# Please recommend some cookbooks (or websites, YT etc)



## Triggaaar (Apr 22, 2018)

So I've got some really nice knives.
I've bought some nice fresh food and cut it up into tiny pieces.

Now what do I do?


My current level of cooking talent:
I can take some meat and veg and make it hot and guests can eat it without grimacing or getting food poisoning. Perhaps I could make a couple of things that average people would describe as nice. That's about it.

Cookbook style:
Photos are good - given my low talent level
Basic - I'm not looking to prepare something fancy for Masterchef, I just want it to taste nice. Ideally the meals won't take too long to make, although I don't mind if they're in the oven for some time, or need to be prepared in advance and marinated.
Main meal - I'm not wanting to do starters or deserts, just main meals.
No seafood - DW doesn't like seafood, so I have it at restaurants and don't want to learn to cook it.

Asian - my experience of Asian food is that it tends to have lots of flavour, which is great, so Asian food that appeals to westerners is good. Fast stir frying is also good. I saw the recommendation for 'Every grain of rice' from Fuscia Dunlop, I may give that a go.

Any other styles of full flavour food would be welcome - maybe Cajun, Caribbean, Mexican? 

Italian - always a winner, learning to do it better would be good.


Thank you


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## Nemo (Apr 22, 2018)

Remind me, which country are you in?


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## Triggaaar (Apr 22, 2018)

Nemo said:


> Remind me, which country are you in?


UK

PS - I make quite a nice ragu


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## daveb (Apr 22, 2018)

I like eGullet and spend some time browsing there. https://forums.egullet.org/ A lot of genuine, nice folks who are to food what we crazies are to knives. I like the way different cookbooks are discussed and people relate their experiences with recipes. And a lot of discussion is about technique - which for the most part is a lost pursuit. It's only in the knife discussions that they go a bit off the rails.....:cool2:


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## DamageInc (Apr 22, 2018)

I always recommend Chef John of Food Wishes for beginner cooks. John was a line cook and a culinary instructor but has been doing YouTube videos for a decade now. Videos are clear, to the point, and focus on the food, rather than the cook. Great stuff, and over 1000 recipes that can be made at home. You could make a different recipe of his every night for more than two years. That'll fast track you real quick.

[video=youtube;y0CAG_zeaTw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0CAG_zeaTw[/video]

For desserts and some great french main courses, check out Bruno Albouze. Once you get over the accent and the cheesy editing, you will find some absolutely amazing recipes from a 3 michelin star pastry chef.

[video=youtube;lrFN1xdS4kM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrFN1xdS4kM[/video]


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Apr 22, 2018)

Websites...

Chinese and chinese fusion: Woks of Life, The Mala Project . Also, strictlydumpling YT channel.

Thai: highheelgourmet.com for all the in depth info. Also, the hot thai kitchen YT channel.

Indian: The Youtube channels of Harpal Singh Sookhi and Sanjay Thumma (Some content by these authors is in english, some in Hindi. With Thumma, the most recent stuff is uninteresting though...)

Korean: Maangchi's site, YT channel and book

Just interesting approaches: YT channels Vegan Black Metal Chef (warning: Recipes are recited as actual black metal music, extremely competently played actually. but please, somebody make that man a knife in his style that actually cuts well all the time  ), Peaceful Cuisine


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## Jovidah (Apr 22, 2018)

Alongside the stuff already mentioned I found Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course surprisingly useful... it's also his best program by far IMO - because he isn't trying to act like a cursing pirate all the time. You should be able to find it on youtube, and the accompanying book on shady Russian websites...


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## chinacats (Apr 22, 2018)

If you'd like to give cajun a go is recommend watching some Justin Wilson videos...highly entertaining and you may learn something.


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## parbaked (Apr 22, 2018)

Joy of Cooking is a great reference book and learning guide to basic techniques.


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## Nemo (Apr 22, 2018)

I'm a guy who likes to understand what's going on in the food, so I like books that focus on technique and theory as well as giving actual recipees. I'm also an amateur, so hopefully can offer you an amateur's perspective. However, I am an Aussie, so you're gonna get an Aussie perspective from me.

