Comments on: Revolutionary Cookbooks

By: stacey

stacey — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 06:01:21 +0000

I’m weighing in incredibly late on this, but I am in total agreement with Alix - Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian is a wonderful cookbook, filled not only with amazing recipes, but with useful how-tos and colorful stories.

By: Julie Cummins

Julie Cummins — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:52:56 +0000

One of my personal favorite revolutionary cookbooks is the Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash, published in 1982. It’s a bit dated (especially the photos) but I still pull it out regularly. It was the first cookbook I ever had that spoke to both gardeners and chefs. But most importantly, it is the first cookbook I had that was organized by vegetable. It has thorough info about all the different ways to cook each (blanching, steaming, roasting, even microwaving). It has simple recipes and some more complex ones. I think it’s revolutionary because it helps teach a whole new way of cooking: recipe selection is driven by the availability of an ingredient, rather than the shopping list being driven by recipe selection. This is key for farmers’ market shoppers and csa members.

By: Regina

Regina — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:22:13 +0000

Oh, we started thinking about this so long ago. I am so glad to see it posted!

By: Sha

Sha — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:09:31 +0000

I would add a couple of books.

More-with-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre (includes ’suggestions by Mennonites on how to eat better and consume less of the world’s limited food resources)

Extending the Table…A World Community Cookbook by Joetta Handrich Schlabach (recipes and stories in the spirit of More-with-Less)

By: Silverbrow

Silverbrow — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:34:13 +0000

Guys c’mon, I know it’s Independence Day (I never quite get why you celebrate not commiserate ending British rule ;) ) but really what about some international books in there.

Single most useful book must be The Cooks Book.

One of the most awe inspiring is David Matthias Everitt’s

Probably the one I use most frequently is The Ice Cream Machine Book.

For inspiration, Giorgio Locatelli’s Made in Italy is a winner.

Ok, now I must stop commenting and go and write a post…

By: Alix

Alix — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 01:50:55 +0000

oops, another one, Farmer John’s Cookbook is awesome, too, especially for CSA members. Again, so far every recipe I’ve made from it is great (and I’ve made quite a lot).

By: Debs

Debs — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:31:43 +0000

Nice list! I have my mother’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and it opens automatically to the page on pie dough. I have to get a copy of Sally Fallon’s book. I admire her writing on the Weston Price Foundation website.

I’d add two others: Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz. Teaches you the nutritive and preservative benefits of fermentation, and gives you recipes. Plus, he’s a nice Jewish boy and there’s an endorsement by one of the Zabars on the back (I can’t remember which). What’s not to love?

Also, one of Alice Waters’s other books, The Art of Simple Food. She has great recipes, but she also goes into how to use each ingredient in a way that can make newer cooks less recipe-dependent.

Food Is Love

By: Alix

Alix — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:26:53 +0000

It’s in the photo, but not on your list: Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian is one of my favorites. I adore this book, have made numerous recipes from it, and all of them come out delicious.