# Favorite cookbooks



## MarcelNL (Aug 29, 2020)

I imagine that it belongs more here than in Off Topic, so let's start a thread about cookbook. I suggest we list them with a brief description who wrote it (as translated books may be hard to find based on numbers or name alone) and a sentence or two three why you like it and which recipes you like best.

I'm a bit spoilt as we have a pretty decent book shop specializing in cookbooks in Town and we have gone through quite a few already so by now we know what we like in a book; background, description of new ingredients and gear, recipes in chronological order, pictures to go with the recipes (not per se for all, but for more than just a few), good readability (font size and contrast), most important ... an author who can cook and clearly has made the recipes more than just for dreaming them up (or just ate them).

Too many books have content that cannot possibly work, wrong order, clearly wrong amounts, wrong ingredients etc...

drawback; I have a hard time finding some ingredients like giant red Ants from the Thai book.


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## MarcelNL (Aug 29, 2020)

Sichuan cooking by Fuchsia Dunlop, reworked book based on her early 2000s book.
original recipes that work, great introduction on ingredients and methods, recipes that sometimes seem so simple yet flavors that are so complex.
Starting out my tip is to do a proper mis en place as I got severly lost in all the new ingredients and order things go in the first few times cooking, for very experienced Asian cooks/Pro's probably not needed. 

Abs fave:
Twice cooked pork ( but then using Iberico shortrib meat -no bones) and cooked in water with some star anise and sichuan pepper and a touch of salt.
Chicken Gong Bao
Chicken with preserved black beans
Veggie Chicken Gong Bao, made from dried Tofu curd strands


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## JDA_NC (Aug 29, 2020)

I'll narrow it down to two:

Bill Neal's Southern Cooking







This one is personal for me. Bill Neal was a local chef & writer who had a massive influence in the restaurant business where I'm from. This was really important for me as a young cook because it was the first time I had seen someone take an almost academic approach to cuisine - really breaking down the geographical and cultural roots of classic dishes. If you're familiar with this type of cuisine there won't be too much that is revolutionary or mind-blowing. Also keep in mind it was written in 1989. But his philosophy towards food and passion for understanding why and where dishes come from had a big impact on how I think about food. I have given away four copies to fellow cooks and friends - about the highest praise I can give a cookbook. His shrimp & grits recipe is one of my all time favorite dishes and the definition of comfort food for me.



Here is a short documentary that was done by SFA talking about Bill Neal, if anyone is interested.

My second pick is a restaurant cookbook and way less practical for cooking at home. Hell, it's not even really practical in 99.9% of the professional kitchens you might be working in either.





Au Pied De Cochon cookbook

I love this cookbook. Every time I read it, it takes me back to being a young, green cook and being in love with rustic, rich French food. It's beautifully illustrated & put together, and at the time the restaurant's philosophy resonated with me. I don't think I have ever cooked anything from it (and I've owned it for over a decade) but it's a wonderfully Gonzo & punk rock-ish love letter to a restaurant, region, and cuisine (and foie gras too )


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## MarcelNL (Aug 29, 2020)

nice, I was not by anu means narrowing it down to one, just for the post. 1 book per post seemed more logical to me, but hey, bring em on!


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## MarcelNL (Aug 29, 2020)

I just found out that over half of the books is in storage.....AAAAARGHHH. No Charlton Heston at Home, so far I've cooked the two easiest one of which is a Mushroom soup that is mind blowing stuff and all others pale in comparison!


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## M1k3 (Aug 29, 2020)

*The Professional Cook - Culinary Institute of America*

Lays a good foundation with recipes that are easily accessible. 

Also good reads:

*The French Laundry - Thomas Keller*
This one steps up the game. More advanced techniques. Somewhat fancier ingredients that aren't ridiculously hard to find or super expensive.

*Le Guide Culinaire - Auguste Escoffier*
A bit outdated in general. But good resource for stocks and other old school french food and techniques. Recipes for the most part are easily accessible.


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## LostHighway (Aug 29, 2020)

I have questions rather than a suggestion. I'm wondering about opinions about both the Japanese Culinary Academy texts and James Peterson's myriad of books. I have earlier editions of both the Peterson Sauces and Fish & Shellfish books. I probably don't refer to either of them as often as I should. I'm curious about his other books as well as how much has changed between the 2nd edition of Sauces and the current (4th?) edition.


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## VicVox72 (Aug 29, 2020)

A bit of change of pace from the "high brow" semi-professional to professional targeted books: Clothilde Dusoulier French Market

The (short and on point) vegetarian (and no cheese! But french! I promise!) cookbook that turned me from "I sometimes like to look up a fancy recipe at home" cool to "I want to systematically improve my cutting, cooking, presentation, and recipe design" 

The idea of the book is to give you seasonal (organized by what's in season in France) rustic, but with some new influences, vegetarian french recipes that avoid cheese. Recipe difficulty is quite a bit beyond what most home cook targeted "french" cookbooks in the US have -- and it really shows in the usually amazing end result. Still obviously nowhere near, say, Escoffier (which I have since started browsing).

So far, each recipe I tried has worked well, all pictures are beautiful, and instructions mostly very clear and realistic. Ingredients mostly easily obtainable.

My favorite is the pear chestnut cake. The chestnut flour is unobtainable anywhere near where I live, but it's worked out really well just grinding precooked chestnuts (thanks, Costco!) 


------------------

Request: south-east asian cook book ideas please! I have had a bit of a Japanese obsessed phase (thanks Elizabeth Andoh and Shizuo Tsuji) and my wife is getting bored. So I want to shift focus geographically. 

What's an authentic, ideally veggie and fish focused, cookbook that teaches the philosophy and methods, not just a list of recipes of any of the south east asian cuisines?


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## josemartinlopez (Aug 29, 2020)

Bro, Southeast Asia is ten separate countries with very different religions, languages, histories and to some extent cuisines. You should start with one first as there's no such thing as a regional cuisine. The best way of doing it is to start with Singapore and save Malaysia for dead last.

Gordon Ramsay has some nice videos poking around in Indonesia.


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## VicVox72 (Aug 29, 2020)

josemartinlopez said:


> Bro, Southeast Asia is ten separate countries with very different religions, languages, histories and to some extent cuisines. You should start with one first as there's no such thing as a regional cuisine. The best way of doing it is to start with Singapore and save Malaysia for dead last.
> 
> Gordon Ramsay has some nice videos poking around in Indonesia.



I know it's super diverse and many different cultures and cuisines! Sorry, I didn't mean to be the white dude who says "I want authentic south east asian. That's one country right?" 

I just meant to express that I am happy with recommendations for ANY individual south east Asian cuisine -- be it Malay, Thai, Indonesian, ...


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## josemartinlopez (Aug 29, 2020)

No, no, no, not Malaysia...


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## LostHighway (Aug 29, 2020)

VicVox72 said:


> Request: south-east asian cook book ideas please! I have had a bit of a Japanese obsessed phase (thanks Elizabeth Andoh and Shizuo Tsuji) and my wife is getting bored. So I want to shift focus geographically.
> 
> What's an authentic, ideally veggie and fish focused, cookbook that teaches the philosophy and methods, not just a list of recipes of any of the south east asian cuisines?



Veggie and fish focused is a severe limitation, although my own preferences match those qualifiers/limitations. I find David Thompson's books to be about as good as it gets, at least in English, for Thai cookbooks. I also recommend Sri Owen's The Rice Book. I haven't read her other books so if you investigate those please report. None of these are vegetarian or pescetarian. So far I haven't found a Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian, Burmese, or Indonesian cookbook that has really impressed me but James Oseland's Cradle of Flavor is at least worth a look.


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## josemartinlopez (Aug 29, 2020)

Recommended cookbook links:









Modern Nyonya -- Paperback / softback by Tan, Sylvia


Singapore largest bookstore offering books, magazines, music, CD, Manga and much more




singapore.kinokuniya.com













Singapore Hawker Classics Unveiled : Decoding 25 Favourite Dishes


Unique cookbook containing everything you ever needed to know about 25 classic Singapore hawker favourites.




singapore.kinokuniya.com







https://www.amazon.com/The-Raffles-Hotel-Cookbook-Recipes/dp/9814068586











Plusixfive: A Singaporean Supper Club Cookbook


Description Praise About the Author Look inside the book | Get the E-book Winner, Best Chef Cookbook, Singapore, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2014Winner, Best Illustrations, Singapore, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2014 Lamenting the lack of good Singaporean food in London (Singapore...




shop.epigrambooks.sg













The Way of Kueh: Savouring & Saving Singapore’s Heritage Desserts


Description Praise About the Author Interviews Book of the Year, 2020 Singapore Book AwardsWinner for the 2020 Singapore Book Awards (Best Illustrated, Non-Fiction) Look inside the book Food writer, cooking instructor and author Christopher Tan is back with the definitive book on Singapore’s...




shop.epigrambooks.sg


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## VicVox72 (Aug 29, 2020)

LostHighway said:


> Veggie and fish focused is a severe limitation, although my own preferences match those qualifiers/limitations. I find David Thompson's books to be about as good as it gets, at least in English, for Thai cookbooks. I also recommend Sri Owen's The Rice Book. I haven't read her other books so if you investigate those please report. None of these are vegetarian or pescetarian. So far I haven't found a Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian, Burmese, or Indonesian cookbook that has really impressed me but James Oseland's Cradle of Flavor is at least worth a look.



Thank you so much for your recommendations! Will definitely check then out. 