Two of my most used cookbooks come from Neil Perry. (An Aussie who runs a series of high end restaurants). Balance and Harmony deals with Asian (mostly Chinese) food. The Food I Love deals with modern Western food. Not sure how available they are in UK. Note that while both have a bit of seafood, there are generous sections on other ingredients as well. Both of the books give a useful guide to techniques at the start of each chapter (as well as little tips in each recipee) that can be the difference between zero and hero. Maybe not much use to a pro but gold for an amateur. The recipees are pretty good too. 

I found Heston's Heston at Home to be really interesting. The first part of the book goes into the science of flavour, taste and texture, and how to achieve each. There are a few pages at the start of each section describing how variations in technique affect the end resul. In the Heston style, the recipees are completely impractical for everyday use (I have made a few and they are great but be prepared for a loooot of work) but they demonstrate the techniques very well and the techniques can be adapted to everyday use.

I have recently been enjoying Samin Nosrat's Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat which goes into how variations in each of these elemets of cooking affect different ingredients. Only a few recipees but a fascinating take on the alchemy of cooking.

One of my first serious cookbooks, and still a favourite, is Stephanie Alexander's The Cooks Companion. It is organised by ingredient, so is sorta like an encyclopedia of food. A couple of pages at the start of each ingredient describes production and selection of the ingredient and cooking techniques. Then there are a series of recipees (many are her take on classics) which are generally not super complex but very nice to eat. I find it really useful when trying a new ingredient for the first time. Maybe a little too much from the Aussie point of view for use in the UK- not sure.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Apr 22, 2018)

Also, watch comedy cooking channels (eg Regular Ordinary Swedish Mealtime, Cooking Hostile, Boring Kitchen ... ) ... there are some cooking truths hidden in them, and the memorization effect can be really good


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## 5698k (Apr 22, 2018)

You said no seafood, but are ok with Cajun, thats kinda tough. Look up Chef John Folse. Hes produced at least 4 large, colorful, very informative cookbooks that are beautiful books in their own right, besides being excellent cookbooks.


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## RonB (Apr 22, 2018)

I suggest https://amazingribs.com/ .It used to be one of the top ten food sites, but now it is only the number 1 bbq site. The site has a ton of recipes from easy to challenging and is definitely slanted towards grillin' and smokin', but much of the info is easily translatable to "regular" cooking. There is a section on myth busting that will steer you away from many bad techniques. And all the info is backed by science. 
At the top of the linked page is a link to the table of contents - start there.


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## Paraffin (Apr 22, 2018)

Home cook here. If I had a family member who was just starting out to learn cooking and set up a kitchen, I'd recommend these books below. YouTube channels are good too, but I like sitting back with a good book, and these are classics:


On Food and Cooking - Harold McGee -- basic science background on how stuff works. Indespinsable for learning.


Joy of Cooking. When you have to make a meatloaf or mac and cheese in a hurry? I think this book and McGee would be the first two I'd send someone for the basics. At least the American-centric basics.


The Professional Chef -- Culinary Institute of America. Probably more than you want to know, and very Euro-centric, but over the years this has been a great reference book for remembering how to make a bechamel sauce or a French Onion soup. Ignore the more complex stuff, and get a feel for the basic ideas behind the techniques.


Every Grain of Rice -- Fuschia Dunlop. I'm on another Asian cooking binge now, and this book (and her other ones) are great, because they avoid the typically suger and cornstarch-laden Cantonese style of expat restaurants.


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## Triggaaar (Apr 22, 2018)

Thank you all for the suggestions (plenty more still to come I hope), I'm on it.


DamageInc said:


> I always recommend Chef John of Food Wishes for beginner cooks.


Right, I've started here. OMG his presentation style (talking) is annoying. His pitch is all over the place as if he's trying to stop himself sounding monotonous. That apart, the food looks good and I like his jokes etc, so I shall have a go.


