Cookbooks

Healthy in a Hurry

cicconettiadmin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:28:21 GMT

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. I got it for Christmas from Peggy...two years ago? Wow. That seems like a long time ago. I'm almost certain it wasn't last year though... It must have been because last year I got Everyday Italian (from Andrew). Wow.

Okay, having recovered from my personal time-warp, I still love this cookbook. It's from the makers of Eating Well magazine. All the meals are healthy and they all are supposed to be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Some of them take me a little longer, but that's usually because my technique isn't good.

I like that it has a soup and salad section because I like soup and salad. :) Some of my favorite features though are in the indexes in the back. They list 20 different common vegetables and three or four ways to cook them quickly, which is nice if the idea of one more steamed carrot makes you go crazy. They also have a section for quick sauces and side dishes that are convenient too.

I usually cook something out of it a couple times a month and have only had one thing that made me draw a little face of death next to the recipe so I never make it again. It still is "Eating Well" and so there are a few recipes that are a little too highfalutin' for us, but no more than any other cookbook.

I'm also extremely excited because Eating Well is coming out with a cookbook (November, I think) that is all "comfort foods" remade to be healthy. I can't wait to get that because I do love that style of cooking, seeing as it's what we grew up eating, but it's definitely not healthy as it is.

Italian Food

cicconettiadmin — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:31:30 GMT

I'm looking for a really good cookbook to make Italian food, authentic Italian food. This is the first style of food I'd like to be really good at. There are others, but I want to start here. A lot of the cookbooks I've seen have lists of tons of ingredients which is generally not authentic to Italy and they take hours to prepare. I've yet to be really impressed because I have a suspicion that people in Italy work during the day and still manage to come home and feed their family without it taking four hours...

So far the closest I've come to finding one is called "Every Night Italian"...I think. I need to read some more reviews online, but I think I'm going to go back and get this one.

The New Best Recipe Cookbook by editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine

Lauragolightly — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 10:50:55 GMT

Matt bought this cookbook for me a few years ago for my birthday. I tend to shy away from enormous cookbooks and instead lean toward smaller specialty cookbooks. However, I LOVE this cookbook and I don't think anyone's kitchen from a cooking/baking novice to an expert is complete without this addition. I wish I could say that I'm an intuitive cook or an innovative cook. I'm not. Its about science for me. I want to know the "why" and "how" a recipe works. I don't have the time or patience to mess around. I want a delicious, fool proof recipe and this cookbook delivers. From what I know about the editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine they are COMPULSIVE about recipe testing and this cookbook is no exception. They'll test 30 different recipes for one dish, keep what works, throw out what doesn't, add what improves it and explain the entire process for every recipe in the book (over 1,000) covering everything from ingredients to techniques. I use this cookbook as a reference as much as I use it for the recipes.
It has become our standard housewarming gift!

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Lauragolightly — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 10:26:25 GMT

"Food is not about impressing people," Ina Garten says. "It's about making them feel comfortable." I agree completely, however the thing I love about the recipes in this cookbook is that they are both impressive and comfortable. To borrow a word from the fashion world, I would call it comfort couture. The food is simple and absolutely delicious. The recipes are easy to make and come out perfectly every time. This cookbook is a staple in our house. I don't think a week goes by that I don't make something from it. This cookbook is aimed at people who like to entertain or who like lots of leftovers (however I have halved some of the recipes and they turn out just as well that way). Ina's take on entertaining is that everyone, including the host and hostess, should have fun at a dinner party so most of the recipes are hands-off, prepare in advance, or finish at the last minute sort of dishes so you aren't stuck in the kitchen slaving while everyone else is having a good time.
I'm planning on bringing this cookbook home over Christmas and using it alot so you guys can have a preview before you buy :)