Best Cookbooks Plus Two
November 12th, 2007 by Brian Ries in Best Of, CookingThe James Beard Foundation Book Awards C
ommittee just released their list of 20 “essential” cookbooks and, on the whole, I can get behind it. Sarasota’s own Marcella Hazan gets a nod with her classic Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking and there is a fine spread between omnibus compilations (Bittman’s How To Cook Everything, Silver Palate) and a smattering of ethnic specialties (especially Bayless’ Authentic Mexican). In my opinion, though, there are two glaring omissions.
The New Best Recipe, Cooks Illustrated — Cooks Illustrated is known for their exhaustive recipe testing, simplification without sacrifice of flavor and focus on home cooking techniques. Each of the more than 1000 recipes comes with a detailed essay explaining the reasoning — based on that extensive testing — behind the important steps in the cooking process. More than just a cookbook, Best Recipe can be a no-nonsense, mythbusting education in how to cook. And just about every one of the 100’s of recipes I’ve cooked out of the book have been successful, with enough information provided that the even a schmoe like me can 
fiddle without screwing things up. It’s a necessity in any kitchen.
The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Peter Reinhart — Yet again, this is a book that combines recipes that are relatively simple to follow with detailed and engaging explanations of why the steps work the way they do. Reinhart also made a “breakthrough” in explaining a process of slow, cold fermentation of dough that results in incredible flavor. Anyone intrested in the process of bread baking should have this book.
Check out the full Beard Foundation list after the jump and let me know if there are any of your favorites missing.
• American Cookery (BBS Publishing, 1996), James Beard.
• Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico (Morrow, 2007), Rick Bayless.
• Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (Better Homes and Gardens, 2004).
• Classic Indian Cooking (Morrow, 1980), Julie Sahni.
• Complete Techniques (Black Dog & Leventhal, 2001), Jacques Pépin and Léon Pererr.
• Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (Macmillan, 1995), Marcella Hazan.
• How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food (Wiley, 2006), Mark Bittman.
• The Joy of Cooking (Scribner, 2006), Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker.
• The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook (Countryman Press, 2003).
• Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts (Andrews McMeel, 1999), Maida Heatter.
• Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres Handbook (Clarkson Potter, 1999), Martha Stewart.
• Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume One (Knopf, 2001), Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck.
• The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking: Techniques and Recipes (Morrow, 1996), Barbara Tropp.
• The New Food Lover’s Companion (Barron’s, 2007), Sharon Tyler Herbst.
• The Oxford Companion to Wine (Oxford, 2007), Jancis Robinson.
• Rick Stein’s Complete Seafood (Ten Speed, 2004), Rick Stein.
• The Silver Palate Cookbook (Workman, 2007), Sheila Lukins and Julie Rosso.
• The Thrill of the Grill: Techniques, Recipes, and Down-Home Barbecue (Morrow, 2002), Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby.
• Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (Broadway, 2007), Deborah Madison
• The Way to Cook (Knopf, 1993), Julia Child.
November 12th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Interesting choice as I never figured you as a bread person. I am and I believe midrange restaurants can be differentiated by their bread basket. This all came home to me when Catch 23 closed in Clearwater. The food was great but I’m sure they used the cheapest burger rolls from Albertsons next door and that was part of their downfall. A look at the free breadbasket - and not just at the high end places - would make a good piece.
November 13th, 2007 at 10:04 am
I agree, John. Just like desserts, many restaurants and chefs don’t see bread as important to the overall experience. As long as it is “good enough” then they’re happy, which usually means par-baked sourdough boule or pseudo-baguettes from Sysco (which isn’t a bad product, honestly, as long as it gets to the table hot).
November 13th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
I second that New Best Recipe book. Good stuff …