seobangkok Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 (edited) Lately I've really been getting into cooking at home, but think I need some more inspiration for new dishes to try. I thought the best way is to buy some new cookery books, hence this post What's the best cookery book you have ever read/bought? Any books that take cooking to a whole new level? (like the Elbulli book but without the price tag)? What cookery book do you refer to most? All cuisines welcome! I look forward to everyone’s responses Edited May 18, 2008 by seobangkok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphodbeeblebrox Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Introduced me to Thai cooking. Not completely authentic, but very interesting and well-presented. Totally changed my view of southwestern cuisine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigchang Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 my fav cooking books are the ones from the beautyful cook book series,as the name suggests they are beautyful and give you lots of info about the countries as well as nice and easy to follow recipies and photographs they are not cheap,but well worth the money spend bc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 (edited) I would say it is the two cook books I actually heavily used in my life: Henry Chung's Hunan Style Chinese Cookbook (out of print) Based on the recipes from the famous San Francisco Hunan restaurant which the New York Times once called the best Chinese restaurant in the country (not really but it was good for their business); the recipes are surprisingly easy to replicate the same flavor as the restaurant and a best selling book many people know by Jeff Smith: The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors: Recipes You Should Have Gotten from Your Grandmother Edited May 18, 2008 by Jingthing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaigerd Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Apart from my collection of cooking books there's an old time favorite: Duch, Handlexikon der Kueche. The oldest edition I have is nearly 35 years old and travelled with me around the world. now "stationed" in Thailand, Phuket. Old fashioned and conservative cooking style(Austrian) but great for learning the basics. Gerd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazeeboy Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 i just google my recepes ,delia smiths on line recepes are really easy to follow,i also use fanny craddocks recpes ,as these are from the 50s and 60s before ready made sauces and the like ,shows you how to make from scratch whitch is a must with the limited things on the shelves in thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhunDennis Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 My old standby is the Fannie Farmer, Boston Cooking School, Cookbook. I have an old beat up paperback version, it has served me well. It usually points me in the right direction, at least for American fare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathyy Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 My favorite is the older 1970-something edition of "The Joy of Cooking." The newer version is not nearly as good. It it highly instructive as to why things need to be done in certain ways, as well as how to perform a myriad of basic cooking techniques. I also like the long out of print and unavailable "New York Times Natural Foods Cookbook." My Ball Blue Book is handy sometimes, but I don't do much food preservation except making pickles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumpuiman Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Joy of cooking. "It Rains Fishes" by Kasma Loha-unchit....a great cookbook for learning Thai cooking, and also full of cultural information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumrunner Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 "joy of Cooking, not only for it's receipes but for it discussion of techniques and general background info. It is available from Megabooks here in Thailand on special order for 1295 baht Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chung noi Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I have a cookbook of Trader Vic"s recipes, I really enjoy that one. Some great Chinese food in there. *j* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldenbead Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I will agree with The Joy of Cooking. I also like Jamie Oliver and have used Happy Days With the Naked Chef several times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkBKK Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Pretty much anything by Elizabeth David. (And is "It Rains Fishes" anything to do with the restaurant of the same name in Den Haag?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrongView Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I second the Frugal Gourmet cookbook and add to the list "Veganomicon". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suegha Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 i just google my recepes ,delia smiths on line recepes are really easy to follow,i also use fanny craddocks recpes ,as these are from the 50s and 60s before ready made sauces and the like ,shows you how to make from scratch whitch is a must with the limited things on the shelves in thailand I agree, although I have some great cook books Google is a great resource. Today I cooked a chicken with prunes in a cream sauce. Found a great recipe by gooogleing(sp) the ingredients I knew of and got a great recipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tb86 Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 French laundry cookbook, Grand livre de cuisine Alain Ducasse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkofdavid2 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 What else? Betty Crocker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wine-o Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 For food in general: On Food And Cooking by Harold McGee Not a cookbook actually but a full on encyclopedia-like treatise on food. Amazing... For Thai food: Thai Food by David Thompson Lots of research went into this. Many amazing recipes from the 19th century Thai Royal kitchens and simple stuff too, like how to make moo daet diaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seobangkok Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 wow! A great list here... I'm going to order a couple over the weekend By the way, my fav cook book is MEAT by Hugh Fearnly whittingstall - This booked changed the way I think, eat and buy meat. Highly recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgunn65 Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I don't like the bloke but I love his cook books. Anything by Jamie Oliver. He doesn't get sniffy over weights and always offers alternatives if something is not available. And the recipes are simple to follow and generally excellent. Try his salmon in newspaper or strawberries in balsamic vinegar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratsima Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food By Mark Bittman, whose column runs weekly in the Bangkok Post. A more modern Joy of Cooking. Contains basic recipes for just about everything that I use almost daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alaina Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Joy of Cooking thirded (or were there more with that recommendation?) It will tell you how to make most anything, explain it well and it's reliable. For those with a bit of an odd sense of humor, I like this book (which also has party planning tips) A cookbook that can recommend what to cook someone if they've just been released from jail and other occasions that cookbooks don't cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedude Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 (edited) All About Braising by Molly Stevens, is a collection of recipes from all around the world using my favourite slow cooking method. Anyone who uses a Dutch oven knows, and Molly does a fine job of breaking down the science of braising, and in simple language she presents many traditional recipes as well as more exotic ones from Morocco to Jamaica to Vietnam. The book is not heavy on glossy pictures but once you have read several recipes you realise its value lies in the easy to understand and easy to adapt recipes that you would actually use. 5 Stars Edited June 20, 2008 by thedude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macx Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 If you love reading as much as you love food, then this one is a very good candidate: Life Is Meals: A Food Lover's Book of Days by James Salter (one of the best writers alive) and his wife Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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