What would you consider essential cookbooks? Beginner, intermediate, regional history and cuisines, the science of cooking and baking, etc. I'm attending charity fairs that have a ton of donated books on deep discount, including cookbooks that are often vintage. I have my own list to look out for (pic related) but I'm interested in /ck/'s opinion.
>>22275726here's the one you want
>>22275731Thanks bro
>>22275726>Sami TamimiMay as well call themself Mimi Mimimi at that point.By charity fairs do you mean like library sales? I never know where to find cheap cookbooks and cookware nowadays
>>22275726Foods super suggestive, so ethnic things are really your own preference. I have Child’s French Cooking, and Jose Andre’s Zetaniya, which I’m pretty fond of, but not for everyone. And for fluffier stuff, Parr’s Secrets of Sommeliers was, to me, a really good read. Just learning about thinking about how we taste and smell, and some anecdotal stuff to break it up. But I think the best books go into techniques and the “why” of cooking, so ones like Nosrat’s SFAH is the one I always go to. It legitimately taught me stuff I use often now. Kenji’s Wok is really good too, and I just bought FoodLab which is also supposed to be a standard.It doesn’t hurt to gamble though. I have a couple kitschy cook books, Massimo Battali’s One Pot Italian was my first cookbook and Eat Shrink & Be Merry is suuuper kitschy, but I have good memories cooking out of it with my mom
>>22276900Charity sales are so hit and miss, I’ve passed through a few, and it’s like 90% dieting cookbooks. Still doesn’t hurt to take 5 minutes out of your day to peruse though, never know what you’ll find
I don’t know how single men survived before this book came out
>>22276900
>>22276926>But I think the best books go into techniques and the “why” of cooking, so ones like Nosrat’s SFAH is the one I always go to. It legitimately taught me stuff I use often now. Then you should get On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee. Nosrat's book is a repackaging of On Food and Cooking and she's been a vocal fan of his work forever.
>>22277292I had to look it up, but I do think I’ve seen this before. Thanks for the tip!I know what you mean about repackaging, a lot of basic cooking technique can get boiled down to>use more salt>use more butter>don’t overcook etc
>>22277139lol
>>22275726>What would you consider essential cookbooks?Start with the French.Escoffier, Bocuse, you get the idea.
>>22276900Some are individual libraries yeah, some are fundraising events held by a city or county. My state has a website that lists all of the events happening within a given month.
>>22277305I first heard of her from Michael Pollan's writing in 2013 or 2014. He hired her to teach him to cook. When Pollan had a question about food and cooking she couldn't answer she would say "let's ask Harold" and grab her copy of On Food and Cooking to consult. I have her book too and it's great. It's more accessible and focuses more on cooking technique than On Food and Cooking. OFaC is more about the science and chemistry of cooking and food than proper cooking technique. Every single food as science person like Alton, Kenji, America's Test Kitchen etc. got their ideas from Harold McGee and his book.
>>22278019I’m sold, I’ll add it to my Xmas wish list then. Hopefully I’m not on the naughty list get a copy of Meatliquor Chronicles instead…
>>22279469Make sure you get the revised 2004 edition. I can't hype the book enough or overstate it's importance in changing western cooking for the better. Without exaggerating it's the most influential /ck/ book of the past 40 years.
