JOY OF COOKING by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker
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Book Reviews of JOY OF COOKING
Book Review: Understand HOW Things Cook!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a number of cookbooks, and the old Joy (not to be confused with the dismayingly lower fat New Joy) remains among the first five on the shelf. Whatever I need to know how to cook, Joy will tell me (though I really don't think I will ever have to singe and pluck my own fowl).What I have found over the years is that this is THE book for interesting men in cooking truly well. The CHEMISTRY of the cooking is so well explained. This tends to be of interest to men, and, in fact, is interesting to me, as well. Once the chemistry of what one is trying to do is understood, the knowledge transfers to one's own cooking innovations.
If I could have only one cookbook, this would have to be it, though I'd miss a couple of others. My other staple cookbooks are Laurel's Kitchen (for vegetarian fare), the old, old, Good Housekeeping cookbook (not the illustrated one), and McCall's, which is what I would recommend for those setting up new households (and for Lindy's NY Cheesecake, which is still the best I've ever made OR tasted).
Book Review: My one, true cookbook
Summary: 5 Stars
What can I say about this special cookbook? How about this?
When I was 20, living on my own for the first time, I decided to cook Christmas dinner for my family. My mom was the best cook I'd ever known (perhaps even to this day), and I started watching her when I was four or five, so I had developed into a half-way decent cook myself. However, I'd never cooked a turkey before.
I had just purchased Joy of Cooking. I read the article about cooking turkey, and then faithfully followed the directions for roasting the bird. I made the traditional stuffing from the book, and made sweet potatoes, vegies, and even fruit cake. The family ate heartily.
As my mom was leaving that night, she hugged me and told me that she had never been able to roast a turkey as perfectly as I had, and that I had surpassed her as a cook. It was the highest compliment I could have ever received from this woman I adored (at least about cooking!).
All thanks to the Joy of Cooking.
Book Review: THIS is the one!
Summary: 5 Stars
This edition is far superior to the 1997 travesty.I have cooked for over 30 of my 41 years. I have literally hundreds of cookbooks. I come back to this edition of Joy all the time.Unlike the 1997 book, this book still has the reassuring tone of Marion Rombauer Becker, and some anecdotes from Irma Rombauer.The illustrations echo those of Ginnie Hoffman, who did the illustrations for the great 1964 edition.Others who have praised the 1997 edition say that this edition is not multicultural enough. Bah. They also say that this edition is too high in fat. Fear of food! One must have balance! Fried chicken one day, a large, lightly dressed salad the next.Yes, there are no processor, microwave, or bread machine recipes in this edition, however, many competent books of processor, microwave and bread machine recipes abound.The typeface is easy to read, and this is just a better edition, The voice is clear and true, and not a distracting mishmash.Book Review: THE Cookbook to have if you only have one
Summary: 5 Stars
This cookbook covers not only the basics in a clear fashion, but also lots of more complex operations (turtle soup from scratch, cleaning & cooking game, clambakes, etc.). The recipes are well written, they work, and they usually offer a number of possible substitutions for those who hesitate to experiment.I started cooking at eight. My parents had a copy (still do, although it's falling apart)and I learned a lot from it, even though I come a family of good cooks on both sides. I got my own copy when I moved into my first apartment in college, and it's still my favorite cookbook 26 years later.
I own 100+ cookbooks, and this is *the one* I get for friends who are just starting out, or who express amazement at scratch cranberry sauce. (If you think cranberry sauce from scratch is hard, you *need* this cookbook, now.)
I'm with Julia Child on this one. It's simply the best.
If you have a kitchen, buy it.
Book Review: Quintessential Cooking Basics
Summary: 5 Stars
My soft-covered version is now dog-eared and taped together at the spine, indicating my years of reliance on this cookbook, which to me, is essential to the household kitchen.Written on the basis that "There's no such thing as a dumb question", The Joy of Cooking combines recipes with plain-English cooking instruction and detailed information about the food we prepare and eat. Readers will find food preparation instruction from as simple as hard boiling an egg to the complexity of preparing a roast suckling pig, and the recipes cover everything from soup to desserts. Sections on knowing your ingredients and entertaining basics round out this classic cookbook.
While the typical recipes are basic American culinary fare, the book as a whole is a wealth of information for both the beginning and every day cook. You'll find the things you mother never taught you, and things your mother never knew.