To be honest, even if I don't end up cooking almost any of the meat based recipes, a cookbook that is sincerely interested in expositing the intricacies, principles, and ideas behind a regional cuisine would be worth it to me. 

I love reading Marcella Hazans Italian cookbooks even if they are very meat based, because she tries to teach Italian cooking, not just list recipes.


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## BillHanna (Aug 29, 2020)

josemartinlopez said:


> No, no, no, not Malaysia...


Why?


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## dafox (Aug 29, 2020)

MarcelNL said:


> Sichuan cooking by Fuchsia Dunlop, reworked book based on her early 2000s book.
> original recipes that work, great introduction on ingredients and methods, recipes that sometimes seem so simple yet flavors that are so complex.
> Starting out my tip is to do a proper mis en place as I got severly lost in all the new ingredients and order things go in the first few times cooking, for very experienced Asian cooks/Pro's probably not needed.
> 
> ...


D


MarcelNL said:


> Sichuan cooking by Fuchsia Dunlop, reworked book based on her early 2000s book.
> original recipes that work, great introduction on ingredients and methods, recipes that sometimes seem so simple yet flavors that are so complex.
> Starting out my tip is to do a proper mis en place as I got severly lost in all the new ingredients and order things go in the first few times cooking, for very experienced Asian cooks/Pro's probably not needed.
> 
> ...


How does it compare to every grain of rice?


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## MarcelNL (Aug 29, 2020)

almost all recipes from every grain of rice are copied in Sichuan cooking, with loads more added.
Her Shang Hai book is nice too, different flavors though.


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## rickbern (Aug 29, 2020)

dafox said:


> D
> 
> How does it compare to every grain of rice?


I think both books are pretty terrific. You can’t go wrong.

@MarcelNL Every grain of rice has a recipe from hunan, black bean chicken, that’s wonderful. It uses fermented black beans.

EGoR is more an overview of different regional styles, Sichuan Cooking more focused.

I started with EGoR and found it useful to put together a starting pantry.


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## MarcelNL (Aug 29, 2020)

rickbern said:


> I think both books are pretty terrific. You can’t go wrong.
> 
> @MarcelNL Every grain of rice has a recipe from hunan, black bean chicken, that’s wonderful. It uses fermented black beans.
> 
> ...


same here, EGoR first, Sichuan cooking lately, and YES black bean chicken is on the short list here too, problem is picking a recipe, as we like all of them...maybe perhaps except the Tofu and Avocado which is a bit of a clumsy dish.


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## rickbern (Aug 29, 2020)

I’m a big fan of the saffron tales by Yasmin Khan.



https://www.amazon.com/Saffron-Tales-Recipes-Persian-Kitchen/dp/1632867109



I’ve been after a Persian cookbook that introduced an outsider to the culture for years, and this is the best one yet. I’d not call it comprehensive but more a focused group of recipes that exposed me to a great slice of cooking.

there’s a dish called fesenjoon that I believe I posted a recipe for here which is chicken braised in a walnut sauce. Love it. I’ve made the dish from several sources, hers is demonstrably the best tasting of all.

As requested by op, the book helps in putting together a Persian pantry.


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## MarcelNL (Aug 29, 2020)

rickbern said:


> I’m a big fan of the saffron tales by Yasmin Khan.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


sounds great, just picked it up for 5 Euro, thanks for the tip!


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## ecchef (Aug 29, 2020)

I’m gonna go way off the farm here. My absolutely favorites are Charles H. Baker’s “The Gentleman’s Companion” and “The South American Gentleman’s Companion” published in 1946 and 1951 correspondingly. Both are two volume sets of one culinary and one mixology.
Although neither haute cuisine commentaries nor intricately detailed recipe collections, the anecdotal yet unpretentious writing style immediately transports me to the era in which these books were written. Recipes use ingredients, techniques and equipment available at the time and there are more than a few surprises to pique your interest. If I ever need to do a ‘nostalgic’ themed event, this is my go-to reference material.

For a more current selection,”Gran Cocina Latina” by Maricel Presilla is really top notch.


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## spaceconvoy (Aug 29, 2020)

My favorite Indian recipes come from a website instead of a cookbook - Manjula's Kitchen. Her spices are a bit basic, so I'll often take her recipes and substitute with spice mixtures from The Indian Vegetarian. That book has the opposite problem, the recipes aren't great (she relies too heavily on yogurt) but her masalas taste very authentic. Gives me an excuse to use my weirder spices.









Manjula's Kitchen | Indian Vegetarian Recipes | Cooking Videos


Manjula's Kitchen is your home for Indian Vegetarian Recipes and delicious Cooking Videos. Watch Manjula teach mouthwatering appetizers, curries, desserts and many more, easy to make for all ages.



www.manjulaskitchen.com


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## LostHighway (Aug 29, 2020)

I've mentioned these in prior cookbook threads but I am a fan of the Ottolenghi cookbooks, which are more-or-less nouveau Middle Eastern (he is originally Israeli, his business partner is Palestinian). Plenty and Plenty More are vegetarian, Jerusalem and Ottolenghi are for omnivores. Recipes range from fairly simple to mildly involved but none I've encountered are particularly technically demanding. There is also a desserts book, Sweet, which I do not own but Yotam Ottolenghi was originally a pastry chef (Michelin starred restaurants and elsewhere) so I would expect it to be good. He has another book coming out this fall, Flavor, which is described as plant-based. There is also Nopi (a brasserie he owns), co-authored with the head chef. Sami Tamimi, his Palestinian co-owner and collaborator, has a new book out, Falastin, which I haven't seen yet. Since my skills aren't all that and I'm very rarely willing to sink much more than two or three hours (usually far less) into meal preparation I tend to gravitate toward cookbooks that don't overly strain those limitations.


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## tchan001 (Aug 30, 2020)

Please recommend some cookbooks (or websites, YT etc)


My go to for breakfast: The Breakfast Book- by Marion Cunningham. This is a classic, no fancy pictures, just great recipes. The Union Square Cookbook, another classic. My newest and has a great backstory The Gaijin Cookbook by Ivan Orkin and Chris Ying. Our only Japanese cookbook and I know...




www.kitchenknifeforums.com




Posted my favorite Chinese cookbooks on the above thread. Some may be difficult to find.


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## Michi (Aug 30, 2020)

Modernist Cuisine and Modernist Cuisine at Home are interesting. A lot of the recipes in there are rather complex and elaborate. But these books are a good source of information about the science and chemistry of cooking.


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## MarcelNL (Aug 30, 2020)

Highly recommended (if I had to rank my books this would be nr 2 on the list):

from India by Kumar and Suda Mahadevan, https://www.amazon.com/India-Recipes-Celebrate-Family-Tradition/dp/162686523X (available elsewhere too, I'm no great fan of Amazon)

The family restaurant in Sydney,from what I can tell placed in the higher ranks, is the source for the book. Mind you, the recipes are quite labor intense but bring stellar flavors and combinations that work.
I messed around a bit in the beginning, and found out that adding spices in the wrong order actually DOES affect taste...

Favorite dishes ;
Paneer with pees
crispy pork glazed with Tamarind and ginger
Stuffed Aubergine (egg plant)
Spinach Dhal
Chicken 65
Chicken in Coriander-mint sauce
Pakodi Kadi (fried dumplings with yoghurt sauce)

be prepared to buy some exotic ingredients like asafoetida, Ajowanseed, curry leaves, fenegreek leaves. If you can source all ingredients you are in for what I think are very elegant yet spicy (not hot, spicy) dishes. I've eaten around quite a bit while traveling for work and these dishes are way up with the best Indian I ever had.


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## juice (Aug 30, 2020)

MarcelNL said:


> be prepared to buy some exotic ingredients like asafoetida,


Heh, I actually have a couple of packs of that. I really wish I could remember why I bought it


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## Michi (Aug 30, 2020)

MarcelNL said:


> be prepared to buy some exotic ingredients like asafoetida, Ajowanseed, curry leaves, fenegreek leaves. If you can source all ingredients you are in for what I think are very elegant yet spicy (not hot, spicy) dishes.


All of these (and more) are readily available here at any Indian supermarket/store. Check Google for Indian grocers in your area.


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## MarcelNL (Aug 30, 2020)

Michi said:


> All of these (and more) are readily available here at any Indian supermarket/store. Check Google for Indian grocers in your area.


for those of you living in Australia or the UK with a large Indian population, sure...I can tell you I can more easily get some of the 'stranger' Indonesian ingredients (like fresh Peteh -stinky- beans) than some of the Indian stuff. Online is often the easiest solution for me if I don't want to travel 100Km one way, but if I have to I will... as I know the effect those magic ingredients have. Our spices collection shows it, our next kitchen will have a dedicated mass storage system...I'd much like a pharmacy robot storage system, key in a name and it wizzes up.


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## rickbern (Aug 30, 2020)

MarcelNL said:


> Highly recommended (if I had to rank my books this would be nr 2 on the list):
> 
> from India by Kumar and Suda Mahadevan, https://www.amazon.com/India-Recipes-Celebrate-Family-Tradition/dp/162686523X (available elsewhere too, I'm no great fan of Amazon)
> 
> ...


Seeing as how I’m not running an Indian restaurant...

I’m quite partial to Indian Home Cooking by Suvir Saran



https://www.amazon.com/Indian-Home-Cooking-Introduction-Recipes/dp/0609611011



he ran a highly recommended restaurant in new York for many years and made excellent subtle food. When he had an opportunity to write a cookbook rather than writing a complex restaurant oriented homage to himself he focused on attempting to show an unfamiliar audience how Indian cuisine could easily work in their homes.