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## McMan (Apr 23, 2018)

A few oldies but goodies:
--"The Silver Spoon" for Italian
--"Authentic Mexican" and "The Essential Cuisines of Mexico" for Mexican
--"1080 Recipes" for Spanish


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## Bill13 (Apr 23, 2018)

Ad Hoc at Home 
Union Square Cafe
The Breakfast Book
Pepin New Complete Techniques
Staff Meals
Meat -A Kitchen Education
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
The Food Lab - This is my newest and I like the recipes but sometimes find his directions are not intuitive


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## Paraffin (Apr 23, 2018)

Bill13 said:


> The Food Lab - This is my newest and I like the recipes but sometimes find his directions are not intuitive



I almost added "The Food Lab" to the list I posted above, but hesitated. There is a lot of great information in that book, but it's presented in that annoying "Cooks Illustrated sciency kitchen" style. Experiments are done with different approaches, and then the one "perfect" method is demonstrated. As if that's the only way to do it. 

When it's a type of meal I've never tackled before, that presentation is a good entry point. But I sometimes find myself disagreeing with Kenji's conclusions, because I've done it in a way that I think works better. And then it gets annoying. I think it's just the presentation style that rubs me the wrong way, here and there in the book. I don't get that same feeling from other cookbook authors, so maybe it's just me. 

Anyway, I don't regret buying the book. I've learned some things in areas I wasn't that familiar with, and the recipes I've tried have a pretty good success ratio. For a beginner especially, this would be a good one to have in the library. Just don't take everything he writes as Gospel.


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## HRC_64 (Apr 23, 2018)

flavour bible, the book of yields, and Ratio
are probably worthy additions to any startup library shelf


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Apr 23, 2018)

Definitely "On food and cooking".

"Ratio" I personally found disappointing, too focused on western cooking with animal ingredients


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## HRC_64 (Apr 23, 2018)

LifeByA1000Cuts said:


> western cooking with ... animal ingredients



LOL.


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## daveb (Apr 23, 2018)

LifeByA1000Cuts said:


> Definitely "On food and cooking".
> 
> "Ratio" I personally found disappointing, too focused on western cooking with animal ingredients


Dead animals at that[emoji41]


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## Jovidah (Apr 23, 2018)

Well there's a reason I was born with incisor teeth... and it wasn't to chew soy products...


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## Nemo (Apr 23, 2018)

Jovidah said:


> Well there's a reason I was born with incisor teeth... and it wasn't to chew soy products...


It 's to help you bite into an apple

[emoji16]


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## Jovidah (Apr 23, 2018)

Why eat the garnish instead of the food...


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## mille162 (Apr 24, 2018)

The Silver Spoon. Its the bible of Italian cooking

CooksIllustrated.com. It was a monthly printed magazine, but now the app/website has all their past info. The subscription was worth it just to forever know how to make the perfect soft boiled egg everytime (and foolproof). Search by dish name, ingredient name, etc. pics and videos to go along with the recipes.

Watch old Nigela Lawson cooking videos on youtube. Equal entertainment and cooking instruction (and created the term food porn)

Epic meal time channel on youtube, because, well, its just damn entertaining, lol


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Apr 24, 2018)

The disappointment was more about the western focus  But then I guess I am a hipster in these things


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## Jovidah (Apr 24, 2018)

No that's not hipsterish. I'm also open to any cuisine as long as it includes animal ingredients!


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## Casaluz (Apr 27, 2018)

a couple of my favorites and books I know you can find in the UK
- Japanese: "Japan: The Cookbook" by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
- Spanish (Spain): "Sabor: Flavours from a Spanish Kitchen" by Nieves Barragan Mohacho (by the way, the restaurant is in London and it is fantastic, I was there a week and a half ago)


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## LostHighway (Jan 16, 2020)

Many of my suggestions have already been noted but I'll give this a shot by author. These are places to start not necessarily comprehensive.
Mexican: Diana Kennedy or Rick Bayless
China: Fushia Dunlop, Grace Young, or Carolyn Phillips
Nouveau Mideastern: Yotam Ottolenghi
Japan: Shizuo Tsuji or Elizabeth Andoh
Thailand: David Thompson
Italy: Marcella Hazen
India: probably Monisha Bharadwaj for now

I tend to like the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstahl River Cottage books too

Edit: Looking back further Elizabeth David, Waverly Root (not cookbooks per se), and Julia Child deserve a shout out. It is easy forget from the vantage point of the 21ts C how dire the food scene in North America and the U.K. generally was from the end of WWII until the late 60s/early '70s when things finally started to turn around. These people, among others, greased the wheels for that turn.


