Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with cookbook

dook day farmage?

cmoj — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:37:54 -0800

What's a good cheese-making book for me? A fairly recent question actually got me into making cheese, and I'm no fromagier, but after scouring Mr. Fankhauser's excellent information (and name) along with some other web resources I've dug up, I'm sort of at a loss as to how to learn more about all of this.

Looking at different recipes for different cheeses, I see that there's very little difference in the basic steps and all of the difference lies in the details, but at the same time there can be a wide variation among recipes for the "same" cheese.

So, I don't really want a cookbook with rote recipes, I want a cheese-making book (or website for that matter) that talks about the difference it makes to inoculate at 90 degrees versus 120 or to cut the curd versus stirring and breaking it. I'm looking for a book about the mechanics of making cheese, not just the recipes. A little chemistry wouldn't hurt my feelings either.

Improve My Cooking

ecab — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 09:04:18 -0800

What resources will help me move from a proficient to a (one day, hopefully) great cook? I love food and cooking, and think that for a 23 year old guy I'm pretty good at it. I worked as a line cook for a while in high school and learned a lot of basic skills, and I've cooked pretty regularly since.

I can make some good things, and I can follow recipes with a pretty good success rate. What I'm looking for, now, is how to learn the more advanced skills, and gain the more advanced food and flavor knowledge, that will take my cooking to the next level.

Mostly I'm looking for cookbooks and the like, I suppose, but I'm not interested as much in getting books of recipes as learning techniques and basic skills that can be altered and reused in many ways. For example, one of my Mexican cookbooks taught me how to make sauce out of dried peppers, and while I've never followed that recipe exactly I use the skill fairly often. I want more things like this.

For a bit of further guidance on my food interests, I am most interested in more traditional European / Mediterranean / American (especially Southwest and Latin) cooking. While I love many Asian foods, cooking it holds less interest for me. I also don't particularly love Italian food, mostly because I'm not big on pasta (other parts of Italian food I do like).

Comprehensive, authentic, good Italian cookbook?

sirion — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:55:50 -0800

Italian Cookbook: I'm going to live in Italy for 2 months this summer. Tell me what cookbook I should bring along! I'd like to come out of Italy with some favorite recipes that I first experienced authentically in restaurants there and then figured out how to reproduce. I'd like a relatively comprehensive cookbook that I can go to when I eat something I like and look up what was in it and how it's made.

(Side question: What food stuff (,spices, cookware, etc) should I bring back from Italy that's hard to get outside the country?)

If I can see it, then I can do it

reenum — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:04:09 -0800

CookingFilter: I need cookbooks or websites that have step by step visuals of recipes. After my AskMe about cooking last week, I've determined that I need cookbooks or websites that have visuals. I seem to do a lot better when I can see the steps I need to be taking, or at least some photos of how the prep should go.

I've already seen VisualRecipes.com, and am looking for more cookbooks or websites in a similar vein.

Thanks, everyone!

My Birthday is coming up !

lobstah — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:05:03 -0800

After 50 years of success, my Mom's favorite chocolate cake recipe is now failing to meet expectations. Betty Crocker blames Crisco, and Crisco denies blame. Not only do the cakes not rise like before, they tend to sag in the middle. It's a devil's food recipe from the original BC Cookbook, and she has been using the same ingredients forever. I calibrated the oven, and even watched her make one to insure it wasn't due to an error by a sometimes forgetful 84 year old baking Ninja. Any ideas on how Mom can get her Mojo back?

I want to assert mastery over my culinary domain

reenum — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:59:51 -0800

I want to make easy and tasty international recipes I've been going through a lot of the recipe and cooking related AskMes and I've noticed a dearth of threads about Asian or African recipes.

I enjoy American and Italian food, but I'd rather make Asian or African recipes. For some reason, eating spaghetti and meatballs evokes a feeling of contempt brought on by familiarity. There are a few threads about Indian, and I have bookmarked those. But, I have a thirst for more.

Problem is, I am a novice in the kitchen. I can bake and fry a few dishes, but beyond that, I'm lost. If you have any suggestions for books, sites or blogs I could visit to increase my cooking chops, it would be much appreciated.

Ideally, I'd like the recipes to be healthy, but that's not a firm requirement. I just want to make exotic food that someone besides myself might want to eat.

Turtles all the way down!

dmd — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:34:36 -0800

Somewhere, a while ago, somewhere on the internet (here? BoingBoing? somewhere else?) was posted a PDF (I think) of a cookbook (?) from the 19th century (?) that had various recipes used by kitchens in wealthy households. Somewhere in that cookbook was a detailed description of how to store turtles (for soup) long-term (cool, mostly dry) in stacked boxes. Please hope me find it!

What to do with review copies of books?

climalene — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:04:47 -0800

What are the ethics and conventions surrounding review copies of books? I have a cooking blog. A friend of a friend works for a PR firm that specializes in cookbooks. She asked if she could put me on the company's mailing list for press releases and review copies. I eagerly agreed, and yesterday I got my first cookbook in the mail. Today I got an email from the publicist in charge of the book telling me how great it is and asking whether I planned to review it.

