This is why I love Rick Stein's books. Interesting stories / background with each recipe. Plus the food is awesome.
Favourites are his recent Indian Odyssey, and the Far East one before that -- great thai, vietnamese, etc.
Cookbooks Ultimate List
- Thread starter randomshenans
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This is why I love Rick Stein's books. Interesting stories / background with each recipe. Plus the food is awesome.
Favourites are his recent Indian Odyssey, and the Far East one before that -- great thai, vietnamese, etc.
Soldato
molinari - the Square book is nice. I like it. I can't say I've cooked anything from it yet, but it is really very nice. Larousse is a very good staple book, which details lots of basic skills.
Glaucus - You'd love the Sat Bains book. Do you have it? I'd highly recommend that one for you if you like that sort of book.
Ah man, I want that bacon book!! What a secret santa present. Dammit.
Glaucus - You'd love the Sat Bains book. Do you have it? I'd highly recommend that one for you if you like that sort of book.
Ah man, I want that bacon book!! What a secret santa present. Dammit.
Added to the wish list! Thanks for the suggestion 
Wayne Gisslen's professional baking, great book for technical knowledge.
Any pre 1970's good housekeeping cookbook is an excellent read, I'm fortunate enough to own one from the 1940's
Bartolomeo Scappi's opera, if you want something just completely different.
Probably the 3 on my shelf which have been of great influence to me.
Any pre 1970's good housekeeping cookbook is an excellent read, I'm fortunate enough to own one from the 1940's
Bartolomeo Scappi's opera, if you want something just completely different.
Probably the 3 on my shelf which have been of great influence to me.
Soldato
I've only bought a couple of cookbooks recently.
American Pie by Peter Reinhart is a really interesting book about pizza.
The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit which I haven't really cooked from but is interesting to dip into.
American Pie by Peter Reinhart is a really interesting book about pizza.
The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit which I haven't really cooked from but is interesting to dip into.
Caporegime
Thought I would share my new book I got for christmas, Hamburger Gourmet. Written by the team at Blend. Some interesting stuff in, it's not your quintessential US burger book, it's more high brow, shall we say. Never though of putting pineapple or beetroot in a burger.
The Chorizo burger looks seriously awesome!
The Chorizo burger looks seriously awesome!
That's an Australian thing - they bloody love it!
The good news is that I got the Square Cookbook (Volume 2: Sweet) for Christmas. I've been through it and almost every dessert looks amazing. The instructions are really well written too which is always good for a novice like me
. I'm looking at making the Tarte Tatin of Pineapple, with Lime ice cream and Coconut powder this week.I was given Manly Food by Simon Cave for Christmas. Some absolutely sensational stuff in there.
The Ginger Pig Meat Book and Hawksmoor at Home are givens on any list. James Mortons Bread Book is superb.
I was given a small amazon voucher for Christmas so I picked up Pitt Cue and Pizza Pilgrims. Will let you know if they are worth it.
The Ginger Pig Meat Book and Hawksmoor at Home are givens on any list. James Mortons Bread Book is superb.
I was given a small amazon voucher for Christmas so I picked up Pitt Cue and Pizza Pilgrims. Will let you know if they are worth it.
Soldato
Im a bit of woman when it comes to cooking. I mainly bake cakes and sweet things for others as Im diabetic its how I keep the sugar urges away 
Got a few cook books for Christmas gifts loving them so far.
Delia's Cakes - New edition
Rachel's Everyday Kitchen: Simple, delicious family food (Rachel Allen)
Mary Berry's Baking Bible
Got a few cook books for Christmas gifts loving them so far.
Delia's Cakes - New edition
Rachel's Everyday Kitchen: Simple, delicious family food (Rachel Allen)
Mary Berry's Baking Bible
Associate
The Silver Spoon by Phaidon is great for Italian food. It is especially useful when you have a certain ingredient and don't know what to do with it. You look up the ingredient and have several recipes to choose from.
I have a couple of the Phaidon ones and they're really good. Veifa's kitchen or whatever it's called is a great greek one and the Lebanese kitchen too.
Associate
The two tomes I rely on more than any others:
Bake (Australian Women's Weekly) - Don't let the name put you off This is a massive compendium of recipes that also has pictured technique guides for everything from tempering chocolate to perfect icing and even just folding egg white. It'll take me a lifetime to work though it! Measurements are in metric.
Leith's Vegetable Bible - Another massive tome. My wife is vegetarian so that's what we mostly eat at home and this book contains a huge number of excellent veggie recipes from all over the world. As I also have an allotment (and a cheap bulk market stand nearby) I also like the fact that it's also organised by main ingredient.
I also own Cooking for Geeks as I wanted to learn a bit more about the science of it all. It's a pretty good read with the style of a pop. sci. book but more actual science since it's aimed at geeks. Definitely learnt a few things and will give it another read in the future.
Bake (Australian Women's Weekly) - Don't let the name put you off
This is a massive compendium of recipes that also has pictured technique guides for everything from tempering chocolate to perfect icing and even just folding egg white. It'll take me a lifetime to work though it! Measurements are in metric.Leith's Vegetable Bible - Another massive tome. My wife is vegetarian so that's what we mostly eat at home and this book contains a huge number of excellent veggie recipes from all over the world. As I also have an allotment (and a cheap bulk market stand nearby) I also like the fact that it's also organised by main ingredient.
I also own Cooking for Geeks as I wanted to learn a bit more about the science of it all. It's a pretty good read with the style of a pop. sci. book but more actual science since it's aimed at geeks. Definitely learnt a few things and will give it another read in the future.
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Had to move the bookcase, so my lovely wife reorganized the books.
Could only fit the savory ones in, mrs' bakery books are the shelves below!
Could only fit the savory ones in, mrs' bakery books are the shelves below!
Soldato
currently reading through A Love For Food by these guys, and it's fantastic. Got some beetroot/bacon soup and some home-made brown sauce on the hobs
After watching Masterchef South Africa yesterday. I want a Ethiopian recipe book. There food sounds amazing, yes I can just search recipes online. But ideal like ones which talk about the history, when they commonly eat it, info about the different spices, pastes etc.
Anyone know any?
Cookery books are the hardest to buy as I'm very specific, I like all this background talk and need photos for every recipe, and book shops have so little choice.
Anyone know any?
Cookery books are the hardest to buy as I'm very specific, I like all this background talk and need photos for every recipe, and book shops have so little choice.