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## Bill13 (Jan 17, 2020)

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 nothing about this cuisine but the whole family has enjoyed making and eating the recipes.


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## JOSHUA PETERSON (Jan 17, 2020)

The French laundry cookbook in my opinion is the best foundation of information for a beginner cook. There’s advanced techniques in it as well, but the 101 stuff is all there. 
Nose to Tail by Ferguson Henderson is a book that all meat eaters should read with an open mind. IMO one of the most important cookbooks written.


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## JOSHUA PETERSON (Jan 17, 2020)




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## Noodle Soup (Jan 18, 2020)

Anything by Dunlop, I like her newest Sichuan book at lot. The Joy of Cooking as an all-purpose reference for everything.


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## Michi (Jan 18, 2020)

DamageInc said:


> I always recommend Chef John of Food Wishes for beginner cooks.


I second that recommendation. Most of his recipes are are not overly complex, and he takes a very down to-to-earth and pragmatic approach. The videos are well presented and edited, and you can see the techniques clearly.

Definitely a good resource for branching out into other cuisines without having to buy specialist regional cookbooks, or getting overwhelmed by extravagant and complex techniques or elaborate presentation.


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## pennman (Jan 19, 2020)

Bourdain - Les Halles cookbook, great beginner French book. Simple and slightly sarcastic

New Spanish Table

Jerusalem-ottolenghi

Shaya

Zahav

King Solomon’s table

Salt, fat, Acid, Heat

Harumi at home

The flavor Bible

And most surprisingly, Jamie Oliver’s meals in minutes. This one is a whole meal prep format. All the steps like a professional cook going back and forth on everything from dessert to sides to main. Each sequential step has you dancing around the kitchen for 60-90 min and at the end, you have the entire meal completed. Excellent for time management in the kitchen. Have your favorite playlist on and it’s lots of fun!


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## Nedfeister (Jan 21, 2020)

Anything by Sam and Sam Clark at Moro.


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## BryceMorsley (Feb 9, 2020)

I'll reccomend to books by Australian based authors. 

1. The whole fish cookbook by Josh niland.
2. Meat; the ultimate companion by Anthony Puharich


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## Brian Weekley (Feb 9, 2020)

parbaked said:


> Joy of Cooking is a great reference book and learning guide to basic techniques.



My original Joy Of Cooking cookbook was printed in 1954. Belonged to my mother, God bless her. Great cookbook. I still refer to it.


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## Cliff (Mar 4, 2020)

Ken Forkish, Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast -- for your daily bread
Naomi Pommeroy, Taste and Technique
Ottolenghi ... take your pick. I like "Sweet"
The Zuni Cafe Cookbook
Marcella Hazan, The Essentials of Italian Classic Cooking


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## Caleb Cox (Mar 4, 2020)

Serious eats is one of my go-to sites, I haven't made a recipe of theirs that I dislike yet.


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## LostHighway (Mar 5, 2020)

Another worthwhile cookbook for the developing cook is David Tanis's Market Cooking. It is organized by vegetable ingredient and the recipes are generally both simple and (IMO) good. Despite the vegetable focus it isn't a vegetarian cookbook as many of the recipes use meat.


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## Cliff (Mar 11, 2020)

Caleb Cox said:


> Serious eats is one of my go-to sites, I haven't made a recipe of theirs that I dislike yet.



Good call. I refer to them all the time. It's a wonderful resource.


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## podzap (Mar 11, 2020)

If you're into real Italian food i.e. not pizza, pasta, lasagne ********, then there's a very good book:

Cucina Rustica


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## YumYumSauce (Mar 21, 2020)

My recomendation is a little different since lots of great ones have already been mentioned. You Suck at Cooking. Its a little trendy and hipsterish, goes over basics, doesnt take itself too seriously and encourages expermentation. I got it for my sister and she loves it.


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## chris9998 (Mar 23, 2020)

If you love to cook Pizza in WoodFired Pizza Ovens , you should check ilfornino.com "Recipes". ilFornino Recipes are my favorites Recipes.


