What's your favourite cookbook?

[pacific breeze]

I have too many cookbooks, but I keep buying more. I find funky vintage ones in thrift stores and at yard sales, and I buy new ones, too. They give me inpsiration, comfort and make me hungry, all at the same time.

The old editions of Joy of Cooking
How to Cook Everything, Mark Bittman
The Healthy Hedonist, Myra Kornfeld
The original Silver Palate Cookbook
The New York Times Cookbook, Craig Claiborne
The New Spanish Table, Anya von Bremzen
Sublime Vegetarian, Bill Jones
Delia Smith's Summer Collection
Delia Smith's Vegetarian Collection
the original Lighthearted Cookbook, Anne Lindsay
A Century of Canadian Home Cooking
Supercookery
and several "church lady" compilations courtesy of my mother, including a great old Blue Ribbon cookbook from the '30s

[muchlove]

Oooooh... my mom has this old, worn copy of Betty Crocker's Dinner for Two.... she gave it to me a few years ago. It's come in handy many times.


And of course, the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook is an old standby.


I also used to have a crockpot cookbook that was great, but I lost it when I moved.

[A*O]

Anything by Nigella Lawson and a fabbo cheap paperback called "The Indian Housewife's Cookery Book". I have tried most of the recipes from all these books and every one is a winner. Nigellia is my kind of cook - she just throws stuff together without getting too technical and the results are wonderful (and easy). I have a shelf full of poncy 'gourmet' cookbooks and freely admit I never use them. I LOVE to create a meal, but refuse to get precious about it. Eat to live, not live to eat.

[aabbcc]

I loooooooooove cookbooks! I have way too many, but here are a few that I use and peruse a lot:

How To Eat by Nigella Lawson
How To Be A Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson
Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson
Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson
Feast by Nigella Lawson
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
Barefoot Contessa Parties by Ina Garten
Barefoot Contessa Family-Style by Ina Garten
Barefoot In Paris by Ina Garten
Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook by BH&G
Better Homes & Gardens New Baking Book by BH&G
King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion by King Arthur Flour Co.
1000 Italian Recipes by Michele Scicolone
The Italian Soup Cookbook by Joe Famularo
Southern Country Cooking From The Loveless Cafe by Jane & Michael Stern

[SammysMom]

OH yes Barefoot Contessa and I actually like Rachael Ray's 30-minute meals Cookbook. I collect cookbooks like crazy.

[sweetrebel]

My favorite cookbook (although I rarely use it) is an old one that you write your own recipes in. My sister was selling them when she was in high school and my mother bought one. It has alot of things by my sister, mother and Grandomother. It is special to me because my sister died in a car accident 15 years ago. It's kinda like having a little part of her around the house. While I don't cook out of it ( I know the recipes by heart!) I do just look through it from time to time...

[Glasgow53]

My old Joy of Cooking (pre microwave recipes) and I still have a large collection of the Frugal Gourmet's books. I know, I know, but I loved his show and his ideas about food.

[Lil]

I guess I use Delia more than anything, but other favourites are The Really Helpful Cookbook by Ruth Watson, which as well as having good recipes in is a good read too. Mary Berry is a bit old fashioned but makes brilliant cakes, and I also like Nigella.

Oh, and I have a book on Indian cookery by Madhur Jaffrey which I use an awful lot. Yum.