One of the best things about this book is hell note an ingredient as optional. Gives you a chance to lean into the cuisine without going broke in the spice shop.

I have to admit, Indian dishes tend to be side dishes for me but all the dals and rice dishes have been great and the vegetables are delicious.

There’s a recipe for dry roasted okra and another for dal with standing spices in this book that have to be the most stained pages in any cookbook I own, and as far as I’m concerned there’s no higher praise than that.


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## MarcelNL (Aug 30, 2020)

THailand; after having dismissed a few books I thought to be good, this one is a keeper.
Thailand by Jean Pierre Gabriel. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thailand-het-kookboek-Jean-Pierre-Gabriel/dp/9000363977

fave dishes; meat with crispy Thai Basil

Only drawback is hard to source ingredients such as giant ants and silk worms


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## LostHighway (Aug 30, 2020)

India really needs an encyclopedic multi-volume survey of their food culture as it is very far from monolithic even within the geographic confines of modern India. If you throw in the expat versions of Indian food and those of the entire Indian subcontinent it becomes almost unimaginably vast. I haven't counted but I probably have at least half a dozen nominally "Indian" cookbooks and I wouldn't recommend any of them without a list of qualifiers and caveats. Monisha Bharadwaj's The Indian Cooking Course is probably the best single-volume introductory book I've seen thus far as it at least attempts to provide some cultural context and isn't just a collection of recipes.


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## damiano (Aug 30, 2020)

Penelope Casas, the foods and wines of Spain
The foods of Italy/Spain by Claudia Roden
Anna del Conte
Antonio Carluccio
Marcella Hazan
Loukie Werle

All classics imho. 

I still haven’t found a good cook bookon SE Asian cuisine. Closest come some facebook groups with locals posting recipes.


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## MarcelNL (Aug 30, 2020)

Claudia Roden on Spain +1!
Carluccio too!
As an encyclopedia, the Silver Spoon, a seemingly haphazerd phone book of classic Italian recipes, only practical if you want to look up something you know you want to make. fave dish: Bagna Cauda


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## damiano (Aug 30, 2020)

MarcelNL said:


> Claudia Roden on Spain +1!
> Carluccio too!
> As an encyclopedia, the Silver Spoon, a seemingly haphazerd phone book of classic Italian recipes, only practical if you want to look up something you know you want to make. fave dish: Bagna Cauda


I’ve actually just bought The Silver Spoon last week, in Italian!  slowly learning the language. 

I’ve noticed numerous times how translators take the freedom to change recipes to make them more ‘accessible’, or aligned with that country’s tastes. I want to avoid that and go straight to the original recipe, hence my preference for original language books.


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## MarcelNL (Aug 30, 2020)

Wahnamhong said:


> I’ve actually just bought The Silver Spoon last week, in Italian!  slowly learning the language.
> 
> I’ve noticed numerous times how translators take the freedom to change recipes to make them more ‘accessible’, or aligned with that country’s tastes. I want to avoid that and go straight to the original recipe, hence my preference for original language books.



translations usually are a compromise, until you hit a translator understanding the subject matter OR capable/aware enough to ask the right questions. I've worked with a couple of translators in the second category in the past, amazing when you hear quastions asked by the audience that actually match what you spoke about and beyond!
I'm afraid my taste is too diverse to start speaking all languages, within EU I manage a few but once upon a time I started an endeavour to learn Russian only to find out it's grammatically complex!


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## Carlo (Aug 30, 2020)

I was excited to see the subject line of this thread, and totally unsurprised to see my favorites are already listed: Jerusalem, Every Grain of Rice, and The Foods and Wines of Spain.

One more I absolutely love is The Basque Book by Alexandra Raij, operator of restaurant Txikito here in NYC.

I’m not crazy about the recipes I’ve tried in the Claudia Roden Spain book though I enjoyed the informative aspects of the book.


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## Twigg (Aug 31, 2020)

I have a signed copy of Frank Stitt's Southern Table. I like it because when I lived in Birmingham, Alabama years ago and I loved eating at The Highlands Bar and Grill and my favorite of his restaurants was Chez Fon Fon. The cookbook offers a nice story about the ingredients and their importance, while he tries to fuse a bit of southern cooking with Europe. While not a must have, I like it as it serves as a keepsake link to 2 memorable places.


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## ian (Aug 31, 2020)

M1k3 said:


> *The Professional Cook - Culinary Institute of America*
> 
> Lays a good foundation with recipes that are easily accessible.
> 
> ...



You, sir, are very fancy. I don't have the French Laundry book, but I've enjoyed reading the other Keller books, Ad Hoc and Bouchon. I don't think I've ever cooked anything from them, though. (Maybe Fried Chicken?)

I hardly ever actually use cookbooks in the kitchen (except for baking) --- they're more living room reading for me. However, I just got a copy of Hamelman's Bread book, and I'm enjoying that one. I also like Irene Kuo's "The Key to Chinese Cooking", and Diana Kennedy's "The Art of Mexican Cooking", and have actually cooked things from them.


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## rickbern (Aug 31, 2020)

Carlo said:


> I was excited to see the subject line of this thread, and totally unsurprised to see my favorites are already listed: Jerusalem, Every Grain of Rice, and The Foods and Wines of Spain.
> 
> One more I absolutely love is The Basque Book by Alexandra Raij, operator of restaurant Txikito here in NYC.
> 
> I’m not crazy about the recipes I’ve tried in the Claudia Roden Spain book though I enjoyed the informative aspects of the book.


Carlo, I have that Basque book on Kindle and I forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder!

(ps, I live about five blocks from the restaurant, I like their little seafood oriented one next door better, mostly because of acoustics)


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## M1k3 (Aug 31, 2020)

ian said:


> You, sir, are very fancy. I don't have the French Laundry book, but I've enjoyed reading the other Keller books, Ad Hoc and Bouchon. I don't think I've ever cooked anything from them, though. (Maybe Fried Chicken?)
> 
> I hardly ever actually use cookbooks in the kitchen (except for baking) --- they're more living room reading for me. However, I just got a copy of Hamelman's Bread book, and I'm enjoying that one. I also like Irene Kuo's "The Key to Chinese Cooking", and Diana Kennedy's "The Art of Mexican Cooking", and have actually cooked things from them.


Hahaha!! Honestly, for me, I like the techniques and preparation side of those books. The recipes are more or less an idea instead of an actual path to take, for me.


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## VicVox72 (Aug 31, 2020)

M1k3 said:


> Hahaha!! Honestly, for me, I like the the techniques and preparation side of those books. The recipes are more or less an idea instead of an actual path to take, for me.




I feel so vindicated hahaha. My wife says I am weird for buying cookbooks and then reading them cover to cover and only making like 3 recipes actually from the book, deciding thereafter that I would rather improvise from what I have read...


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## MarcelNL (Aug 31, 2020)

For new food styles I usually use the recipes until I get a feel for the combinations and amounts, then I start to wing it and improvise. I can still recall my brother in law, who was from Indonesia) tasting an Indonesian dish we were making and adding this that and the other whereas I only tasted the large combination. By now I can also separate the flavors better, it;s either something you learn or something some folks are born with. I know I have to taste my way around it first.


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## damiano (Aug 31, 2020)

Carlo said:


> I was excited to see the subject line of this thread, and totally unsurprised to see my favorites are already listed: Jerusalem, Every Grain of Rice, and The Foods and Wines of Spain.
> 
> One more I absolutely love is The Basque Book by Alexandra Raij, operator of restaurant Txikito here in NYC.
> 
> I’m not crazy about the recipes I’ve tried in the Claudia Roden Spain book though I enjoyed the informative aspects of the book.


Agree on Roden’s book on Spain. Like others have been mentioning I also often just read for inspiration rather than actually making food from recipes. About that Basque book, seeing it’s 13 dollars on kindle, what is it you like? Could you perhaps name a few dishes or techniques you have used? Sounds rather interesting, this book.


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## rickbern (Aug 31, 2020)

Wahnamhong said:


> Agree on Roden’s book on Spain. Like others have been mentioning I also often just read for inspiration rather than actually making food from recipes. About that Basque book, seeing it’s 13 dollars on kindle, what is it you like? Could you perhaps name a few dishes or techniques you have used? Sounds rather interesting, this book.




They’re really inventive. Here’s the head notes/ ingredients for a seafood stew. 

As you can well imagine, packaged dashi is not a typical basque ingredient. Also, specifically tuna belly. They tend to be just as specific/creative with technique.

having said that, it was 2.99 when I bought it.

I’ll let her speak for herself:

“MARMITAKO” This famous Basque fisherman’s stew is named after the marmita, the heavy pot in which it is cooked. I find the dish excessively rich. Even though I like all of its components and concede that they definitely flatter one another, I’ve never been able to embrace it, which presents a conundrum because Eder loves it. Over the years I have made at least ten versions of the stew, none of them traditional, and I have liked them all. This recipe reflects our style at Txikito: it’s a leaner, cleaner marmitako-inspired dish whose luxury comes from buying the best fish and saving the liquor of roasted peppers—a nuanced dish that still honors tradition.

|SERVES 4
5 red bell peppers
3 green bell peppers
½ cup plus 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
2 or 3 russet potatoes
2 cups canola oil
Pinch of Hondashi or other packaged instant dashi
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
2 pounds skin-on fatty tuna belly
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


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## damiano (Aug 31, 2020)

@rickbern Wow thanks for quick and detailed answer! Yeah, the Spanish especially on that side have a tendency to be creative with non traditional ingredients. I was in San Sebastian 2 years ago, and had terrific food all around. Best meal was in a tiny village nearby called Getaria, at restaurant Kaia Kaipe.


