The topic of my favorite cookbook is a difficult one. I like the French inspired dishes of The Zuni Café. Chez Panisse Vegetables is the best reference book. For superb pasta dishes I always turn to Cucina Simpatica from Providence’s Al Forno. When it comes to innovation, Under Pressure by Thomas Keller takes the cake. Deborah Madison’s Vegetable Cooking For Everyone is the best book for the culinary novice.So how can I pick a favorite when the criteria seem endless?
For me, my favorite cookbook is not just a book I use often, but has great elements of all the books I mentioned above. The recipes are globally inspired. The spectrum is covered from proteins - to eggs - to bread - to chocolate. This book also highlights pastas in addition to demonstrating some of the most innovative dishes I have seen. Finally, this book is great for beginners, intermediates, and experts.
The book I am speaking about is of course the Joy of Cooking.
I have turned to this book more often in my years of cooking than any other resource. It was originally published by Irma S. Rombauer in 1936. It is the most published cookbook in the US. Rombauer was not a cook by trade and didn’t seek out to write the country’s most published cookbook. She wrote the book to emotionally deal with her husband’s suicide. It was a sort of therapy that soothed her, but more so, took her mind off of her late husband.
The Joy of Cooking has since been revised (about 6 times) from its original form to include a more global, health conscience, and robust list of recipes.
This is not a glamorous cookbook, but it will be there in any moment of culinary disaster to guide and rectify. If you don’t have one in your epicurean arsenal then pick one up today!
***The Photo at the top is Irma S. Rombauer with her original Joy of Cooking in the 1930's.
I've used several versions of this cookbook. One cookbook I still have is one of my mother's southern cookbooks with notes from her on the side. She's been dead over 20 years but we still have that little piece of her. She made the most wonderful fruitcakes. This is according to others as I don't eat fruitcake. We had a closet filled with cloth covered fruitcakes every year getting their alcohol soakings. No matter how you cook or what you cook, there are always those childhood memories of comfort food that continues with you into your adult life and new traditions you start yourselves.
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