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## bcoryh (Mar 27, 2020)

Two wonderful pizza books: The Elements of Pizza by Ken Forkish, and Mastering Pizza by Marc Vetri.


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## mlau (Apr 27, 2020)

Just adding to the other (excellent) recommendations:

Youtube:
My Name is Andong
Peaceful cuisine
Alex French guy cooking
Jamie Oliver/Gordon Ramsey
Anything Jacques Pepin
Two greedy Italians

Books:
Japanese Farm Food- Nancy Singleton Hachisu (only cookbook I bought 3x)
Washoko- Elizabeth Andoh

I haven't found any really good Chinese cookbooks (although "All under Heaven" is probably the best that I've seen. Ditto for good Italian cookbooks.

I'm not sure if that's because Chinese and Italian cooking seems to go by feel, sensitivity to ingredients, and instinct? Or maybe I need to learn to read the respective languages more?

Anyways, I forgot how I missed this forum!


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## M1k3 (Apr 28, 2020)

Chinese and Italian food is very regional. I get lost every time I get past the surface.


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## Michi (Apr 28, 2020)

mlau said:


> I haven't found any really good Chinese cookbooks (although "All under Heaven" is probably the best that I've seen. Ditto for good Italian cookbooks.



A decent YouTube channel for Chinese recipes is Souped Up Recipes. I've made quite a few of her dishes and they all turned out really nice.


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## rickbern (Apr 28, 2020)

Michi said:


> A decent YouTube channel for Chinese recipes is Souped Up Recipes. I've made quite a few of her dishes and they all turned out really nice.


Another great YouTube channel for Chinese food is Chinese Cooking Demystified.









Chinese Cooking Demystified


Learn how to cook real deal, authentic Chinese food! We post recipes every weekend (unless we happen to be travelling) :) We're Steph and Chris - a food-obse...




www.youtube.com


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## Famima (Apr 28, 2020)

The Classic Food of Northern Italy by Anna del Conte is a mega classsic, really good book.
Italian Food by Elizabeth David is also really very good and authentic - slightly shows it ages in a few places, but gets the fundamentals down really well. These two are a great start in "proper" Italian food.

Chinese, lots of regional variants but Fuschia Dunlop has an outstanding Sichuan cookery book (been updated recently). Yan Kit-So Classic Food of China (out of print but worth looking for a secondhand version) also gives a really broad appreciation for Chinese cuisine, as well as lots of authentic varied and excellent recipes.


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## Kgp (Apr 28, 2020)

If you want good basic cooking, America's Test Kitchen, Betty Crocker, Good Housekeeping. I've got the old Frugal Gourmet books that have some great recipes. For websites, I second Serious Eats. For Asian, Woks of Life.


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## Famima (May 29, 2020)

podzap said:


> If you're into real Italian food i.e. not pizza, pasta, lasagne ********, then there's a very good book:
> 
> Cucina Rustica



I picked this up on this recommendation. I've been cooking from it the last few days and it's been a total hit, many thanks!


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## tchan001 (May 29, 2020)

My favorite Chinese cooking books in English from my private collection.

Chinese Gastronomy by Hsiang Ju LIN and Tsuifeng LIN. Out of print but can be found on Amazon for a hefty price.



Life is a Banquet by Belinda Wong. She grew up in a rich family, became a lawyer, and later owned a gourmet ingredient shop which is no longer around. After writing 9 Chinese books with recipes which showed people how to cook with ingredients from her shop, this is her first English book. It starts off telling you about her background then mainly gourmet recipes suited for Chinese banquets. Sadly the book is long out of print and I have no idea where to find another copy. I will quote a recipe from it for educational purposes.











For Cantonese style cooking, I recommend a set of books by Steve Lee called Grandpa's Kitchen 1-3. The author is a well known retired HK martial arts movie star whose love of cooking led to a Hong Kong TV cooking show series. Later on he wrote this bestselling bilingual Chinese-English set of cookbooks which is now with many printings.
ISBN 978-962-14-6400-2
ISBN 978-962-14-6730-0
ISBN 978-962-14-7056-0
I think you can get it in the US through yesasia.com







Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees by Kian Lam Kho
I think of it as a modern take on Chinese Gastronomy. Available on Amazon.