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## rickbern (Aug 31, 2020)

I really wish amazon had a two-fer deal where you could get a hard copy and a kindle version of the same book. Makes so much sense with cookbooks.


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## rickbern (Aug 31, 2020)

Wahnamhong said:


> @rickbern Wow thanks for quick and detailed answer! Yeah, the Spanish especially on that side have a tendency to be creative with non traditional ingredients. I was in San Sebastian 2 years ago, and had terrific food all around. Best meal was in a tiny village nearby called Getaria, at restaurant Kaia Kaipe.


My pleasure! I had just opened it earlier and thought this was what I liked about this book and you asked the question. Thank @Carlo for reminding me I owned it!


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## Carlo (Aug 31, 2020)

Wahnamhong said:


> Agree on Roden’s book on Spain. Like others have been mentioning I also often just read for inspiration rather than actually making food from recipes. About that Basque book, seeing it’s 13 dollars on kindle, what is it you like? Could you perhaps name a few dishes or techniques you have used? Sounds rather interesting, this book.



rickbern beat me to it! Yeah, there’s a number of Basque cookbooks out there; some are a little dated or fusty feeling, some are a little more modern. I feel like this one is reasonably modern & has recipes that just work for me. I took it out of the library repeatedly until I realized that I could own it (paper copy) for like $20. 

There’s a couple recipes that just blew both my wife and I away: a super easy but delicious lentil stew with the aromatics and chorizo separate and sort of poached in olive oil, and a dish with hake cooked (actually fried, but with a soft texture) in egg and served over roasted peppers that have been slow cooked in oil ...in fact the book uses a few techniques that were new to me as a home cook and I feel like it opened up my horizons.


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## SeattleBen (Aug 31, 2020)

The books that I still cook out of are basically just two. 

Firstly is the Fanny Farmer, it's decidedly unexciting but when I needed a cornmeal pancake recipe that's the one that just worked and worked well. Secondly is The Food Lab from Lopez-Alt. I can't think of a thing that I've made out of it that didn't work with no tweaking other than for salt.

For reference books I'm definitely with Michi, the modernist books are encyclopedic and if you can be bothered to wade through them then you'll be rewarded. Even the at home version is hard to cook out of though it's so much more approachable. (No centrifuge required) I learned a ton from "Culinary Artistry" and though it's very dated at this point some of the references definitely hold up and so do the pairings. In the Fanny Farmer theme, but French, "I know how to cook" is a classic and worth a read.


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## ian (Aug 31, 2020)

SeattleBen said:


> Firstly is the Fanny Farmer, it's decidedly unexciting but when I needed a cornmeal pancake recipe that's the one that just worked and worked well.



Yea, the Cream Biscuits and Raised Waffles recipes in there are perfect.


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## Eziemniak (Sep 1, 2020)

Made in Italy by Locatelli has to be my fav, such a heartfelt, really different to mass production from Ramsey/Oliver/Martin books
Anything by Ottolenghi for ideas and plating if not for the recipes themselves
Memories of gascony by Koffmann - same as made in Italy, an honest book
Thai food by Thompson - still the book on, well, thai food
On food and cooking - by Mcgee, the bible, even if it doesnt explain why eggs dont stick to butter there is no better book explaining why stuff happens when we cook


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## SeattleBen (Sep 1, 2020)

ian said:


> Yea, the Cream Biscuits and Raised Waffles recipes in there are perfect.




Interestingly the biscuit recipe from the MC books is fantastic too, if convoluted.


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## Colin (Sep 1, 2020)

Some cookbooks that I couldn't live without:

*On Food and Cooking*
By Harold McGee
I like this book because it gives the reasons why we do what we do. I find the science of cooking very interesting, and it helps me cook better food.

*The Professional Chef*
By Culinary Institute of America
This book goes over everything that you might need to be successful in the kitchen. Truly a great reference book.


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## ian (Sep 2, 2020)

Just bought this because of this thread...


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## ethompson (Sep 6, 2020)

Great thread - I’ve probably got 40-50 in my collection and add a 10 or so per year.I think of cookbooks as falling into one of two categories - reference books for professionals and ambitious home-based enthusiasts and curated collections home-recipes.

In the reference category, _Modernist Cuisine_ is the go to for understanding the most cutting edge equipment and science in food. (If any one here is interested in this work but doesn’t have access, PM me).

_On Food and Cooking _is where I start if I’m looking to understand the why behind something we do in the kitchen.

_The Noma Guide to Fermentation, On Vegetables, The French Laundry Cookbook, Manresa, _and _Japanese Cooking _are some of the others I enjoy.

For home recipes, I really like _Heritage, The Food Lab, The Silver Spoon, Six Seasons, Tu Casa Mi Casa, _and _Ad Hoc at Home. _I’d really like to add a Vietnamese and Chinese (esp Sichuan) book to the mix.


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## YumYumSauce (Sep 6, 2020)

I might have doubled my cookbook collection since the beginning of the year.

Chicken and Charcoal and Mastering Pasta are the two that I used most this year. Both of these books are great to cook out of and learn technique. And the ingriedients are accessible!

Ratio- love the way he explains the basics and how to build upon them. 

Japanese Culinary Acadamy has a great series on Japanese Cuisine. From dashi to butchery. Lots of great photos on fish, shellfish, poultry, even turtle.

Really enjoying Metamorphasis of Taste so far. Just got it and I find it so whimsical.

Also fascinated with Den: The Evolving Tokyo Japanese Cuisine and Hasegawa's take on Kaiseiki dining


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## damiano (Sep 7, 2020)

ian said:


> View attachment 92978
> 
> Just bought this because of this thread...


I’ve bought the book as well!


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## tomsch (Sep 7, 2020)

Bought this book as well just to stretch out a little.


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## sododgy (Sep 16, 2020)

My favorites have all been listed, so I'm gonna add Jaques Pepin's New Complete Technique to the mix. There isn't as much depth and ancillary information as something like The Professional Chef, but it's a fantastic pictoral guide for a multitude of techniques. Very straightforward with "here's what this is, follow these steps and pictures."

Also, Sandor Katz "The Art of Fermentation" is a wonderful in depth resource for getting into fermentation, the history, culture, and multitude of varieties. It's an invaluable text on the subject, where as Noma is an incredible "cook book" that gives a bit of history and info, but is geared towards pushing you to think outside the box with what they've done. I love how it's set up to push you into thinking about what you can do differently using the base techniques that they've used as opposed to just giving a recipe to use with what the focus is. Together they're unparalleled for the subject


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## Chunkybananahead (Sep 17, 2020)

josemartinlopez said:


> No, no, no, not Malaysia...


Do you classify Penang food = Malaysian food?


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## josemartinlopez (Sep 17, 2020)

I’m just pulling everyone’s leg on the Singapore Malaysia rivalry. What I would give to be able to do a weekend trip to Penang now.


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## cotedupy (Sep 17, 2020)

To pick just a couple: I'm also a huge fan of Roden's The Food of Spain.

And Lulu's Provencal Table is a stone-cold classic. A beautiful evocation of time and place, and a fitting tribute to one of the great wine domaines of France, and its charismatic matriarch. OFM’s classic cookbooks: Lulu’s Provençal Table by Richard Olney

(Who by the way is still alive at the respectable age of 102. Unfortunately I forgot my copy of the book when visiting Tempier last year, but she did graciously sign a bottle of the 2017 vintage for us, which was labelled specially for her 100th birthday.)


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## MarcelNL (Sep 18, 2020)

somehow all my planned fermentation projects fail, now unwanted fermentation does work...perhaps sterilizing jars before the fact needs some improvement.


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## damiano (Sep 18, 2020)

cotedupy said:


> To pick just a couple: I'm also a huge fan of Roden's The Food of Spain.
> 
> And Lulu's Provencal Table is a stone-cold classic. A beautiful evocation of time and place, and a fitting tribute to one of the great wine domaines of France, and its charismatic matriarch. OFM’s classic cookbooks: Lulu’s Provençal Table by Richard Olney
> 
> (Who by the way is still alive at the respectable age of 102. Unfortunately I forgot my copy of the book when visiting Tempier last year, but she did graciously sign a bottle of the 2017 vintage for us, which was labelled specially for her 100th birthday.)


Thanks for the tip on the Olney book! I'll buy this


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## tcmx3 (Oct 18, 2020)

If I could have only one, it would be this, without question:






I love this book so much I have two copies. I am definitely not a professional chef, but by following the instructions carefully I have NEVER been led astray by the recipes in Bouchon. Some people will say it's too much effort, not for beginners, etc. and I disagree. Follow the instructions and get good results; it's much easier to me than even other nice bistro cookbooks (e.g. The Balthazar Cookbook). 

If I may be offered a second choice, I would flip a coin to choose between Atelier Crenn and Alinea. Not food I would (or could) necessarily cook myself, but just stunning works of art.


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## sododgy (Oct 18, 2020)

redisburning said:


> If I could have only one, it would be this, without question:
> View attachment 99369
> 
> 
> ...




