COOK BOOKS:
Here are some of my favorite cook books and cooking magazines that I have used over the years. Everyone has their own favorites that they trust and have become attached to, but these are the ones I have used the most and can recommend as worthy of investing in.
1. Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
This is the old, tried and true, basic, tells you how to cook everything cook book that I started out with.
My mother used and depended on it, as well, which was reassuring to me.
2. Taste of Home 5 10 20 Cookbook
My friend, Rose, gave this to me for Christmas and I have used and enjoyed it a lot.
3. Taste of Home Simple & Delicious Cookbook
I picked this one up at a used bookstore and have also found some good recipe ideas in it.
4. Fix It Quick With A Mix
This one was published by the people who make Lipton's soup mixes, Best Foods Mayonaise and Ortega
Birds Eye frozen vegetables and such. but there are some pretty good recipe ideas in it.
5. Culinaria France
My French friend, Sandrine, who is actually from the island of Corscia, gave me this cookbook and it's
really fun, just like taking a trip to France because it tells all about the different regions there and what
foods they are famous for as well as giving some very good and basic step-by-step recipes. I made my first successful souffle using a recipe from this book and was very proud of myself afterwards.
6. Make It In Minutes
This cookbook boasts "Easy-to-make recipes under 30 minutes". It's mostly one-dish meals and sandwiches
but it has lovely color pictures of about half of the recipes in the book and that is always a plus for a good cook book.
7. The Compleat I Hate To Cook Book by Peg Bracken
The original "I Hate To Cook Book" was published just about the time when I got married and so it became one of my most-read and depend-upon book that I had back then. Then it fell into oblivion over the years and was only recently resurrected as a book with all the different cookbooks that were written by this wonderful and very clever cook/writer. I still rely on many of these recipes and am so glad that this book was published.
8. Cooking For Comfort - More than 100 Wonderful Recipes That Are As Satisfying To Cook as They Are to Eat by Marian Burros
If you like comfort food, then you will enjoy this wonderful cook book that has all the basics in it plus some very delicious new ones that are fun to try. The writer is from the East Coast and has one of the best clam chowder recipes I have ever found.
9. The Leftover Gourmet - Yesterday's Meal Becomes Today's Gourmet Feast by Patricia Rosier and Jessica L. Weiss
This is a really good cook book that has lots of good ideas not only for leftovers but some wonderful sauces and desserts. Easy to use and well worth the investment. No color pictures, though, but some very cute line illustrations.
10. Crock Pot - The Original Slow Cooker Recipes
This is a 'board book' with just a few recipes, but they are easy-to-follow, illustrated and delicious, to boot. I bought this one on a whim, but am glad I have it. It makes using the crock pot seem easier than it did before plus gives a lot of variety so you're not always doing the same old 'beef stew' in the Crock Pot.
11. The Everything Quick Meals Cookbook - Delicious meals--from appetizers to desserts--that don't take long to prepare by Barbara Doyen.
The book lives up to it's promise and has some very good meal ideas and they truly are easy to prepare. The only recipe I used that didn't pass the 'family approval test' was the one for Peanut Butter Soup. Oh, well.
12. The Working Stiff Cookbook - great food! easy recipes! by Bob Sloan
This is another cook book I purchased at a used bookstore, and at first I was a little skeptical as it seemed geared more toward the uppity yuppies living in high-rise apartments in New York City, but after I used a few of the recipes I realized it was truly a 'find' and one I was glad I made. It also came with a great easy recipe for lemon pie that I'm glad I found. Made the whole book worth it.
13. Fantastic Fondue - for entertaining and special occasions by Becky Johnson
Since I'm a great fan of fondue and own two fondue pots, this was a 'must' cook book for me. It has some of the basic chocolate fondues but also some good cheese fondues that can be used as a complete meal. A fun book with good pictures, too.
14. Easy Home Cooking Country Casseroles
This is one of those down-to-earth cookbook with recipes that everyone loves and you don't have to worry about there being anything weird or off-the-wall in it that you'll be sorry you served to your family or anyone else who happens to come by.
15. Nestle Very Best Baking
This is a Toll House cook book with all kinds of wonderful recipes for every kind of rich, fattening, sweet and very delicious goodie that you can imagine. It also has a few (very few) recipes in the back for salad, quiche, casseroles, etc. But it was worth the price of the book for the recipes for Kids' Treasures.
16. Lion House Cookbook and Lion House Bakery
This is the Cadillac of cookbooks for everything from baked goods to delicious dinner ideas to fantastic desserts.
17. The Chicago Tribune Good Eating Cookbook edited by Carol Mighton Haddix
This is one of those big fat cookbooks that you always think you'll never use, but then you start thumbing through it and discover all kinds of great recipes that you're glad to have. There are a few nice color pictures ion it and some good, solid recipes.
18. Treasured Recipes from the Charleston Cake Lady by Teresa Pregnall
This is a little book with dozens of wonderful cake recipes both from scratch and using cake mixes, but all are wonderfully creative and different. She also has muffins and puddings, pies and brownies, as well. Very delightfully written, as well.
19. The Golden Pear Cafe Cookbook By Keith E. Davis
This is a wonderful cook book written by the cook and owner of The Golden Pear, a small cafe in the village of Southampton in New York. There are a few nice pictures, but lots of wonderful recipes.
20. The Cat Who...Cookbook By Julie Murphy & Sally Abbey Stempinski
If you are a fan of the delightful series of 'The Cat Who..." mysteries written by Lilian Jackson Braun, as I am,
then you will have fun with this cookbook which takes foods mentioned in the books and turns them into recipes and very good recipes, at that. It is a gourmand's delight, but also fun for the everyday cook who wants to try something new and delicious.
MAGAZINES:
1. Taste of Home
These are wonderful magazines with all kinds of interesting recipes that are easy to make and very dependable. I have subscribed to this magazine for a long time and have never been disappointed in a single issue.,
2. Cooking Pleasures
This is a fun magazine with lots of recipes that men enjoy such as grilling and other macho things.
3. Ultimate Casseroles by Better Homes & Gardens
Lots of great casserole ideas that spell Comfort Food with a capitol C. Easy, do-able dishes that anyone can make.
4. Taste of Home's Quick Cooking
I have also subscribed to this little magazine for quite a long time and have always liked the easy recipes, interesting articles and lovely pictures.
That's all I have for now. Everyone has their own favorite cook books and your list is probably completely different from mine.
