Your favorite Cookbooks

Lucy · 11-13-2007, 09:34 PM

Do you have a lot of cookbooks? Do you use them often? Which ones are your favorite?

I really don't have that many cookbooks. I've grown up in the age of the internet, and I often print off a lot of recipes or else I watch the Food Network and decide to try a recipe I've seen. Other than that, a lot of what I cook is stuff I've learned being around my mother and grandmother.

My mother has given me a few of her old cookbooks such as the good ol' Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, a Florida Southern cookbook and a few Betty Crocker cookbooks. A few years ago, I bought a set of cookbooks written by Paula Deen (The Lady & Sons Southern Cookbook I & II, and Just Deserts) I was a little put off when I realized I had spent all of that money on cookbooks and a good deal of the recipes she has made on her show and I could just print off for free.

A few weekends ago, I took a trip to Savannah and had the pleasure of eating at the best restaurant I've ever been to in my life - Mrs. Wilkes Boardinghouse. You can buy copies of her cookbook Famous Recipes at the counter and I bought one. I've had so much fun looking through it and I've made two of her recipes and picked up a few of her tips. I've enjoyed reading through the cookbook so much that I thought I might give cookbooks another try. I've coveted a few books written by Ina Garten for a long time, but fear spending that much money only to find something similar to my experience with Paula Deen's recipes, where I can just print them off of the Food Network site for free.

Food Network Fan · 11-13-2007, 09:40 PM

I have a couple of Emeril's cookbooks. All of Alton Brown's books and one of my favorites would be my Southern Living Cookbook but many of those recipes aren't something I would eat everyday. Too rich and fattening, but great for special occasions. I have a Steven Raichlen indoor grilling cookbook I really like too. I like the internet too though and more often than not I turn to my laptop for discovery. All Recipes is a wealth of great recipes.

Lucy · 11-13-2007, 09:49 PM

I agree, all recipes is fabulous. I've also found a few different copycat restaurant sites I enjoy. I love trying to outsmart restaurants and make versions of my favorite foods at home much cheaper and sometimes better. Two of my favorite discoveries are a recipe much like Outback's Alice Springs Chicken and another for Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup. Yum.

Food Network Fan · 11-13-2007, 09:57 PM

You sound like my kinda gal Lucy. I had to have the recipe for chili's fajitas, it is fun to see if you can copy something, especially here where I need to bring back ideas from when we travel since we don't have a lot of things other states have.

Lucy · 11-13-2007, 10:13 PM

Ooh, that sounds good. I love fajitas and I love Chilis. To be honest, I like anything I can melt cheese and slap some sour cream on

. That seems to be right up my alley.

Food Network Fan · 11-13-2007, 10:37 PM

I wish we had more Mexican style places available here. I would even be happy with a chain like Don Pablo's.

Chefnot · 11-14-2007, 12:16 PM

We have a library here of cooking books. And I might add I'm a little resentful of it, as it grew my space grew smaller, to the point where my books were thrown out or expelled to the trapping shed!

I mostly use one, the original copy of Betty Crocker which belonged to my Mother. It's my cooking bible you might say...

BerryBaby · 11-14-2007, 07:32 PM

Betty Crocker from the early 1970's. The best, basic cookbook ever! I have a ton of others, but this is the one I use with the most regularity.

radiodugger · 12-19-2007, 11:17 PM

Let's see...I have ALL of Jeff Smith's (Frugal Gourmet) books..that's one brilliant guy (was, anyway...may he R.I.P.)...a lot of what I learned early-on was from those...

The NEW Cook Book is an old standard I refer to often...but my current favorite?

Le Cordon Bleu at Home (Hardcover):

Amazon.com: Le Cordon Bleu at Home: Books: Le Cordon Bleu,Andre J. Cointreau,Cordon Bleu Le

I just bought this for $10 at the flea market.

It's one I've always wanted to read. Classic French cooking, and it's a kind of Culinary School at home-type book.

One day, I'm going to try the recipes.

Radio Doug

MiseEnPlace · 12-20-2007, 10:56 AM

I call my collection, the culinary library

I have close to (if not over) 100 cookbooks. There are many with recipes that I want to try, but I just don't have time to make everything!
A lot of the books I have are for what I call "reference"

I haven't made anything from The Joy of Cooking, but I have used the information in it for other things. Also, a lot of mine are regional, ethnic cookbooks or specialty books on one subject (like bread) I like to have for the information. Then I have my collection of all Good Eats DVDs that I use to understand techniques and make things from the show.

Oh my gosh, I'm a geek

Anyway, my favorites are (big surprise here) AB's books. I have found a lot of great things in I'm Just Here for More Food.
I have a Cooking Light annual (don't remember the year) that has my favorite banana bread and rice pudding recipes. The Baking Illustrated book from Cook's Illustrated has super coconut macaroons. And the Top Secret (copy cat recipes) books are good to. I make the Taco Bell basic ground beef a lot.

This is my collection as of October... I've added more since then. The forth shelf has a lot more now!