I don't own Alinea but have flipped through it, and it is absolutely beautiful. 

I only had like 10 minutes to flip through (a volume) the one time I was around it, but Modernist Cuisine is the most stunningly beautiful "cook book" (feels wrong to call it that) that I've ever had the joy of cracking open.


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## rickbern (Oct 19, 2020)

My favorite Italian cookbook lately is actually this website, Memories di Angelina.

I think it's one of the most underrated resources on the 'net. His recipes feel super authentic, not Italian-American at all. I made the pasta fagioli a few days ago, it was spectacular. Simple and perfect.

I'm linking to his "index" rather than the home page, it will give you a better idea of the scope of what he's put together.









Index


We like to think of Memorie di Angelina as more of an online cookbook than a blog, a resource you can use really use as a reference as you would any other




memoriediangelina.com


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## damiano (Oct 19, 2020)

rickbern said:


> My favorite Italian cookbook lately is actually this website, Memories di Angelina.
> 
> I think it's one of the most underrated resources on the 'net. His recipes feel super authentic, not Italian-American at all. I made the pasta fagioli a few days ago, it was spectacular. Simple and perfect.
> 
> ...


Wow, great minds think alike.. This has been my favourite source for Italian recipes for a few years now. The guy really knows food, cooking, and the history of Italian recipes. Completely agree with him being underrated.


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## rickbern (Oct 27, 2020)

David Leibovitzs website is also a great place to browse predominantly French recipes. He’s strong on baking, obviously, and also surprisingly good at little nibbles with aperitifs 






Recipes Archives - David Lebovitz







www.davidlebovitz.com


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## captaincaed (Oct 27, 2020)

ethompson said:


> For home recipes, I really like _Heritage, The Food Lab, The Silver Spoon, Six Seasons, Tu Casa Mi Casa, _and _Ad Hoc at Home. _I’d really like to add a Vietnamese and Chinese (esp Sichuan) book to the mix.



The Six Seasons is excellent for eating a seasonally fresh, veg-forward diet without being preachy or exclusively vegetarian.


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## LostHighway (Oct 27, 2020)

captaincaed said:


> The Six Seasons is excellent for eating a seasonally fresh, veg-forward diet without being preachy or exclusively vegetarian.
> 
> View attachment 100512



I enjoy McFadden's book as well. If you like Six Seasons you'd probably also enjoy the cookbooks by David Tanis, Market Cooking especially. Like McFadden they tend to be simple recipes that rely on good quality fresh ingredients and skew vegetarian although not exclusively so.


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## damiano (Oct 29, 2020)

Just bought French Country Cooking. Out of print but got a good deal at 20 euro. Haven’t received it yet but pretty psyched, if only because of the gorgeous cover! 




)


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## tcmx3 (Nov 15, 2020)

captaincaed said:


> The Six Seasons is excellent for eating a seasonally fresh, veg-forward diet without being preachy or exclusively vegetarian.
> 
> View attachment 100512



just picked up a copy of this one as part of a bit of a spree. Ive got a bit of a collection going at this point:


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## captaincaed (Nov 15, 2020)

Holy buckets. You cooked out of all of them?


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## captaincaed (Nov 15, 2020)

Not every recipe is a stunner, but most are either quite good (flavorful and well spiced), or a solid base to build on with a little know-how. Some of the ingredients are a little precious, but if you live in a city it's a good cookbook, and the recipes come together quickly for a family (hence the title).


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## tcmx3 (Nov 15, 2020)

captaincaed said:


> Holy buckets. You cooked out of all of them?



Nope, lol.

I really like the fine dining ones but the recipes in Alinea, TFL and Atelier Crenn are simply beyond my skill level right now. Im making way through them, and will try to get to some of the fun stuff in those at some point. Also some of these are brand new, so I havent gotten a chance yet. Next weekend I will probably try something from Kinfolk Table and Bitter Honey, which I both got a few days ago.


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## captaincaed (Nov 15, 2020)

Man those are some burly recipes. It's amazing they can print the recipes, and know their business is still safe because they're so difficult to get right.


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## M1k3 (Nov 15, 2020)

captaincaed said:


> Man those are some burly recipes. It's amazing they can print the recipes, and know their business is still safe because they're so difficult to get right.


Also helps to publish last season's dishes instead of the current ones.


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## captaincaed (Nov 15, 2020)

Stop making sense Mike, it's not nice


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## ian (Nov 15, 2020)

They can probably include recipes for some still available favorites without hurting business, too. Oysters and Pearls is still on the menu at the French Laundry, even though the recipe’s been out for years now. Also, even with a recipe available, you still have to make the damn food, which is probably very hard to do as well as they do. Plus many of the dishes probably include multiple multipurpose components that they have on hand in the restaurant, so that if you really wanted to make just this one Per Se dish it would take you like 5 days to do it from scratch. That’s assuming the recipes in the books are even completely accurate, rather than slightly altered for the home audience.

In any case, there's always new stuff on the menu, so it's not like you're going to be bored going to one of these places because a couple of the great dishes are in a cookbook.

That’s at least my uneducated take on it.

Edit: hmm, maybe this was @captaincaed's whole point. I admit I didn't really read his message and just read @M1k3's. Mike just says so many good things that I basically only read his messages nowadays. Sorry.


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## tcmx3 (Nov 15, 2020)

Having a manual doesn't get you very far, in truth.

I could write a book on how to do ml doesnt mean you're going to start pushing models to prod any time soon. I put in a decade to get to where I have the experience to do it properly, with my job on the line if things gets ****ed instead of the person above. a lot of kids right out school know the math but would drown in about a week.

a book can never teach you enough of the creativity and experience of the person who wrote it has. whether it's my job, cooking, painting, etc. only some.

I like cookbooks a lot. I have cobbled together some of the fancy recipes in some of the books, and theyve turned out great, because I have a pretty good sense when a book is going to have enough information to get me to a good result. But I have no delusion that it means I have any real skill. Only the ability to follow directions.


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## Stefan83 (Nov 22, 2020)

The Silver Palate... the Wild Mushroom Soup is beyond unreal. 





The Silver Palate Cookbook: Lukins, Sheila, Rosso, Julee: 9780761145974: Books - Amazon.ca


The Silver Palate Cookbook: Lukins, Sheila, Rosso, Julee: 9780761145974: Books - Amazon.ca



www.amazon.ca


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## 4wa1l (Nov 22, 2020)

I really like Madhur Jaffrey's Ultimate Curry Bible. I haven't made a lot from it, but everything so far has been excellent. The green coriander chicken recipe was especially tasty.


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## rstl87 (Nov 22, 2020)

Jubilee is definitely my favorite cookbook of the year and is up there with other favorites. Everything I have made has been above average with the BBQ shrimp as the star of the book with everyone who eats this addicted to the sauce. Most of the recipes are very approachable and not too time consuming or complicated.


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## damiano (Nov 23, 2020)

rstl87 said:


> View attachment 103948
> 
> 
> Jubilee is definitely my favorite cookbook of the year and is up there with other favorites. Everything I have made has been above average with the BBQ shrimp as the star of the book with everyone who eats this addicted to the sauce. Most of the recipes are very approachable and not too time consuming or complicated.


Jubilee is now 5 dollars on amazon kindle.


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## rickbern (Nov 27, 2020)

Just bought Nigella Lawson's first book "How to Eat" on Kindle for 1.99. Can't help but quoting this opening paragraph from the chapter entitled "One and Two"

“Don’t knock masturbation,” Woody Allen once said: “it’s sex with someone I love.” Most people can’t help finding something embarrassingly onanistic about taking pleasure in eating alone. Even those who claim to love food think that cooking just for yourself is either extravagantly self-indulgent or a plain waste of time and effort. But you don’t have to belong to the drearily narcissistic learn-to-love-yourself school of thought to grasp that it might be a good thing to consider yourself worth cooking for. And the sort of food you cook for yourself will be different from the food you might lay on for tablefuls of people: it will be better."

How to Eat (p. 120). Hachette Books. Kindle Edition. 

Don't know if the recipes are any good, but she's a witty writer.


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## rickbern (Nov 27, 2020)

rstl87 said:


> View attachment 103948
> 
> 
> Jubilee is definitely my favorite cookbook of the year and is up there with other favorites. Everything I have made has been above average with the BBQ shrimp as the star of the book with everyone who eats this addicted to the sauce. Most of the recipes are very approachable and not too time consuming or complicated.


Thanks for the heads up, just bought it.


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## tcmx3 (Dec 15, 2020)

my new favorite baking book, I love this thing so much:


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## rickbern (Dec 15, 2020)

tcmx3 said:


> my new favorite baking book, I love this thing so much:
> View attachment 106594


That is the best book cover photo of all time!


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## GBT-Splint (Dec 16, 2020)

Not really on topic but Santamazon brang me all these today I've got a lot of reading ahead of me! (my fav cookbook will probably be in there) has anyone read any of those?


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## tcmx3 (Jan 2, 2021)

nice selection @GBT-Splint , all 4 of the bottom ones are on my list to buy.

Mirazur especially seems super amazing


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## Rangen (Jan 2, 2021)

josemartinlopez said:


> Recommended cookbook links:



Thank you for this. I ate very very well on my two trips to Singapore, and I've been looking for a way to reproduce that, despite the lack of giant Sri Lanka crabs here. I've ordered three of the four cookbooks you listed. One, alas, in Kindle format, as it has become a collectors item in print.

