Charlie Trotter's The Kitchen Sessions, pub. 10 Speed Press, ISBN 0-89815-997-0. Trotter's show on PBS ('The Kitchen Sessions', surprise) is a joy to watch. Trotter is an eloquent speaker who's very passionate about his cooking. Most of his recipes are quite complex, but they're very rewarding and more than pay off the time invested in cooking. (March, 2000)
Mick Maglieri's How To Bake, pub. Harper Collins, ISBN 0-06-016819-6. A wonderful bible on how to bake everything from cookies to breads to genoise cakes and merrangues. Great tips and techinques. Killer photos. Every bit as necessary as Child's The Way to Cook. (March, 2000)
Julia Child's The Way to Cook, pub. Alfred A. Knopf, ISBN 0-679-74765-6. This book not only has wonderful recipes, it's quite tutorial in nature. There are lots of clear photographs, all from the cook's perspective, and most recipes start out with a "master" recipe which leads into variations. Get this book. 'Nuff said. (19 Oct 98)
Jacques Pepin's La Technique, pub Pocket Books, ISBN 0-671-70711-6. Step-by-step instructions on everything from basic tasks like making stocks to more elaborate recipes from roasts to desserts. Lots of great photos are a big help with undertakings like tying up roasts and cutting vegetables into garnishes. Highly recommended! (19 Oct 98)
Marcella Hazan's The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, pub. Alfred Knopf, ISBN 0-394-58404-X. Terrific book for anyone interested in Italian cooking. Recipes run the gamut from risottos (rice dishes) to desserts and everything in between. Great descriptions of ingredients, kitchen tools and cooking methods. Most recipes also include historical or background tidbits, making it a very interesting read. (16 October 1996)
Jeff Smith's Frugal Gourmet series, starting with The Frugal Gourmet, pub. William Morrow & Co. ISBN 0-688-03118-8. Some folks hate the Frug. I don't just mean mildly dislike, I mean hate! They slam him for his demeanor, ding him for inaccuracies with his recipes and say that he doesn't have a handle on the ethnic side of his cooking. Frankly, I think those critics are out to lunch. To me, the Frug is extremely enthusiastic about cooking and more importantly, sharing meals with friends and family. I find his books interesting and fun to read. The Frugal Gourmet was my first cookbook and it holds a special place on my shelf. The Frug got me interested in more involved cooking and I’m thankful I ran across his shows and books. Other good books in the series include The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immegrant Ancestors and Three Ancient Cuisines. (16 October 1996) [LATER NOTE: I understand that a large controversy surrounds Jeff Smith involving an out-of-court settlement for possible child abuse. I abhore child abuse,detest those who perform it and hope they are punished and receive appropriate psychological help. I leave my recommendation up for his books anyway.]
Barbara Tropp's The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking, pub. Hearst Books, ISBN 0-688-14611-2. I’ve only had this book a short time but I’m incredibly impressed and excited. Terrific history and background, wonderful recipes and loads of tips on cooking techniques. Have you been intimidated by the cutting required for Chinese dishes? Fear no more, there’s an entire chapter of 20 pages devoted to knives and cutting methods. This book is a terrific tutorial for folks interested in Chinese cooking. (This comment dated 16 October 1996)
Julee Rosso and Sheila Lufkins The New Basics Cookbook, pub. Workman Publishing, ISBN 0-89480-392-1. You want a good cookbook with a wide range of topics? If I had to choose one cookbook, this would probably be on my list of five that I couldn’t live without. (Sorry, I couldn’t choose just one.) Full of great recipes and has many pages devoted to defining things like different wines, various vegetables and cuts of meats. (This comment dated 16 October 1996)
Auguste Escoffier, The Escoffier Cookbook, ISBN 0-517-50662-9. The cover proudly lists the book containing 2,973 recipes. I counted and only found 2,972. Escoffier was a very reknowned French chef at the turn of the century. His book is in two parts, Fundamentals and Methods. The book starts off with broths (quite a few different ones) and moves on through fish, meats, salads and desserts. While I haven't made many recipes from the book, it's interesting reading and made me tweak my methods for various dishes. (16 October 1996)
Craig Clairborne's The New York Times Cookbook, pub. Harper & Row, no ISBN on my copy. Stacked full of recipes from a wide range of cultures. Interested in homemade gravlax or Piroshiki, Russian dumplings? You'll find recipes here, plus one of the easiest, best tasting creme brulee recipes I've found. (16 October 1996)