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## rickbern (May 30, 2020)

tchan001 said:


> My favorite Chinese cooking books in English from my private collection.
> 
> Chinese Gastronomy by Hsiang Ju LIN and Tsuifeng LIN. Out of print but can be found on Amazon for a hefty price.
> View attachment 82193
> ...


Great excerpt from the Belinda Wong book; you’re preaching to the choir here!

Thanks TC, fun post to read


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## flying hippo (Jun 3, 2020)

I'm still a beginner cook but I've checked out Joy of cooking, and America's test kitchen from the library. Both have been helpful.
Also thewoksoflife.com for Chinese food.


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## chris9998 (Jun 22, 2020)

I love pizzas, so according to this I will suggestion pizza cooking book that is "The Pizza Bible".


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## Chips (Sep 24, 2020)

I'm not sure a separate thread is warranted so I'm bumping this one with a recent YouTube discovery that is really, really good. Chef Jean-Pierre has a small channel that hadn't had any new content since 2012, but recently he started it up again. The guy is absolutely hilarious and his techniques, teaching methods, etc are spectacular. I've been binge watching them for the past two days, and there's some excellent tips sprinkled in pretty much every video. He's opinionated, but very casual and funny. Makes for good watching.

The guy has the funniest accent, sounding both French and Italian and/or Cajun at the same time. I think I'll be making his Tomato Tart recipe soon. 









ChefJeanPierre


Chef Jean-Pierre is a James Beard Nominee Chef, TV Personality and the Author of 3 Cookbooks with 54 years experience as a Professional Chef. He is the found...




www.youtube.com


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## podzap (Sep 27, 2020)

Famima said:


> I picked this up on this recommendation. I've been cooking from it the last few days and it's been a total hit, many thanks!



Sorry I missed your response and glad you liked the book. I bought this book back in 1996 (when I already had 20 years experience with experimental cooking) and have tried lots and lots of stuff from it. I may not make too many of the recipes verbatim any more but the book itself has sharpened my game immensely over the years in terms of just being able to create amazing Italian food right off the top of my head.


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## alterwisser (Oct 2, 2020)

For a beginner cook who wants to try something a little different (not your standard pasta fare haha), I’d always recommend Ottolenghi Simple.
I think the recipes really are: Simple. But most are quite good and once you ordered some of the ingredients that you don’t use in standard fare, you’re set ...


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## Dhoff (Oct 2, 2020)

So, I prefer to do food like I perform experiments in the lab. Does a cookbook exist with exact amounts?

Not "a tablespoon of X" but instead the amount in gram/mg/kg for each recipe.


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## Michi (Oct 2, 2020)

Dhoff said:


> So, I prefer to do food like I perform experiments in the lab. Does a cookbook exist with exact amounts?
> 
> Not "a tablespoon of X" but instead the amount in gram/mg/kg for each recipe.


Check out Cooking for Engineers


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## damiano (Oct 2, 2020)

Dhoff said:


> So, I prefer to do food like I perform experiments in the lab. Does a cookbook exist with exact amounts?
> 
> Not "a tablespoon of X" but instead the amount in gram/mg/kg for each recipe.


You could start making cakes and tarts..  There the exact science does have some value. In normal cooking less so imho, as it doesn't fully take into account differences in ingredients (e.g. strength/saltiness), and in taste.


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## Dhoff (Oct 2, 2020)

Michi said:


> Check out Cooking for Engineers



This is a true sanctuary for me, thank you 



Wahnamhong said:


> You could start making cakes and tarts..  There the exact science does have some value. In normal cooking less so imho, as it doesn't fully take into account differences in ingredients (e.g. strength/saltiness), and in taste.



Well, it cant be worse to have exact amounts than "a pinch of this, 5 tablespoons of that and cook it in a pan until its done"

I'd much prefer to know how big the pan and the amount of grams.

Salt can have so many textures you might vary with 100% from the amount intended


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## damiano (Oct 2, 2020)

@Dhoff Yes, I can understand where you're coming from. It's only after 10+ years of serious cooking (at home) that I'm able to tweak recipes exactly the way I like it, and purely by taste. So if I were to write a recipe I would probably use loose descriptions too.

