing of recipes or ingredients (he sources a lot of local stuff), so I think it is best for a cook like me who is fine with cooking from the hip and making it work. (Don't have Anson Mills whole wheat flour or cornmeal because Hubby brings me stuff from Mt. Vernon. Didn't have Sea Island peas for Hoppin John so used black eyed, etc.) Surprisingly, one of my most used "chefy" cookbooks is The Family Meal. I thought it would be impossible, but I have made a lot of recipes from it. I am really trying to make more recipes from my Charles Pham Vietnamese Home Cooking because anything I have made is delicious, but sometimes there are too many homemade components. I could probably sub in store bought things, I am just not familiar enough with Vietnamese cooking to know what and where to buy those substitutions. But I want to get there and it is a really good read with really tasty recipes. [i know this thread doesn't have a lot of activity, but would you like me to make it into a separate subforum in Shopping and Cooking? There's no reason we can't have one thread per cookbook, along with an index by category - plus, that way it will be more useful, and could draw in more people to participate. I think that in the long term, having this split up and properly organized could really help people. (Any volunteers? ) Normally, I'd just "do it" because I think it's the logically correct thing to do, but I have a special affinity for our Shopping and Cooking posters, and want to make sure I'm furnishing them with what *they* want; not with merely what I think is best.] Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rovers2000 Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 I've really enjoyed Kenji's food lab book - though it comes with the caveat that I've been a pretty avid follower of him on seriouseats for a couple years now. I also have been getting quite a bit of mileage out of the Jacques Pepin "Heart and Soul" - there are a lot of stories in addition to some interesting recipes. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tweaked Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 So far, Madhur Jaffrey's latest Vegetarian India has been great. Lots of recipes outside the usual, a mushroom curry from S. Karnataka for example. Many of the recipes are fairly quick and easy. Definitely recommend for Indian food lovers. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shaho Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Great recs, definitely planning to check these out. Don, I think the index would be convenient for sure, but cookbooks might be one of those things where there are just more books than things to say about them. It takes acquiring a cookbook, flipping through it and maybe trying a couple of the recipes to really be able to comment on it, so discussion on all but the most popular books might be limited. I like the format of this thread, where you can write a short blurb on one or a few books of interest, and the standouts will naturally get seconded. Although it took the power of Google-fu just to find this topic in the first place, so hey, I'm certainly not opposed to a separate subforum in principle. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pcollins Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 I've really enjoyed Kenji's food lab book - though it comes with the caveat that I've been a pretty avid follower of him on seriouseats for a couple years now. I'll echo this assessment. The book may be semi-random at times where it will suddenly give you two pages on asparagus techniques but it has all been useful information. On several of the step by step recipes there are additional pictures to aid in the process. Because it covers so much ground, this could be useful for entry cooks/dabblers who want a wider base or more experienced chefs who want to get some of Kenji's specific tricks to improve what they already know. The other cookbook I received over the holidays was the latest Food52 release, their baking cookbook. I've found all of their cookbooks to be extremely strong on the pictures, but some of the recipes can be overly basic. Considering that I am still fairly inexperienced at baking this was right up my alley. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveO Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Great recs, definitely planning to check these out. Don, I think the index would be convenient for sure, but cookbooks might be one of those things where there are just more books than things to say about them. It takes acquiring a cookbook, flipping through it and maybe trying a couple of the recipes to really be able to comment on it, so discussion on all but the most popular books might be limited. I like the format of this thread, where you can write a short blurb on one or a few books of interest, and the standouts will naturally get seconded. Although it took the power of Google-fu just to find this topic in the first place, so hey, I'm certainly not opposed to a separate subforum in principle. I agree with Shaho: This is a meaty thread. Also, imho it has had a lot of comments and views in general, it just got lost in the last couple of years; which also suggests that when it was more visible it really got a lot of comments and views all within a relatively shorter period of time. I agree on the comments about evaluating a cookbook. It takes time and effort and trying a lot of recipes and then there is a comparative element in suggesting that one cookbook in particular is special; at least that is my experience and it mirrors that of Shaho above. I have no idea if any one cookbook would inspire tons of comments from many readers, but my gut is simply giving this a separate line item in the cooking section alone would get more eyeballs to it. I know I came to this forum at a period when comments in this thread had dried up and so I never saw it till now. But it is meaty. I'm going to reread and probably invest in some of the suggestions, some from years back. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Seanchai Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Between Christmas and my recent birthday I've received a number of Amazon gift cards, so this is a very dangerous thread for me. One cookbook I've enjoyed cooking out of recently is Lucky Peach's 101 Easy Asian recipes. As a neophyte cook of Asian food I find it straddles the line of accessibility and challenge quite nicely. I echo the praise for the Food Lab and Smoke and Pickles cookbooks; everything has come out great so far. Both have a nice mix of easy and more complex depending on your mood and what you have time for. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ktmoomau Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Well I got 7 cookbooks for Christmas and now one for Valentine's Day. I should have more to add to this forum in the next year, apparently. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Seanchai Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 A cookbook/diatribe/confessional I've been enjoying very much is A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches by Tyler Cord, the chef proprietor of the No. 7 sub shops in NYC. Aside from the bizarre ingredient combinations that he promises will work very well, I think this book is freaking hilarious. There's an on-going sub-conversation between him and his editor Francis Lam that reminds me of the editorial asides that Jim Gaffigan inserts in his comedy routines. It's probably not for everyone, but I'm really glad I'm reading it and look forward to trying some of his crazy-ass recipes. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