Alaskan Cooking Classics, pub. Kachemak Publishing, ISBN 0-9626071-3-4. I lived in Alaska for eight years and hope to return there as soon as possible. This book has recipes from Bed and Breakfast inns around Alaska. You'll find numerous salmon and halibut recipes, thoughts on prepairing game and one entire chapter on sourdough -- where I got our favorite sourdough pancakes recipe. (16 October 1996)
Hedy Würz and Jean Anderson’s The New German Cookbook, pub Harper Collins, ISBN 0-06-016202-3. My wife gave me this book as a present when we found we were moving to Germany. I've used it quite a bit for it's translation of ingredients, plus it's loaded with lots of terrific recipes for spargel, Germany's white asparagus. Great recipes, each including a short background on the history of the dish. (16 October 1996)
Henry Chung's Hunan Style Chinese Cookbook, pub. Harmony, ISBN 0-517-53326-X. Hunan is a region in China known for its firey cooking. This book was my first book devoted to Chinese cooking and it's been a terrific source of recipes. The Mongolian Beef recipe and steamed Black Bean Spareribs are two of my favorite dishes, no matter the cuisine. (16 October 1996)
Michael Schuster's The Simon & Schuster Beginner's Guide to Understanding Wine, Pub Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0-671-72893-8. My wife and I bought this book at Parducci Winery in Ukiah, California, the first winery we visited on our honeymoon. While that may bias me, I think it's a great book for the wine novice. Very helpful, illustrative photographs and lots of fine text from how to taste wines to wine regions around the world to production methods. Highly recommended! (16 October 1996)
Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, pub. Sterling Books, ISBN 0-8069-8492-9. If I wasn't so baised to the S&S Guide, this would probably rate as my number 1 recommendation for newbies. This book clearly explains the mysteries behind French and German labels. It's full of recommendations for top producers in each region around the world and also has wonderful thoughts about setting up home cellars and wine budgets. Highly recommended! (16 October 1996)
Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s Wine Buyer's Guide, pub. Fireside Books, ISBN 0-684-80283-X. Parker, a well-known wine critic, seems to polarize most folks: they either think he's wonderful or they'd happily salt the earth he has walked on. I tend to think of wine critics as tools: learn their preferences and how yours compare to them, then go from there. Parker's book has great descriptions of most regions around the world and ratings of a huge number of wines. Unfortunately, many wines rated at Parker's top end suffer nasty price increases. Still, it's an educational, useful tool. (16 October 1996)
Oz Clarke's Wine Handbook, pub. Fireside (a division of Simon & Schuster), ISBN 0-671-79361-6. This book is in encyclopedia format and is a great help for looking up various wine producers or finding out the meaning of some obscure term. I believe this book is published anually, or biannually, so you may want to check the old book bins for a somewhat outdated, but very useful and very cheap book. (16 October 1996)
Dr. Marion Baldy's The University Wine Course, pub. The Wine Appreciation Guild, ISBN 0-932664-69-5. Based on numerous wine appreciation courses Dr. Baldy has taught at the University of California. Detailed, often painfully so, descriptions of wine from the vineyard to the glass. If you're interested in how vineyards are managed, or if you'd like to know exactly how wines are fermented, then this is a great book. You'll also find lots of experiments you can do at home to help you learn how to taste wines more objectively. (16 October 1996)
Ian Jamieson's The Simon & Schuster Guide to the Wines of Germany, pub. Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0-671-79709-3. Are you interested in German wines, but have trouble figuring out if Piersporter Michelsberg is the einzellage or grosslage? You don't even know what an einzellage is? Check this book out and you'll find the answers! It's in encyclopedia format, but with several chapters discussing German labeling and grading systems, plus general descriptions of the regions. (16 October 1996)
Tom Maresca's The Right Wine, pub. Grove Press, ISBN 0-8021-3297-9.
Maresca's book isn't for the average schmoe who is just looking for general
guidelines about what wine to choose for dinner. His book leans to someone
who has a fair amount of wine cellared at home and can afford to eat at
restaurants with extensive or well-stocked wine lists. He's extremely opinionated,
but makes that clear right from the start. While I don't agree with some
of his opinions, the book is very educational and interesting.(16 October
1996)