What type of cuisine do you like? I can have a look for you and see if there's anything I can recommend with some more exact measurements (that actually work).


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## alterwisser (Oct 2, 2020)

Dhoff said:


> This is a true sanctuary for me, thank you
> 
> 
> 
> ...



a tablespoon is pretty exact, as it’s a measuring device... not an actual tablespoon lol.... but yeah, especially for Europeans TL and TS feel kind of strange. You can convert ingredients to grams though from TL, I think... if you google for example “1 TL salt in grams” you should be able to find what you need


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## damiano (Oct 2, 2020)

alterwisser said:


> a tablespoon is pretty exact, as it’s a measuring device... not an actual tablespoon lol.... but yeah, especially for Europeans TL and TS feel kind of strange. You can convert ingredients to grams though from TL, I think... if you google for example “1 TL salt in grams” you should be able to find what you need


European here. You're absolutely right. Not so long ago (a few years) I bought a set of Mason Cash measuring spoons and I have been using them more than I had thought I would.


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## juice (Oct 2, 2020)

alterwisser said:


> You can convert ingredients to grams though from TL, I think... if you google for example “1 TL salt in grams” you should be able to find what you need


Yeah, I do this with all recipes I'm going to use repeatedly. Much easier once freedom units are no longer used.


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## alterwisser (Oct 2, 2020)

I used to live in the US for a long time so I’m used to measuring in cups and tablespoons, and also have plenty of measuring devices for it...

Still can’t get used to Fahrenheit and fluid ounces though.... seriously guys


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## Dhoff (Oct 2, 2020)

Thank you everyone 



alterwisser said:


> a tablespoon is pretty exact, as it’s a measuring device... not an actual tablespoon lol.... but yeah, especially for Europeans TL and TS feel kind of strange. You can convert ingredients to grams though from TL, I think... if you google for example “1 TL salt in grams” you should be able to find what you need



Well, I learned something valuable there 

I'm not certain the recipes in Denmark take this into account, but it is worth an attempt, thank you.


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## Dhoff (Oct 2, 2020)

Wahnamhong said:


> @Dhoff Yes, I can understand where you're coming from. It's only after 10+ years of serious cooking (at home) that I'm able to tweak recipes exactly the way I like it, and purely by taste. So if I were to write a recipe I would probably use loose descriptions too.
> 
> What type of cuisine do you like? I can have a look for you and see if there's anything I can recommend with some more exact measurements (that actually work).



I love most food, but cooking is tricky due to intolerances and allergies. As such I already have to tweak recepes to avoid e.g. dairy


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## damiano (Oct 2, 2020)

The Guardian has pretty good recipes and a wide selection for all tastes. Food | The Guardian


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## alterwisser (Oct 2, 2020)

Dhoff said:


> Thank you everyone
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Lots of info here:





__





Convert tablespoons to gram - Conversion of Measurement Units


Do a quick conversion: 1 tablespoons = 12.781700527272 grams using the online calculator for metric conversions. Check the chart for more details.




www.convertunits.com





If you’re often using US recipes, I recommend to just order a set of measuring spoons (and maybe for cups as well (1/4th to 1 cup). It won’t set you back much (can easily get it on amazon) and will make life a lot easier. I use mine ALL the time...


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## MarcelNL (Oct 2, 2020)

try some Heston Blumenthal recipes, those are quite exact....little warning; you'll be busy for a day with most elements of a dish.
just try, think and do what seems reasonable, cooking is not an exam, you can always try again a little differently.
In my experience knowledge of ingredients comes first, as it helps identifying what you need to buy (and where) so a little study in ingredients is worthwhile.

Usually salt etc is specified by type in a recipe, f.e. Maldon flakes have a different specific mass than small grain salt etc. Flour has a very typical capacity for liquid per type, pick the wrong flour to make a pizza dough adding the amount of water per recipy can make you end up with a puddle of pancake batter. Assumption is the mother of all FU's, check ingredients research their specifics and you usually can mix and match/adapt a recipe if you are unable to find a specific type of ingredient.

