TOP FIVE BOOKS RECOMMENDED FOR COOKING
TOP FIVE BOOKS RECOMMENDED FOR COOKING
By Solomon Obi
The art of Cooking has long remained one of the most elegant pastimes and an art form that is respected the world over. But few have the ability to successfully cook professionally, but all have the opportunity to perform as a chef at home in the ultimate pursuit of perfection.
A truly amazing cookbook earns its stains through frequent use, and can almost become a family member as it reappears year after year at birthdays and holidays.
Below are five books recommended for cooking.
1) The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America
A textbook for the chef, this is an excellent source of fundamental techniques that every cook should know. From learning how to make a roux to essential information on safe food handling practices, this is one of those books that will continually come off the shelf when you’re in need of a quick refresher. In addition to being an excellent guide, it also has almost 1000 recipes that cover contemporary and classic recipes. No kitchen is complete without this book, and it’s often referred to as ’the bible’ by professional chefs.
2) The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg
This is the most frequently used book on my kitchen shelf. It’s basically an encyclopedia of flavors and shows you what flavors work well with others. This book is best used by seasoned chefs and experienced home cooks, but it’s one that can be found on the steel counters of most professional kitchens. It is the winner of the 2009 James Beard Book Award for Best Book and is the number one reference book in my opinion.
3) Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck Knopf
Mastering the Art of French Cooking is infamously full of complicated recipes; the entire plot of the 2009 film Julie and Julia hinges on this fact. But if you've been too intimidated to try out Child's masterwork, do know that not every recipe requires killing live lobsters or preparing complicated terrines.
4) The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis Knopf
Before Southern food was trendy, before seemingly every restaurant across the country put pimento cheese on their menu and country ham became as prized as Prosciutto di Parma, there was Edna Lewis. Her work preserves Southern food culture, African-American food culture, and a way of American life that has all but disappeared. But as much as The Taste of Country Cooking can be seen as an artifact of a vanishing cuisine, Lewis was also remarkably ahead of her time.
5) Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan
The most authentic Italian cookbook probably ever written, Marcella Hazan did for Italy what Julia Child did for France. An essential guide for everyone, this is one of the few cookbooks for beginners that even the most celebrated chefs rely on. If you enjoy classic Italian cooking, this is the only cookbook you’ll need.
By Solomon Obi
The art of Cooking has long remained one of the most elegant pastimes and an art form that is respected the world over. But few have the ability to successfully cook professionally, but all have the opportunity to perform as a chef at home in the ultimate pursuit of perfection.
A truly amazing cookbook earns its stains through frequent use, and can almost become a family member as it reappears year after year at birthdays and holidays.
Below are five books recommended for cooking.
1) The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America
A textbook for the chef, this is an excellent source of fundamental techniques that every cook should know. From learning how to make a roux to essential information on safe food handling practices, this is one of those books that will continually come off the shelf when you’re in need of a quick refresher. In addition to being an excellent guide, it also has almost 1000 recipes that cover contemporary and classic recipes. No kitchen is complete without this book, and it’s often referred to as ’the bible’ by professional chefs.
2) The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg
This is the most frequently used book on my kitchen shelf. It’s basically an encyclopedia of flavors and shows you what flavors work well with others. This book is best used by seasoned chefs and experienced home cooks, but it’s one that can be found on the steel counters of most professional kitchens. It is the winner of the 2009 James Beard Book Award for Best Book and is the number one reference book in my opinion.
3) Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck Knopf
Mastering the Art of French Cooking is infamously full of complicated recipes; the entire plot of the 2009 film Julie and Julia hinges on this fact. But if you've been too intimidated to try out Child's masterwork, do know that not every recipe requires killing live lobsters or preparing complicated terrines.
4) The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis Knopf
Before Southern food was trendy, before seemingly every restaurant across the country put pimento cheese on their menu and country ham became as prized as Prosciutto di Parma, there was Edna Lewis. Her work preserves Southern food culture, African-American food culture, and a way of American life that has all but disappeared. But as much as The Taste of Country Cooking can be seen as an artifact of a vanishing cuisine, Lewis was also remarkably ahead of her time.
5) Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan
The most authentic Italian cookbook probably ever written, Marcella Hazan did for Italy what Julia Child did for France. An essential guide for everyone, this is one of the few cookbooks for beginners that even the most celebrated chefs rely on. If you enjoy classic Italian cooking, this is the only cookbook you’ll need.
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