Got April Bloomfield’s A GIRL AND HER GREENS a few weeks ago, and am loving it. Lots of interesting recipes, e.g. Slow-Roasted Leeks with Walnut Breadcrmbs.
Kenji’s THE FOOD LAB. Enormous, comprehensive, great technique tips. Made the Massaged Kale Salad (too salty for my taste). Have found 2 editing errors so far, so the jury is still out.
I’m tempted by Food Lab but will probably dilly dally for months, as is my wont. I’m enjoying leafing through a library copy of Prune as it was to be the Oct COTM at CH. Sigh.
My latest accuisitions:
1.) The Austrailian Women’s Weekly “Great Asian Food”.
2.) “Fast Cooking: Really Exciting Recipes in 20 Minutes” by James Martin.
My interest in Australian cookbooks is growing. Cookbook authors from OZ seem to have a quiet, unfussy way of preparing the most delicious food. Currently there are about 10 cookbooks from Australian authors on my shelves, three of which are large semi-hardcover magazines from The Australian Women’s Weekly.
With such a widely diverse population from everywhere in the world the local cuisine is bound to be spectacular. And, it is in the most unobtrusive way.
The Martin book is simply another one of those books to have on hand when one just isn’t in the mood for long preps and cooking times.
We lived in OZ for a year way back when. The food (in the cities) was excellent. Out in the boonies, it was mostly old-style (bad) British cooking. I brought back a nice collection of AWW cookbooks, which I still use.
My latest acquisition is Ottolenghi’s Plenty More. Haven’t tried any recipes yet.
Gio, I own a number of Australian Women’s Weekly books, including a Moroccan cookbook I’ve used more than most of the others . Love the photos .
I’m getting it for my birthday, but it won’t be delivered till October. Wah.
Good to know, Prima ! Thanks. I’ll have to investigate the Moroccan books certainly
Anyone have a rec for a good, easy to use Italian Cookbook? Pasta focus or Pastas and Meats are fine.
Thanks!
Marcella Hazan’s Classics of Italian Cooking is a bible but it can be confusing at times as you’re sometimes referred to various places in the book for different parts of the recipe. But I consider it a must-have. I also LOVE Batali’s Molto Italiano. And he is very easy to follow.
I have about 45 Italian cookbooks on my shelves, in fact they have their own section. The following three I’d recommend for you. Amazon has them all. An added plus is their reseller books are available and can be quite a good deal.
1,000 Italian Recipes by Michele Scicolone
The Italian Country Table: Home Cooking from Italy’s Farmhouse Kitchens by Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Jamie’s Italy (USA Ed.) by Jamie Oliver
Thanks Catholiver, Gio! 
Can’t wait to order these and try them out.
I pre-ordered The Food Lab, a little warily, not sure how much new content it has (i’m still not sure), but willing to take a chance. I’m glad I did. The best thing about it is, everything? It’s like having the Food Lab in your kitchen, all in one place. I know that sounds like the website, but it’s not. Where sidebars would be hyperlinks, here they’re right in the article, so there’s no need to leave and return. Think of it as doing away with cross-indexing and giving all the pertinent information where you want it.
There are a few places where we’re sent to another page, but not too often. I enjoy not having to leave the kitchen to fire up the Mac and see if Kenji’s got a better way to make something. And no more slogging through numerous articles to find the one I want, either. It’s just more convenient, something I seldom say about a cookbook, because I’m a diehard online cook, preferring to search for recipes or techniques and saving them to Paprika on my iPad.
Sandy
I just got Garden and Gun’s newest book. The Southerner’s Cookbook. Lots of wonderful things in it to try. I pre-ordered mine and it arrived Tuesday. I don’t know if it is available in bookstores yet. It will be a keeper for me.
I also got Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees by Kam Lam Kho. I’ve made the General Tso’s chicken. It is not like any General Tso’s you have ever had. I was chasing down a recipe for General Tso’s like I had in Montreal last month it was light an bright. I’m not a big eater but at that restaurant I polished off a large-ish Summer Roll, most of a small bowl of Pho and then the General Tso’s chicken. I could not stop eating. Anyway I was in my local public library and saw the book. I brought it home to read and promptly ordered it. The Sweet and Sour recipe is almost like the recipe my mother got in Tokyo in the 50’s. It is a brilliant book. Get it! He also gives very good explanations of origins of recipes.
I wouldn’t wait. Everything I have tried from it has been great. Chile verde, French fries, poached eggs, Southern style extra crispy chicken, battered cod, burgers, hash browns, you name it and the techniques are there. I have given it as a gift to both my brother and daughter.
Someone gave me Food 52’s Genius Recipes and I think the Food Lab is much better.
Judy Rodger’s Zuni Cafe cookbook is another recent acquisition. Wonderful writing and recipes. Such a shame that she died so young.
Also recently purchased Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis’ Southern Cooking. Another wonderful book.
I’ve been making a lot of the recipes in The Smitten Kitchen and just about every one has been a hit. Would recommend.
Looks like you can find a used one for under $20: http://www.amazon.com/The-Smitten-Kitchen-Cookbook-Perelman/dp/030759565X
I love the Southern Living cookbooks. I am from the south and it has a
lot of different recipe variations of the favorite things my mom and
grandmother were so great at preparing.
At our annual family reunion, we share recipes and publish them in a family cookbook.
This is a bit of a dead thread, but I wanted to share a wonderful cookbook I just bought. Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees is the best Chinese cookbook as well as the best explication of the immense world of Chinese cuisine I have come across. Caveat emptor there are no dumpling recipes contained within, but the coverage of Chinese cooking techniques is phenomenal. I highly recommend it.
True that. FTC L.A. does not have a big Home Cooking presence. Why cook it when you can go down the street and eat it? But still, I love cookbooks.
Belated bday present from my youngest.
i just bought Down South and Korea Town. I had them out of our public library and ordered them promptly. I’ve not had a chance to cook from them yet. We are in the midst of packing up and moving. I had the books sent to the new home in Savannah. Right now I have very little to cook with.
I recently bought Essential Turkish Cuisine and have barely opened it. Also Lucky Peach 101 Easy Asian Recipes and haven’t cooked from it either. Shame on me.