A bigger issue IMO is ADAPTING TO your specific preference, many pro cooks use WAY more salt than I like, you can always (well, almost) add more later but removing salt is quite impossible...add some upfront and season to taste later is my strategy (taking care to adjust if a dish is served cold or hot as that also changes impact of seasoning)


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## Dhoff (Oct 2, 2020)

MarcelNL said:


> try some Heston Blumenthal recipes, those are quite exact....little warning; you'll be busy for a day with most elements of a dish.
> just try, think and do what seems reasonable, cooking is not an exam, you can always try again a little differently.
> In my experience knowledge of ingredients comes first, as it helps identifying what you need to buy (and where) so a little study in ingredients is worthwhile.
> 
> ...




Try baking with the old wheat types... especially spelt. My stomach might like it, but freaking hell it is not easy to make tasty


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## MarcelNL (Oct 2, 2020)

ouch, Spelt makes great glue...

Try cold proofing more normal flour, sourdough, 48 hours proofing, much easier on the stomach/digestive tract and better flavors! Look at what Michi is posting regularly, I buy mine from a master baker/patissier near my place but refuse to eat anything else for a whole now.


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## rickbern (Oct 2, 2020)

Dhoff said:


> Thank you everyone
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Not so quick!

Europeans make fun of us sometimes for specifying kosher salt. First, we do it because it’s not iodized, but second diamond crystal is the standard measurement. Salt weight varies a ton if you go by volume


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## btbyrd (Oct 2, 2020)

Volumetric measuring is for chumps.


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## Dhoff (Oct 2, 2020)

btbyrd said:


> Volumetric measuring is for chumps.



did ya mispell chimps? just kidding of course


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## rickbern (Oct 2, 2020)

Nah, he meant “clumps”


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## spaceconvoy (Oct 2, 2020)

Volumetric measurement is for beautiful geniuses with finely tuned intuition.

Unless you're baking.. no one's intuition is that finely tuned.


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## rickbern (Jun 30, 2021)

I thought I’d add to this thread. I’ve been enjoying a website/YouTube channel called Spain on a fork. He’s into primarily vegetable dishes but he uses seafood too. Good source for Spanish flavors. Gonna make cod with saffron and cinnamon later for dinner. 





__





Spain on a Fork


Easy to Make Spanish Recipes




www.spainonafork.com


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## PJD (Jun 30, 2021)

When I'm looking for a recipe, the first thing I do is check whether Felicity Cloake (a cookery writer for The Guardian) has published her version of it. Perhaps Ms Cloake and I have tastebuds that were separated at birth, but I almost always find her version of a recipe to be close to perfection.









Felicity Cloake | The Guardian


Felicity Cloake is a writer specialising in food and drink and the author of six cookbooks. She is a past winner of the Guild of Food Writers awards for Food Journalist of the Year.




www.theguardian.com


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## rickbern (Jul 1, 2021)

PJD said:


> When I'm looking for a recipe, the first thing I do is check whether Felicity Cloake (a cookery writer for The Guardian) has published her version of it. Perhaps Ms Cloake and I have tastebuds that were separated at birth, but I almost always find her version of a recipe to be close to perfection.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think in general, the guardian has the best food section of any major newspaper.


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## rickbern (Jul 2, 2021)

Found a French website, this guy is terrific and pretty undiscovered it seems. Linking to one particular recipe for @Michi 



Here’s his main page



https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCIPygycWu_tYgpKIMDK0r3g



He’s got a sausage recipe if forcing chopped meat into casings happens to be your thing


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## Michi (Jul 2, 2021)

rickbern said:


> He’s got a sausage recipe if forcing chopped meat into casings happens to be your thing


Perfect, because that happens to be my thing


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## rickbern (Jul 27, 2021)

This is a pretty good intro to Moroccan cuisine. Maybe a little more euro focused than Uber traditional 









*All recipes* — My Moroccan Food


Moroccan food blog. Moroccan cooking made simple and easy. Modern Moroccan, recipes, cuisine and dishes. Traditional Moroccan recipes and Moroccan inspired recipes. Tagine, couscous, bastila, appetizers, pastries, deserts recipes and more. Facts about ingredients, spices




www.mymoroccanfood.com


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