You're on a desert island, with *5* cookbooks...

M

marc-in-seattle

Well-known member
Taking from another conversation....

So downsizing or collecting more, I'm curious what everyone's Top 5 cookbooks are? If you HAD to get rid of all of them but 5...and you're stuck on a desert island. (For you anal-retentive types, you can procure the ingredients you need on the desert island. God.)

For me:

1. Giorgio Locatelli - Made in Italy

2. Jerry Traunfeld - The Herbfarm

3. Teage Ezard - Lotus

4. James Oseland - Cradle of Flavor

5. Christine Manfield - Spice

 
Assuming I didn't have internet access, I could live with my complete sets of Fine Cooking and

Cook's Illustrated magazines. Is that cheating? I'd add Ruhlman's Twenty because I've not read it yet. All about Braising by Molly Stevens and I love the Jacques and Jullia Cooking at Home. Now I'm anxious thinking about so many others I didn't mention. I've done a lot of culling, am down to 300 or so. I just can't let go of some of the first ones that came into my life oh, so many years ago.

 
These are the ones I come back to-time and again:

1. Cake Bible - Rose Levy Beranbaum
2. Cocolat - Alice Medrich
3. Bittersweet - Alice Medrich
4. China Moon - Barbara Tropp
5. My handwritten collection of homestyle recipes from family/friends/tasted at a party and begged for the recipe.

I don't learn anything new from this last one, but each recipe brings back memories. Sometimes I'll make a childhood dish/dessert and it's terrible. That's when I realize my tastes have matured, even if my personality hasn't. It's falling apart and rubber-banded and I had to ink a diagonal across the spine so I could put the six parts back together in order. But I don't want to lose this book, so it's going to the island with me.

 
I'd probably take Julia's "The Way to Cook", Marcella Hazan's "Classic Italian

Cook Book" (the original one that has menu suggestions with every recipe, my ancient "New York Times Bread and Soup Cookbook" and a newish one, for me, "Bon Appetit, Y'ALL" by Virginia Willis. Everything I have tried from that has been good. That should give me a good variety plus the basics.

 
Wow, this is a tough task. from a pretty basic home cooking person:

1. probably couldn't part with my worn out Betty Crocker or BHG basic cookbook. kinda lame, but it's the truth
2. My tattered Colorado Cache Jr League cookbook
3. New Recipes from Quilt Country by Marcia Adams because the pictures and stories are beautiful and all of it reminds me of home
4. My Baking with Julia book, from the TV series
5. whichever Ina Garten cookbook has the Eli's Shortbread cookies. I really identify with her relaxed style of cooking/baking and I covet her house

 
Julia's The Way to Cook, Richard Olney's Simple French Food, Anne Cassale's Italian Family Cooking.

Richard Sax' Classic Home Desserts and Nadia G.'s Bitchin Kitchen: Cookin' for Trouble.

 
In Bon Appetit, Y'All, have you tried the pecan-crusted chicken? Moist and fabulous. When

I was cooking for clients, I'd make up a big batch of these. They'd use them throughout the week as protein on salads, quick entrees, or nosh on them cold as snacks. So delicious.

 
No, but I will now. Tonight I am making the Chicken Saltimbocca with

Country Ham except I use Spec from Costco instead of the ham. Much easier to work with and it adds flavor. I make extra for chicken salad. It is sooo good. I'm glad you enjoy that book too.

 
I'd take mostly baking books, but the exception is Pierre Franey's Cooking In France. The other

four would be:

Bittersweet - Alice Medrich

Cocolat - Alice Medrich

The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Muffins
Beth Hensperger

Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours
Sarabeth Levine

 
Tough one! My list...

Joy of Cooking

The Great Book of Chinese Cooking

Wiener Süßspeisen (the complete catalog of Viennese desserts)

Die Gute Küche--das Österreichische Jahrhundert Kochbuch (The Good Kitchen--the Austrian Century Cookbook)

Kentucky Keepsakes--Classic Southern Recipes

I will also cheat and hide two more in my luggage:

Mastering the Art of French Cooking
The Way to Cook

 
It's not a contest...

Seriously, everyone is inspired by different books, everyone collects books for different reasons, and we all have those tried and true favorites we return to time and again because the results are good and give us comfort.

Nobody here will judge except for steve, and that's because he's old and mean.

 
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