One of the most memorable meals I had was sitting in a cheap chair, on concrete on an open corner in Geylang. We were the only customers of a seriously accomplished chef. I think he had a Michelin star, but I could be remembering that wrong. Anyway, he served us a series of dishes that included amazing shellfish (conch, maybe?) and a mind-blowing upscale version of a fish cake dish called something like oto-oto.


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## Rangen (Jan 2, 2021)

My own favorite cookbooks are Chinese, in accordance with my preference in food and cooking.

Anything by Fuchsia Dunlop is topnotch. She has done great cookbooks for Sichuan, Hunan, and the larger area that includes Shanghai and Hangzhao, all with excellent integrity. I assume that she is working up to Cantonese as the culmination, but we'll see.

BTW, her work at sorting out the origins of "General Tso's Chicken" is worth the price of her Hunan book (hint: it's not a Hunan recipe), especially since the original version is absolutely superb. 

Yan Kit-So's thinner cookbook, not _Classic Foods of China_, but a different one, the one I have apparently not unpacked yet since my move, may be the cookbook I refer to most often.

Barbara Tropp's _Modern Art of Chinese Cooking_ was my bible for my early days of self-taught Chinese cooking, and there are plenty of recipes from there I still make. It is notable for the great details about technique, and when you can pause and let an intermediate accomplishment sit in the fridge for a while. I met Ms Tropp once, before her passing, at her restaurant in San Francisco. I was, and am, merely a home cook, but she treated me like a visiting chef, bringing special things to eat. I miss her.

I am partial to the Hong Kong take on food, and Ken Hom's _Fragrant Harbor Taste _is an excellent source for recipes from there.

I could go on at length, but I will stop here.


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## dafox (Jan 2, 2021)

Rangen said:


> My own favorite cookbooks are Chinese, in accordance with my preference in food and cooking.
> 
> Anything by Fuchsia Dunlop is topnotch. She has done great cookbooks for Sichuan, Hunan, and the larger area that includes Shanghai and Hangzhao, all with excellent integrity. I assume that she is working up to Cantonese as the culmination, but we'll see.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I just ordered Troop's and Hom's books.


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## damiano (Jan 3, 2021)

Rangen said:


> Thank you for this. I ate very very well on my two trips to Singapore, and I've been looking for a way to reproduce that, despite the lack of giant Sri Lanka crabs here. I've ordered three of the four cookbooks you listed. One, alas, in Kindle format, as it has become a collectors item in print.
> 
> One of the most memorable meals I had was sitting in a cheap chair, on concrete on an open corner in Geylang. We were the only customers of a seriously accomplished chef. I think he had a Michelin star, but I could be remembering that wrong. Anyway, he served us a series of dishes that included amazing shellfish (conch, maybe?) and a mind-blowing upscale version of a fish cake dish called something like oto-oto.


Love Singapore, and Geylang (for food only though...).  Hope I can return this year.


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## damiano (Jan 3, 2021)

I’m always looking for 5 or so dollar deals on amazon kindle. Here are my latest buys. The two Mary Berry’s were free of charge. Aperitif is very good. Country cooking of Italy fantastic imho.


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## Rangen (Jan 3, 2021)

Wahnamhong said:


> Love Singapore, and Geylang (for food only though...).  Hope I can return this year.



Yes, it's a bit, um, colorful at night. Tons of great food there, though. I remember really delicious frog congee, and some great clay pot rice. I knew it was going to be great even before it came out, because they said it would take 30 minutes to prepare. They gave you a scraper to get the crisped bits off of the bottom of the pot. It was enough to make me forgive them for putting ice in the beer.


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## GBT-Splint (Jan 3, 2021)

tcmx3 said:


> nice selection @GBT-Splint , all 4 of the bottom ones are on my list to buy.
> 
> Mirazur especially seems super amazing


Cheers mate, yes sure Mauro Colagreco is quite a good Chef !
Very cool book


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## rickbern (Jan 3, 2021)

Wahnamhong said:


> I’m always looking for 5 or so dollar deals on amazon kindle. Here are my latest buys. The two Mary Berry’s were free of charge. Aperitif is very good. Country cooking of Italy fantastic imho.
> 
> View attachment 108576


There’s a companion book called country cooking of France by Anne Willans. Bet you’d like that one too.


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## sododgy (Jan 4, 2021)

Wahnamhong said:


> I’m always looking for 5 or so dollar deals on amazon kindle. Here are my latest buys. The two Mary Berry’s were free of charge. Aperitif is very good. Country cooking of Italy fantastic imho.
> 
> View attachment 108576



I've been meaning to get something to start to learn Indian cooking (for my partner far more than myself) for about a year now, and The Indian Cooking Course is the one book I've flipped through that made me thing "this is where I should start learning." It just never seems to be in stock anywhere I stop and I keep not ordering it.


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## damiano (Jan 4, 2021)

rickbern said:


> There’s a companion book called country cooking of France by Anne Willans. Bet you’d like that one too.


Yes, that one was also 5 dollars so I bought it as well.


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## damiano (Jan 4, 2021)

sododgy said:


> I've been meaning to get something to start to learn Indian cooking (for my partner far more than myself) for about a year now, and The Indian Cooking Course is the one book I've flipped through that made me thing "this is where I should start learning." It just never seems to be in stock anywhere I stop and I keep not ordering it.


To be fair I haven't really spent much time reading it so far, but it seems like a good and authentic book. 

My experience with lots of Asian cuisines is that books do not tend to be the best/only source for authentic recipes. India has the extra problem of the different cuisines in the different regions, equivalent to an author writing "The Authentic European Cook Book". It would also be wise imho to browse local blogs and join facebook groups.


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## LostHighway (Jan 4, 2021)

sododgy said:


> I've been meaning to get something to start to learn Indian cooking (for my partner far more than myself) for about a year now, and The Indian Cooking Course is the one book I've flipped through that made me thing "this is where I should start learning." It just never seems to be in stock anywhere I stop and I keep not ordering it.



IME Monisha Bharadwaj's The Indian Cooking Course is the best place to start. I also have Indian cookbooks from Madhur Jaffrey (several), Meera Sodha, Kumar & Suba Mahadevan, Laxmi Hiremath, Yamuna Devi, and a few others. I find them all limited or flawed to a degree but if you need a place to start I find Bharadwaj the best option. @Wahnamhong is entirely correct that Indian cooking is too vast for a single volume. India really needs an equivalent to Fushia Dunlap to produce a multi-volume regional approach. Even if you limit the scope to the geographic confines of modern India proper and eliminate the minority Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and tribal communities a thorough work could easily span four volumes and if you were to expand the coverage to include those communities, the whole Indian subcontinent including Sri Lanka, and the vast array of Indian expat communities it becomes almost unimaginably vast.

Edit: Don't get too caught up in the notion of "authentic". Certainly a recipe can be authentic to the narrow confines of a specific family or place but India has a multi-thousand year history of absorbing external influences, the cuisines are nothing if not mutable.


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## mikemac (Jan 4, 2021)

The Way To Cook - Julia Child
The New Best Recipes - Cooks Illustrated
The Joy of Cooking - Irma Rombauer
are the three reference manuals that probably get pulled down the most...and I've put a halt to 'collecting' cookbooks that look good but end up not getting used because of time constraints, but if I see a classic I don't have, I'd pick it up...(like...)
I'm surprised I haven't seen Alice Waters make anybody's list, unless I missed it.


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## damiano (Jan 4, 2021)

LostHighway said:


> Don't get too caught up in the notion of "authentic".


To me, authentic here means not watered down for Western audiences. Which happens all too often with books on Asian cuisines, e.g. light on chilli heat, or only using boneless meats or just a few spices. But yes, within India there are numerous ‘authentic’ variants.


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## damiano (Jan 4, 2021)

Rangen said:


> Yes, it's a bit, um, colorful at night. Tons of great food there, though. I remember really delicious frog congee, and some great clay pot rice. I knew it was going to be great even before it came out, because they said it would take 30 minutes to prepare. They gave you a scraper to get the crisped bits off of the bottom of the pot. It was enough to make me forgive them for putting ice in the beer.


Ice in the beer - YES!  Me like. Funny how all our conventions get thrown out when it’s 35 degrees Celsius! I’ve done it Spain too.
Anyway I love the fried hokkien mee from the lorong 29 stall on East Coast Road, see The Millennial Hawkers Who Help Fry Geylang Lor 29 Hokkien Mee’s Famed Noodles 

Plus No Signboard Seafood in Geylang. With the water tanks containing live fish. Let me see if I have a few pics.


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## LostHighway (Jan 4, 2021)

Wahnamhong said:


> To me, authentic here means not watered down for Western audiences. Which happens all too often with books on Asian cuisines, e.g. light on chilli heat, or only using boneless meats or just a few spices. But yes, within India there are numerous ‘authentic’ variants.



My sense is that cookbook writers often dial back the seasonings, not limited to Asian cuisines. There is also a small subset of Indian cooks (mostly Jains although some "Hindu" communities) that don't use any alliums. It is authentic but not very interesting to my palate.


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## rickbern (Jan 4, 2021)

sododgy said:


> I've been meaning to get something to start to learn Indian cooking (for my partner far more than myself) for about a year now, and The Indian Cooking Course is the one book I've flipped through that made me thing "this is where I should start learning." It just never seems to be in stock anywhere I stop and I keep not ordering it.


I've had this book for about 15 years, and I think it's a really great entry point to learning Indian cooking. He used to have probably the top Indian restaurant in NYC, but he doesn't include any fancy "cheffy" recipes in this book. All home cooking.

