The Best Cookbooks

This piece originally appeared in the on-line zine SPACE part of the wonderful vintage clothing website 'enokiworld'.

We love our cookbooks. Just as much as we love our handbags and shoes. Here is a list that we feel any serious, or not so serious, cook should have. A few are out of print but well worth the hunt.

Long before there was a Martha or a Barefoot Contessa there were Francine, Madeline, Anna and Sarah:

- The SOHO Charcuterie Cookbook by Francine Scherer and Madeline Poley (Morrow, 1983)
- The Loaves and Fishes Cookbook by Anna Pump (Macmillan, 1985)
- Open-House Cookbook by Sarah Leah Chase (Workman, 1987)

Do you want to learn to bake? Do you long to feel like your favorite, brilliant aunt is in the kitchen helping you through every move? Then buy anything by Maida Heatter. We like the following:

- Maida Heatter's Book of Great Cookies (Knopf)
- Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Knopf)
- Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Knopf)

- Room for Dessert by David Lebovitz (HarperCollins, 1999). His recipes are easy to follow and delicious. He is also a nice guy and it comes through in the writing.
- Chez Panisse Desserts by LIndsey Remolif Shere (Random House)

Good comfort food and creative ideas? You can't do any better than the following:

- Fog City Diner Cookbook by Cindy Pawlcyn (Ten Speed Press, 1993)
- Bradley Ogden's Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (Random House, 1991)
- Back to the Table by Art Smith (Hyperion, 2001)
- The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham (Knopf, 1987)
- Staff Meals from Chanterelle by David Waltuck and Melicia Phillips (Workman, 2000)
- Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin (Knopf, 1988)
- Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison (Broadway Books)

Italian?

- Beard on Pasta by James Beard, (Knopf)
- Pasta Fresca by Viana La Place and Evan Kleiman (Morrow)
- Lorenza's Pasta by Lorenza DeMedici (Potter)
- Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan (Knopf)

Southern?

- Bill Neal's Southern Cooking by Bill Neal (UNC Press)
- Not Afraid of Flavor by Ben and Karen Barker (UNC Press)
- The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis (Random House)

Chinese?

- The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking by Barbara Tropp (William Morrow)

Dinner in a hurry?

- Any of the New York Times 60-Minute Gourmet Cookbooks by Pierre Franey (Fawcett)

Entertaining?

- Silver Palate Cookbook by Russo & Lukins (Workman Press).
- R.S.V.P by Nan Kempner (Clarkson Potter, 2000)

Basic reference:

- Joy of Cooking by Rombauer and Becker (Dobbs-Merrill)
- Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook (1956 version updated 2001)
- La Technique by Jacques Pepin (Wallaby)
- The Curious Cook by Harold McGee (Collier)
- On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee (Collier)
- The Way to Cook by Julia Child (Knopf)

All of these books are the ones we keep grabbing off the shelf. The ones with the dog-eared pages and splashes of gravy. Use 'em and love 'em. Give them as gifts.

Comments

[Myrna Cambianica]

This is a shot in the dark ... looking for contact with Viana La Place.
We are retired restauranteurs and she used to eat in our small restaurant in Ventura, Ca ... Cucina D'Italia ... Is there any way for you to pass this e-mail address on to her? Would like to talk with her about Apulia-Basilicata and tell her of our daughter who now has a trattoria in Arcata, Ca.

Sincerely, Myrna

[Karletta]

I bet 'Cook's Library' on Third Street in LA would have the SF Encore cookbook.

[Michele]

Speaking of San Francisco and cookbooks...the one cookbook that has never let me down, that every recipe I've tried is extremely good is "San Francisco Encore". My mom, who lives in France now, keeps asking me to send her recipes from my book, and is trying to find a copy of the book for herself.

[Karletta]

I have heard wonderful things about the Bittman 'Everthing...' book. I have his 'The Minimalist Cooks at Home' and 'The Minimalist Cooks Dinner' and like them both.
I don't have any Yan books but you have inspired me to search for them.
Thanks for the suggestions!

[Cathy Quon]

For the basics, you cannot beat Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. He provides foundational recipes for almost everything and then, variations on the theme. His fish cookbook is also good.

For Chinese, any of the Martin Yan cookbooks. The man knows what he is talking about even if you're turned off by his TV personality.