Cooking
I am a cookbook addict. I am powerless over cookbook hoarding (is there a 12 step program for me?). I get review copies of cookbooks but that's never enough. I buy vintage cookbooks, used cookbooks, out-of-print cookbooks, you name it.
I first read about The Cook's Book on the blog A La Cuisine. Then it was mentioned a couple of times on Becks & Posh. Actually Sam of Becks & Posh (who is by no means a cookbook addict) raved about it. So I sneaked a peek. And then I had to have the book, subtitled "techniques and tips from the world's master chefs". Master chefs include people like Ferran Adria, Rick Bayless, Ken Hom, Charlie Trotter and Pierre Herme.
Want to know how to skin and gut an eel, line a terrine mold, or use a siphon for making foam? There are pictures illustrating those and other instructions. Recipes come from many different cuisines of the world. There are sections on Japanese cooking, poultry and game birds, Indian cooking, meat, Chinese cooking, vegetables, pasta and dumplings, Asian noodles and dumplings, Thai cooking, grains and beans, breads and batters, Mexican cooking, pastry and sweet doughs, Middle Eastern cooking, dessert, cakes and fruit and nuts. I can't really say that list is comprehensive but it certainly gives a great introduction to cooking from a myriad of sources.
There are tons of ideas here for you to learn from, borrow and incorporate into your repertoire. A lot of the recipes are very current, such as Chilled Clear Cucumber Soup with Watermelon, Apple and Jicama or Hot Apple Sabayon, in addition to classics like making omelets, poaching, sauces, etc. Instructions for steaming couscous (instead of just rehydrating it) are a perfect example of something I have wondered how to do.
This book is massive, over 600 pages. But I think it's a book you could cook out of for the rest of your life. You can check out a few sample pages here.
FOOD
- The Joy Of Writing A Great Cookbook: Interview With Kimberly Yorio
If you want to be a food writer, I highly recommend that you read Will Write for Food by Dianne Jacob, but if writing a cookbook is your goal, you’ll also want to check out The Joy of Writing a Great Cookbook by Kimberly Yoirio. This no nonsense book...
- The Three Must Buy Cookbooks Of 2011
I always write a series of "best of" cookbook posts around this time of year. I've recommended a lot of cookbooks in 2011*, but there are three, you simply must add to your collection. They are written by three amazing women who I admire tremendously...
- Cookbooks By Friends & Bloggers I Know
This year a number of my friends and fellow bloggers wrote books. I will not pretend to be unbiased when it comes to these books. I wish the authors much success! Here is a list of the books that I got a chance to review and enjoy: L.A.'s Original...
- International Cookbook Roundup
Where would you like to go for the holidays? Italy? Spain? Japan? How about just transporting yourself through the creations in your own kitchen? There are several new exciting cookbooks that have just come out featuring the cuisines of these countries....
- The Cookbook Exchange
I'm a cookbook junkie and I'll bet many of you are too. Books are probably my number one impulse buy, and more often than not they're cookbooks. I love going through a new cookbook from cover to cover for the first time. Problem is, once...
Cooking
The Cook's Book: Cookbook Review
I am a cookbook addict. I am powerless over cookbook hoarding (is there a 12 step program for me?). I get review copies of cookbooks but that's never enough. I buy vintage cookbooks, used cookbooks, out-of-print cookbooks, you name it.
I first read about The Cook's Book on the blog A La Cuisine. Then it was mentioned a couple of times on Becks & Posh. Actually Sam of Becks & Posh (who is by no means a cookbook addict) raved about it. So I sneaked a peek. And then I had to have the book, subtitled "techniques and tips from the world's master chefs". Master chefs include people like Ferran Adria, Rick Bayless, Ken Hom, Charlie Trotter and Pierre Herme.
Want to know how to skin and gut an eel, line a terrine mold, or use a siphon for making foam? There are pictures illustrating those and other instructions. Recipes come from many different cuisines of the world. There are sections on Japanese cooking, poultry and game birds, Indian cooking, meat, Chinese cooking, vegetables, pasta and dumplings, Asian noodles and dumplings, Thai cooking, grains and beans, breads and batters, Mexican cooking, pastry and sweet doughs, Middle Eastern cooking, dessert, cakes and fruit and nuts. I can't really say that list is comprehensive but it certainly gives a great introduction to cooking from a myriad of sources.
There are tons of ideas here for you to learn from, borrow and incorporate into your repertoire. A lot of the recipes are very current, such as Chilled Clear Cucumber Soup with Watermelon, Apple and Jicama or Hot Apple Sabayon, in addition to classics like making omelets, poaching, sauces, etc. Instructions for steaming couscous (instead of just rehydrating it) are a perfect example of something I have wondered how to do.
This book is massive, over 600 pages. But I think it's a book you could cook out of for the rest of your life. You can check out a few sample pages here.
| READ MORE So what about that other behemoth? The Professional Chef is another massive tome that just recently hit stores. My review of it is over at Bay Area Bites today. |
FOOD
- The Joy Of Writing A Great Cookbook: Interview With Kimberly Yorio
If you want to be a food writer, I highly recommend that you read Will Write for Food by Dianne Jacob, but if writing a cookbook is your goal, you’ll also want to check out The Joy of Writing a Great Cookbook by Kimberly Yoirio. This no nonsense book...
- The Three Must Buy Cookbooks Of 2011
I always write a series of "best of" cookbook posts around this time of year. I've recommended a lot of cookbooks in 2011*, but there are three, you simply must add to your collection. They are written by three amazing women who I admire tremendously...
- Cookbooks By Friends & Bloggers I Know
This year a number of my friends and fellow bloggers wrote books. I will not pretend to be unbiased when it comes to these books. I wish the authors much success! Here is a list of the books that I got a chance to review and enjoy: L.A.'s Original...
- International Cookbook Roundup
Where would you like to go for the holidays? Italy? Spain? Japan? How about just transporting yourself through the creations in your own kitchen? There are several new exciting cookbooks that have just come out featuring the cuisines of these countries....
- The Cookbook Exchange
I'm a cookbook junkie and I'll bet many of you are too. Books are probably my number one impulse buy, and more often than not they're cookbooks. I love going through a new cookbook from cover to cover for the first time. Problem is, once...