Every cook, no matter how experienced, should have a few classics on his or
her shelf. With so many cookbooks and types of cuisine, we went to the
experts for advice.
The Culinary Institute of America
Hyde Park, N.Y.
Noni Tritto, assistant manager at the Craig Claiborne Bookstore at the
Culinary Institute of America (1946 Campus Drive, Hyde Park, NY;
1-800-677-6266), recommends Julia Child's "The Way to Cook" as a staple.
"You can’t go wrong with Julia Child," Tritto says. "She takes you by the
hand and says, 'You can do this.'" Tritto says Child’s book teaches the
basic techniques rather than simply throwing recipes at the reader.
StarChefs has a page devoted to Julia Child, complete with a biography, interview
and recipes. A more recent bestseller by Child is Julia and Jacques Cooking
at Home, the companion to the 22-part
public television series of the same name, which premiered in 1999.
Tritto’s favorite book for learning to bake breads is Bernard Clayton’s "New
Complete Book of Breads." For other specialty and hard-to-find cookbooks,
she recommends Jessica's Biscuit,
which has an inventory of more than 8,000 cookbook titles.
Tritto advises beginners not to always follow the bestseller list.
"Cookbooks go in and out of fashion just like last season’s clothes," she
says. For the more experienced cook, the bestseller list can be a great
place to find new resources. Books For Cooks, the online home of a retail cookbook store in Baltimore, has a bestseller list to point you in the right
direction.
Kitchen Arts & Letters
New York City
Matt Sartwell, manager of Kitchen Arts & Letters (1435 Lexington Avenue, New
York City; 212-876-5550), says the book he uses most is one he pulls off the
shelf for inspiration, not recipes. But he admits that "almost every kitchen
needs a core book." Sartwell says he still recommends "The Joy of Cooking". "It has very detailed
information on how to handle food."
For American regional fare, Sartwell recommends James Beard’s "American
Cookery." "It’s a great homecooking book that doesn't have a lot of bells
and whistles," he says. Sartwell also has a few favorites for ethnic dishes.
For Indian, he recommends "Classic Indian Cooking" by Julie Sahni. "It’s a terrific introduction to the
ingredients, cooking methods and how the meals are put together," Sartwell
says. For Italian, he suggests "The Essentials of Classic
Italian Cooking" by Marcella Hazan. For French, Sartwell prefers "Simple French Food" by Richard Olney, the 1993 winner
of the James Beard Foundation Award for Excellence. "It’s accessible but authentic French home cooking," he says.
The Tattered Cover
Denver
Suzanne Lyon, cookbook buyer for The Tattered Cover, an independent bookstore in Denver,
recommends "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman as a useful,
all-purpose cookbook. Her personal favorite is "Vegetarian Cooking for
Everyone" by Deborah Madison. In keeping with the book’s title, Lyon admits
she’s not a vegetarian, but loves the recipes. "She’s great," Lyon
says, referring to the cookbook’s author. "You can cook up her recipes
without changing any of the ingredients." Read an extensive review and find
out more about vegetarian cookbooks at the Global Gourmet
Additional Recommendations and Reviews
--- A. Harris
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