May not be the last book on the subject that you buy, but it's great because he's liberal in citing "optional" ingredients; you can get the sense of the dish and then fill in the hard to stock ingredients later. Even more so than that, it's a book about how to cook Indian food at home (rather than recreating restaurant recipes), and how to introduce it into your repertoire. I rarely make "Indian Dinners" but I often make one to three dishes as part of a meal. And his approach has made it easy for me to venture out onto the internet and find/adapt other recipes.



https://www.amazon.com/Indian-Home-Cooking-Introduction-Recipes/dp/0609611011


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## Migraine (Jan 5, 2021)

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good gelato book?

I have My Name is Ice Cream for...well for ice cream, but it doesn't have any gelato recipes.


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## LostHighway (Jan 5, 2021)

Migraine said:


> Does anyone have a recommendation for a good gelato book?
> 
> I have My Name is Ice Cream for...well for ice cream, but it doesn't have any gelato recipes.



Take this with a grain of salt since I don't make my own gelato but the two I'd be willing to take a chance on are David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop and Davis' & Tropeano's Gelato Fiasco. Gelato Fiasco is a producer in Maine that I used to frequent when we lived there and I can vouch for their commercial products as well above average, not sure about the "America's Best Gelato Maker's" bit. David Lebovitz was at Chez Panisse through the 1990s but has been living in Paris for the past twenty years. IMO his work is usually solid although I know him more for pastries.


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## josemartinlopez (Jan 10, 2021)

Rangen said:


> One of the most memorable meals I had was sitting in a cheap chair, on concrete on an open corner in Geylang. We were the only customers of a seriously accomplished chef. I think he had a Michelin star, but I could be remembering that wrong. Anyway, he served us a series of dishes that included amazing shellfish (conch, maybe?) and a mind-blowing upscale version of a fish cake dish called something like oto-oto.


Otah, not oto-oto.

You went to Sin Huat, one of only two in Asia that Anthony Bourdain listed as his 13 places to eat before you die. The other one was Jiro sushi. Sin Huat would never be Michelin rated because of the ambience but it prices like it anyway.






13 Places to Eat Before You Die


Try one of these and make your next dining experience unforgettable




www.menshealth.com


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## Krouton (Mar 19, 2021)

Just got this in because of this thread. Hard to pass up for only $5


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## Lars (Mar 19, 2021)

Krouton said:


> Just got this in because of this thread. Hard to pass up for only $5
> View attachment 119128


I got it too, although mine came in at 22 GBP. Nice book, I have very much enjoyed it so far.


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## chefwp (Mar 20, 2021)

mikemac said:


> The New Best Recipes - Cooks Illustrated



I have the OLD "Best Recipes," I still use the its recipes for pancakes, crab cakes, and meatballs as a baseline, although I might tweak them here or there, and have for more than a decade.


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## chefwp (Mar 20, 2021)

Migraine said:


> Does anyone have a recommendation for a good gelato book?
> 
> I have My Name is Ice Cream for...well for ice cream, but it doesn't have any gelato recipes.


Check out David Lebovitz's "The Perfect Scoop," it is my frozen dessert bible. It is not all about gelato, but it has a few recipes in there. The Perfect Scoop

His blog is also a great resource! Davids gelato recipes on his blog


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## rickbern (Mar 21, 2021)

Krouton said:


> Just got this in because of this thread. Hard to pass up for only $5
> View attachment 119128


Thanks, I jumped on this one too!

If you don't mind Kindle books and are looking for a more "courtly" take on the subcontinent, I've been enjoying this one lately

Khazana: An Indo-Persian cookbook with recipes inspired by the Mughals - Kindle edition by Ahmed, Saliha . Cookbooks, Food & Wine Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. 

They're contemporary recipes, but based on the cooking of the Mughals. Made a lamb stew with prunes and rosewater, it was pretty darn good, but, errr, prunes. Don't sop up all the sauce!


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## LostHighway (Mar 21, 2021)

I bought the Mahadevan book as well. While I like it for what it is it is very much a Westernized take on Indian food, not typical of what you're likely to find in India except perhaps in upper end hotel restaurants catering to Westerners.


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## MarcelNL (Mar 21, 2021)

@LostHighway That is totally true and not without reason as the writers owned(own?) a high end hotel restaurant. It's one of my favorite books even when it's hard work putting a meal out as each dish involves plenty of steps on it's own.


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## Krouton (Mar 21, 2021)

rickbern said:


> Thanks, I jumped on this one too!
> 
> If you don't mind Kindle books and are looking for a more "courtly" take on the subcontinent, I've been enjoying this one lately
> 
> ...


Thanks, I actually do most of my reading digitally so I'll check this out


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## Lars (Mar 21, 2021)

I just had the aromatic chicken curry that's on page 21 of the "From India"-cookbook. It was yummy and pretty approachable.


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## rickbern (Apr 2, 2021)

This ones a good deal for a buck. Dariana Allen is sort of like Alice waters in the us, but more focused on teaching.

act fast, Amazon changes these prices constantly



https://www.amazon.com/Ballymaloe-Cookery-Course-Darina-Allen-ebook/dp/B07HWMRLKH/ref=pd_rhf_dp_s_pd_crcd_3?pd_rd_w=WiELO&pf_rd_p=8019ba47-0a12-4976-b76b-5c932d60db6f&pf_rd_r=8C1Y7AANTPFPXD30QZC9&pd_rd_r=de3d8075-0f64-4884-a205-231eac295ae8&pd_rd_wg=CJBTq&pd_rd_i=B07HWMRLKH&psc=1


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## Krouton (Apr 2, 2021)

rickbern said:


> This ones a good deal for a buck. Dariana Allen is sort of like Alice waters in the us, but more focused on teaching.
> 
> act fast, Amazon changes these prices constantly
> 
> ...



I've never heard of Darina Allen (or the Ballymaloe School for that matter), but for $1 why not. Thanks Rick!


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## Michi (Apr 2, 2021)

rickbern said:


> act fast, Amazon changes these prices constantly


I just grabbed a copy, too. Heck, for a dollar, it's a no-brainer!

I finished reading the intro, which is well written and interesting.


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## 4wa1l (Apr 2, 2021)

I have an Aus based kindle account but it won't let me buy it for the discounted price. Anyone know if there's a workaround?


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## Michi (Apr 2, 2021)

4wa1l said:


> I have an Aus based kindle account but it won't let me buy it for the discounted price. Anyone know if there's a workaround?


That's interesting. I have an Aussie Amazon Prime membership, maybe that makes a difference? I used my phone to buy the Kindle version and got the download immediately.


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## 4wa1l (Apr 2, 2021)

Ah maybe it's the prime membership? I don't have one but also tried through my phone. I'll try through my kindle itself and see if that works. Thanks for the help : )


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## bsfsu (Apr 2, 2021)

One of my favourites is 
Le Répertoire de la Cuisine by Louis Saulnier. 
Classical French cuisine. Not to many recipes as such but a great reference book for menu writing and finding inspiration.


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## rickbern (Apr 3, 2021)

Michi said:


> I just grabbed a copy, too. Heck, for a dollar, it's a no-brainer!
> 
> I finished reading the intro, which is well written and interesting.


This book has maybe the best soup chapter of any book I’ve read.


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## BillHanna (Apr 28, 2021)

Have any US based folks ordered nonUS versions of cookbooks? Is it easy enough?


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## Lars (Apr 28, 2021)

rickbern said:


> This book has maybe the best soup chapter of any book I’ve read.


I really don't get along well with e-books, so I picked this up instead - thanks for another great recommendation.


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## rickbern (Apr 29, 2021)

Lars said:


> I really don't get along well with e-books, so I picked this up instead - thanks for another great recommendation.
> View attachment 124711


Look at that, the screens not cracked!


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## riverrat (Jan 11, 2022)

New member here. 
In my intro post, I mentioned that I have a modest collection of international cookbooks. Someone replied asking me to list some of them. Thought I should copy my reply into this thread:

_"Tell us a bit about your international cookbook collection." _ 

Well, it's not extensive but I've tried to curate over the years to focus on proven books and authors. There are lots of crappy cookbooks and even more simply mediocre ones out there, so its easy to overload the shelf without periodic thinning.
No doubt the crew here at KKF has heard of most of these favorites that have stood the test of time in our house:

For *Indian* food I like these by restauranteurs Meeru Dhalwala and Vikram Vij. All 3 produce remarkably good results from relatively straightforward recipes:

_Vij's: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine_
_Vij’s Indian_
_Vij’s At Home_
For more traditional (i.e. complex) recipes, I look to:

_660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer_
_How to Cook Indian by Sanjeev Kapoor_
For *Thai* food, I'm just starting to explore the 3 by Andy Ricker:

_Pok Pok: Food and Stories from the Streets, Homes, and Roadside Restaurants of Thailand _
_POK POK Noodles: Recipes from Thailand and Beyond_
_POK POK The Drinking Food of Thailand: A Cookbook_
For years I relied on, and still often use:

_Real Thai: The Best of Thailand's Regional Cooking by Nancie McDermott and Jennie Oppenheimer_
I also have this one, which is exhaustive:

_Thai Food - David Thompson_
For *Vietnamese*, I usually look to:

_The Slanted Door: Modern Vietnamese Food by Charles Phan_
Having lived in Arizona for 25 years, I cook *Mexican/Latin* food pretty often. Good ones in that genre include

_Authentic Mexican by Rick Bayless. (_Bayless has several more recent books but his 1st is still the best, IMO_)_
Also some classics by Diana Kennedy:

_The Cuisines of Mexico_
_My Mexico : A Culinary Odyssey with More Than 300 Recipes_
_The Art of Mexican Cooking: Traditional Mexican Cooking for Aficionados_
For *Mediterranean* food, Paula Wolfert is great of course. Probably use the 1st two the most:

_Mediterranean Cooking_
_The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean_
_Mediterranean Grains and Greens_
_The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen_
I also really like these two by Joyce Goldstein:

_Mediterranean Fresh: A Compendium of One-Plate Salad Meals and Mix-and-Match Dressings_
_Saffron Shores: Jewish Cooking of the Southern Mediterranean_
I have a couple of *Italian* cookbooks by Marcella Hazan, which are fine for what they are. But I don't cook from them much these days, as I generally prefer to cook spicier and more interesting (to me) fare that I'm less familiar with.