zgast Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 Any suggestions beyond the Ottolenghi cookbooks for Greek or Middle Eastern? Had a delightful lunch on a beautiful day at Zaytinya and I'm feeling inspired. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Deac Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 Zahav (fantastic Israeli restaurant in Philly) has a new cookbook out. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tweaked Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Pretty much any middle eastern cookbook by Claudia Roden will do the trick. Arabesque or The New Book of Middle Eastern Food. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
silentbob Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Cathal Armstrong's book, which he co-wrote with David Hagedorn, is inexplicably bargain-binned for $8 at Barnes & Noble when all other retailers are still selling it in the $20s. I just bought multiple copies to give as gifts. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ktmoomau Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 16 hours ago, silentbob said: Cathal Armstrong's book, which he co-wrote with David Hagedorn, is inexplicably bargain-binned for $8 at Barnes & Noble when all other retailers are still selling it in the $20s. I just bought multiple copies to give as gifts. Thanks for this, might stop by and get one or two! I now will have an extra Deep Run Roots- I got one for my MIL (personalized) and she already received one as a gift, so she is going to give me that one to re-gift to someone. I am hoping no one gets one for me for Christmas- as I may have gifted a signed one for myself pre-Christmas. MK tried to take liberties and get me a cookbook not on my amazon list- he obviously didn't do a good job checking the cabinet of cookbooks first- so I have a Bryan Voltaggio Home cookbook personalized to Ali (not noted on the listing) that I am hoping we can return or re-sell. If anyone has an Ali in their life... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bart Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Anthony Bourdain recently released a new cookbook that seemed to fly under the radar. I'm not sure how I heard about it, but it was a very random thing, and I was surprised to see that it was already released. It's called "Appetites" and it's written in the Bourdain style, which I love. Like his other cookbook there's a some "foundational" information in there like how to make and use stocks (can't remember anything else off hand, but there was more). Anyhow, I like it a lot and made some good dishes with it. Sadly, his 2 day recipe for Korean Fried Chicken didn't live up to my expectations or his descriptions, but I'd still recommend the book. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dr. Delicious Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 The A.V. Club’s guide to the best cookbooks of the century so far By Kevin Pang Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tweaked Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 The end-of-the-year cookbooks are beginning to roll out, just in time for people to start contemplating holiday gift ideas. I'll recommend Istanbul & Beyond: Exploring the Diverse Cuisines of Turkey.* Written by Robyn Eckhardt with photography by David Hagerman, the wife/husband team behind the EatingAsia blog and whose work has appeared in the NY Times, Saveur, and many other foodie publications. It's a great read with beautiful photography. * Full disclosure, I was a recipe tester for this book...all five recipes I tested made the final cut. Fun experience! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dr. Delicious Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 We got the Rasika cookbook, and it appears to have all the recipes you could want. I have a Black Cod order into McLean Organic Butcher (to be picked up on Friday), and also will be heading to the local Indian spice store to get the 20-odd obscure spices needed to successfully pull off this type of cuisine . I think our plan is to make the Black Cod, Palaak Chat, and Paneer Shashlik (all spellings approximate). Keep your fingers crossed! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ktmoomau Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 I got the David Guas cookbook for my birthday from my SIL, it is signed by him and is a really nice present, but I don't know how many of the recipes I will actually make. Some of my favorites that I would think would be easier to make from his shop- like his delicious gluten free chocolate cookies- aren't in there Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ktmoomau Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Hello All, I am looking for a good bread cookbook for my SIL. I would say she is a good intermediate home cook, who could make sense of most books. I have a bread book at home that is ok, but I don't pull out all the time. I more often go searching for a recipe that suits my fancy, but I also bake regularly. Any bread books you really like, or that would be good for someone starting out in the process? I don't see her keeping starters all over, as they have a pretty small place, so something that focuses less heavily on breads that need starter would be good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John William G Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 7 minutes ago, ktmoomau said: Hello All, I am looking for a good bread cookbook for my SIL. ... You might take a look at Jim Lahey’s “My Bread.” There are recipes for all kinds of bread, and all are no-knead. In addition to the nice discussions of the procedures, there are numerous photos of how to follow the recipes. For example, the basic recipe is accompanied by 24 photographs covering three full pages showing every step in the process. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pat Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 It's old, but I like Beard on Bread. In addition to yeast breads, it covers a whole range, including quick breads, coffee cake, doughnuts. The last few times I've come across it it's been for sale cheap so it could easily pair with another book. It's a pretty "home cook friendly" book. The Bread Baker's Apprentice is another one I've liked. It has very detailed recipes and recipes for starters, etc., so maybe that's a littl too much for what you want. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ktmoomau Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 Great recs! I use that no knead bread technique all the time and love it, and she won't mind a used copy of the Beard on Bread, so I could likely get her both! Thanks all, so helpful! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tweaked Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 The always great James Oseland teams up with the always great Ten Speed Press for a new cookbook series World Food, inspired by the old Time-Life cookbooks. The first release will be World Food: Mexico City: Heritage Recipes for Classic Home Cooking on Nov. 24, 2020. The second release will be World Food: Paris: Heritage Recipes for Classic Home Cooking in early 2021. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
weezy Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-to-find-historic-cookbooks Great article about the woman who compiled a gigantic historic cookbook database 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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