Do You Own Any of These?
Some cookbooks move quickly from a coveted spot in the kitchen to a dusty spot in a spare bedroom. Other cookbooks are so wonderful that their utility and appeal remain many years after the terminology in them becomes outdated. Mike Dunne of the Gloucester Daily Times takes an in-depth look at which cookbooks have withstood the test of time.
At first, he takes the easy way out by looking at the best in several genres, including technique, breakfast, dessert, and certain world cuisines. Betty Crocker’s Best of Baking and Steven Raichlen’s How to Grill: The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbecue took the honors for the technique category. For breakfast, Dunne’s pick was The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham and the best dessert cookbook pick was Classic Home Desserts by Richard Sax.
And finally, Dunne took on the monumental task of creating a “list of the cookbooks Americans value most highly.” The list was made by “[d]rawing from earlier speculative lists by other newspapers and interviews with members of the publishing and cooking trades.” So, here’s the list, criticize away!
1. “Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book,” first published in 1930
2. “Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook,” first published in 1950
3. “Joy of Cooking,” first published in 1931
4. “The New Basics Cookbook,” first published in 1989
5. “The Silver Palate Cookbook,” first published in 1982
6. “The Art of French Cooking,” first published in 1961
7. “The Fannie Farmer Cookbook,” first published as “The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book” in 1896
8. “The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook,” first published in 1988
9. “The Moosewood Cookbook,” first published in 1992
10. “Larousse Gastronomique,” first published in 1938
i have a couple of these books; some of which i only pick up every once in a while for a quick reference (like the Larousse this weekend when i couldn’t fully describe a techincal term to a friend). however, the only book i’ve ever willingly gotten rid of was “the new basics cookbook”. my husband and i tried several recipes out of it a few years ago and each recipe failed. i sold it at a yard sale. the book, in my opinion, is a flop.
before i get bashed on that, i do realize that i’m in the minority here, because every single person i know who owns this book loves it to death. it just wasnt for me.
so this kind of brings up an interesting thought (as i sip my morning coffee). which “classic” books (ones considered staples in every cook’s library) don’t “do it” for you?