More general books that have seen a lot of use here include:

_The Complete Asian Cookbook - Charmaine Soloman_
1st published in 1986 and purchased by me around then, this compendium of 800 recipes is the book that got me interested in international/Asian food. It seems like it would be too broad to have consistently solid recipes, but everything I've cooked from it turns out great. It's been repressed numerous times with updated covers but I don't think its ever been revised and really doesn't need to be.

This one is also a perrenial favorite, with hundreds of recipes from thoughtfully revised standards to eclectic stuff, much of it with international influences and/or ingredients:

_The Dean and DeLuca Cookbook by David Rosengarten , Joel Dean, et al._
While not "international" per se, *Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughbys*' books have mostly internationally inspired recipes and ingredients, producing vividly spiced food that is right up my alley. At first glance, some of their unusual combinations seem like just more lame "fusion" food, but I've learned to trust them; they "rarely put a spoon wrong" as one reviewer put it. These are my faves:

_License to Grill_
_Lettuce in Your Kitchen_
_The Thrill of the Grill_
_Let the Flames Begin_
_How to Cook Meat_
Probably use the 1st two books the most; the 2nd is focused on main course salads. The meat book is excellent IMO, although we are eating a lot less red meat these days so it hasn't seen much use in recent years.

Would love to hear of other good books in these genres!


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## rickbern (Jan 11, 2022)

riverrat said:


> New member here.
> In my intro post, I mentioned that I have a modest collection of international cookbooks. Someone replied asking me to list some of them. Thought I should copy my reply into this thread:
> 
> _"Tell us a bit about your international cookbook collection." _
> ...


River rat, every cookbook by Paula wolfert is a great cookbook, but you’re doing yourself a disservice to overlook Clay Pot Cooking. Hands down my favorite cookbook. Im gonna keep an eye out for the rest


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## Migraine (Jan 20, 2022)

Just got these two.


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## ian (Jan 20, 2022)

Migraine said:


> Just got these two.



The first one is amazing. That’s the mole poblano recipe I usually use.

Bet the second one is amazing too.


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## Greenbriel (Mar 11, 2022)

Old thread but figure no need for a new one. Anyone get this that just came out? On initial scan it looks great. Going to be even better than Food Lab for me I think.


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## MarcelNL (Mar 11, 2022)

Nice one, wil keep an eye ope for when it gets translated...(my GF refuses to use English cookbooks)

I added a very nice book recently, very elegant recipes!


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## Greenbriel (Mar 11, 2022)

MarcelNL said:


> Nice one, wil keep an eye ope for when it gets translated...(my GF refuses to use English cookbooks)
> 
> I added a very nice book recently, very elegant recipes!
> 
> View attachment 169484


Looks great! I'll be sure to get it when they translate it into English. I refuse to read books in languages I don't know (though I believe I can translate the title ).


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## Bill13 (Mar 13, 2022)

Greenbriel said:


> Old thread but figure no need for a new one. Anyone get this that just came out? On initial scan it looks great. Going to be even better than Food Lab for me I think.
> 
> View attachment 169479


Lot's of complaints about the quality of the photos and the thin paper in Amazon reviews. Did you notice this?


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## Greenbriel (Mar 13, 2022)

Bill13 said:


> Lot's of complaints about the quality of the photos and the thin paper in Amazon reviews. Did you notice this?


Now you mention it the paper does seem a bit thin, but not enough that I'd noticed it, and I care more about the content. Photos are fine.


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## Bill13 (Mar 13, 2022)

Thanks, I will add this to my wish list.


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## rickbern (Mar 17, 2022)

Used a recipe of his to make pork shanks (stinco) and it was so great I bought the cookbook


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## Greenbriel (Mar 17, 2022)

Bill13 said:


> Lot's of complaints about the quality of the photos and the thin paper in Amazon reviews. Did you notice this?


I looked at the book again last night and now all I can think is it feels like a magazine. 

But again, the content seems predictably sound, though I think they may have also opted to save some money on an editor, at least a good one.


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## MarcelNL (Mar 18, 2022)

and for good measure another one in Dutch 
(I'm sure something similar is available in many languages)

Another attempt at fermentation, little else in that dept works for me...quick fermenting does and I wanted some variation of pickles to accompany my Chinese cooking.


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## tcmx3 (Mar 18, 2022)

getting some mileage out of this one for sure:


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## Williamchan87 (Mar 26, 2022)

Sergiology- Not really a recipe book if thats what you are looking for, it's more of a book about the inspiration behind each dish and thought processes that went through the chef mind. The book is highly collectable and hard to get a hold of.


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## PNWanderlust (Mar 29, 2022)

Favorite cookbooks:

The Food Lab - Kenji Lopez Alt -- One of the best cookbooks I think out there. Science behind cooking, what else do you need!

Meathead - This book is amazing. It's similar mentality to the food lab, where its the science behind cooking, but this is all bbq. Meathead Goldwyn is a bbq guru.

Authentic Mexican - Rick Bayless (who missing watching this guy, I mean come on) - Lots of good stuff in here.

Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables - Joshua McFadden -- This book is all about cooking from local produce, mainly from farmers markets or CSAs. It's a fantastic read, and excellent recipes in here, especially with the ability to make them your own.

Flour Water Salt Yeast - Ken Forkish -- From the sourdough god himself, this is a great book, all about bread. He also has a great pizza book too, called the Elements of Pizza.


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## MarcelNL (May 28, 2022)

new (to me) one that likely will make it to a favorite as it is a mix between Indosian, Chinese and Indian food;


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## tcmx3 (May 28, 2022)

a friend recently approached me about learning how to cook. like me, they come from a home without parents who are very good at it.

finding a first cookbook for someone can be hard; I did some research and the two that seem to come up a lot are The Food Lab (a great book btw) and Salt Fat Acid Heat. I actually bought a copy of the latter to evaluate it and love it. I can say without reservation it is an AMAZING first cook book. my friend seems to like it as well.


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## NBrewster (Jun 20, 2022)

Salt Fat Acid Heat is a really revolutionary book IMO.

It teaches people how to cook, not just recipes. I have given it to a few family members who are starting to realize that cooking is both pleasurable and a good way to save money - and they both messaged me saying they'd never thought to TASTE food so much as they cook it. Having eaten at their home over the 2 years since I gave it to them, I think the methods taught in that book have really helped them grow as home cooks.


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## Desert Rat (Jun 28, 2022)

No love cajun and creole cuisines?


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## ethompson (Jun 28, 2022)

I love watching old Justin Wilson episodes from PBS. I’ve got Mosquito Supper Club sitting in my shelf needing to be read and all the classics from New Orleans - goodness I miss that city. 

I also recently picked up Francis Mallmann’s new book Green Fire and am really enjoying it.


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## Desert Rat (Jun 28, 2022)

ethompson said:


> I love watching old Justin Wilson episodes from PBS. I’ve got Mosquito Supper Club sitting in my shelf needing to be read and all the classics from New Orleans - goodness I miss that city.
> 
> I also recently picked up Francis Mallmann’s new book Green Fire and am really enjoying it.


I will have to look into those, thanks for the tip.
We had a creole gentleman open a restaurant here back in the 80's and when he went out of business I had to learn to make it myself. So that cookbook was where I started.


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## Dan- (Jul 8, 2022)

Anyone have a recommendation for a Peruvian cookbook with more complex/flavorful recipes to actually cook from? I saw the Phaidon one, and apparently it's kinda boring if pretty to look at.


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## Jbpruner (Aug 19, 2022)

Desert Rat said:


> No love cajun and creole cuisines?


Louisiana kitchen was my very first cookbook. I asked for it for my 12th or 13th birthday and have gone thru 3 copies. The first recipe I ever followed was out of it, chocolate pecan pie.


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## Jbpruner (Aug 19, 2022)

ethompson said:


> I love watching old Justin Wilson episodes from PBS. I’ve got Mosquito Supper Club sitting in my shelf needing to be read and all the classics from New Orleans - goodness I miss that city.
> 
> I also recently picked up Francis Mallmann’s new book Green Fire and am really enjoying it.


Green fire is really cool. I got it a few months ago as a bday present from my wife.


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## Jbpruner (Aug 19, 2022)

Just got these two yesterday. One is an insanely cool informative book and the other is a look into the mind of one of the most influential chefs currently cooking IMHO. Both worth a read/scroll thru.


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## captaincaed (Aug 19, 2022)

Your browser is not able to display this video.




Well hello


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