This topic made me really think about which cookbooks are my favorite. Then comes the questions: why? when? where? what? how?
I guess it's the Journalist in me but I ended up going through these questions about each book. Here we go. The first book I choose was the Better Homes and Gardens book from 1954. It was a top favorite to give as a gift in the 1950s. I highly recommend this version for a first-time cook. It has so much information. If you can get one older or no newer than 1960 then you are getting a great book. This is one of several books I inherited from my mom.
Homestyle Amish Cookbook. Any cookbook by an Amish or Mennonite community is going to be a great investment. You get excellent recipes and they are affordable to make.
Next is Rachel Ray's Week In A Day. This cookbook is excellent rather you are learning to cook or you want healthy meals each day you can pull a couple of items together and be done. Or if you are super busy during the week this is the book for you. Take one day put together a week's worth of meals. Rachel also includes directions to cook the day of cooking and the night of serving. The thing I like about the recipes is that you can take a lot of things and put into a crock pot. At the end of this cookbook, Rachel included a sample of her proceeding book.
Ina Garten's Cook Like a Pro. This one is awesome for the intermediate cook who is looking to take their skills to the next level without the expense of school. The book has so many tips in it that you are bound to keep finding something new each time you use it. The back of the book has a small section which shows how to make stocks and homemade ricotta. Yeah! You can make ricotta at home.
Laura Calder's French Taste is the first cookbook from her I have purchased. She broke the book down differently. It is listed by courses. Also, she put in all kinds of tips which she learned in France.
The last cookbook is Very Finest Recipes. This book is also a must-have. It has recipes from every point of the earth. From Italy to China. I love it.
The video link will be below.