So, is this truly a free cookbook? Am I under any obligations? Should I reply to the email? If I review it, or even just mention it, should I explain somewhere on my site that I get free copies of cookbooks? If I provide an honest, balanced review of a mediocre book, will I stop getting review copies? And what else should I consider?

Help me source some high-quality bouillon cubes

rossination — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:55:43 -0800

Help me source some high-quality bouillon cubes. In her book How To Eat, Nigella Lawson often mentions using bouillon cubes for quick soups and sauces. I know that the bouillon cube is oft-despised by other cookbook writers (Mark Bittman, for isntance, says you're better off with water and a couple extra onions and celery stalks), but Nigella talks a lot about their prevalence in modern Italian kitchens, and she mentions "high-quality" cubes.

I consider myself a pretty accomplished home cook, and I definitely know how to make a good stock. I also know when it's totally appropriate to use canned broth, and I'm not above throwing in a cube of Knorr into a soup if the taste is a little bland. But I can't help but think that there's something better out there. Are there really "high quality" bouillon cubes that are really as good (and useful) as canned broths, that I could use when I don't have homemade stock on hand?

I'm in Seattle, but I'm totally fine with mail ordering from wherever if I can get my hands on some good bouillon cubes. I'm probably mainly looking for chicken, and maybe a good beef or vegetable as well. But in my cooking, they're all pretty interchangeable.

vegan cookbook?

azure_swing — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 20:05:55 -0800

Help a carnivore give an office mate a fabulous vegan cookbook.

I need some help naming my cookbook.

el-gregorio — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 05:54:30 -0800

I need some help naming the cookbook that my wife and I are putting together to help defray the costs of adopting our second son. The book consists of recipes contributed from family and friends, and will be a small vanity-press run, probably sold mostly to other friends and family.

There is no real unifying theme to the recipes, but several are from Guatemala, since that's where our sons were born. Categories of recipes include Appetizers, Breads, Entrees, Desserts, Cookies, and Snacks.

The cover art isn't finalized, but will probably feature an illustration of a chef standing with an ethnically-diverse group of children.

Thanks for your help!

Getting a cookbook published.

magikker — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 18:58:17 -0800

I want to publish a cookbook and need some advice. I'm a college student studying Computer Science, my brother is a college student studying Culinary arts. We'd like to write and publish a Cook book. I think, and may be wrong, that we would have an interesting angle to write from, being students and all.
However I'm having some trouble finding good sources of information on how to write/publish a cookbook. I've found a lot of information about getting a fund raiser cookbook published, but that isn't something I'm interested in. I'd like the book to be sold in stores after we're finished.

Is it even possible for two college kids to get a cookbook published? I'm looking for an any personal experience or advice in compiling and or publishing a cook book.

Help! I lost my spice!

unSane — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:48:36 -0800

Identify this cookbook, or give me the potato/chili soup recipe I yearn for. Years ago (mid 80s), I bought a cookbook, probably in England, but possibly North America. It was a small, Penguin*-sized paperback and was full of recipes for spicy food. I think they had chili ratings for how hot they were (but maybe not). It might have been called "The Chili Cookbook" (yes, I've googled, but nothing rings a bell) but it might not.

Thing is, it had the recipe for a potato and poblano chili soup which I made once and, in retrospect, was the most divine thing I ever tasted. I remember it contained enormous quantities of garlic, plus chilis, potatoes and cream. I don't know what else.

In one of my transatlantic movies, it disappeared.

Can anyone identify this cookbook, or point me at the recipe??

*the book not the flightless bird

Recommend the perfect cookbook

janecr — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 10:35:43 -0800

If you could only cook recipes from one cookbook ever again, which cookbook would you choose? I'm looking to slim down my large, useless cookbook collection and instead invest in one or two that have lots of cookable, consistently good and useful recipes.

What are the best cookbooks in regards to technique and theory?

mhuckaba — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 13:38:57 -0800

Cookbooks: What are the definitive resources for technique, cuisines? I know that generally "Larousse Gastronomique" and "Escoffier" are standards for (French) culinary resources. What else should I look into?

"The Professional Chef" looks pretty comprehensive, and "The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" by Marcella Hazan seems to be in line with what I'm looking for, based on Amazon reviews.

Any recommendations? I'm particularly interested in French, Italian, Japanese and Thai. I'm also interested in a really good book on baking, if there is something that fits in line with this type of books.

I'd really like *THE BEST/MOST COMPREHENSIVE*, what they'd give you in cooking school, and I'm not necessarily concerned with quantity of recipes or pictures as much as I am in technique and theory.

Collective recipe index?

chefscotticus — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 10:55:05 -0800

Is there a website that contains a recipe directory for printed cookbooks? I own lots of cookbooks. It's annoying to have to look through each individiual index, however, when I'm looking for a recipe for a common dish. Is there a website, or other service, that has a searchable collection of what recipes can be found in what cookbooks? (Note, I'm not looking for the recipes themselves, but instead a collective, searchable index.)

Trying to find a cookbook for purchase online

genial — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 07:12:39 -0800

Please help me find a copy of this cookbook. My amazon and google-fu fail me on this one. It's called "Kitchen Comforts: Recipes to Feed Body and Soul" by Gay T. Boassy. ISBN: 1-897115-07-5 and the publisher is Simple Dream Publishing. I've been tasked with finding copies for purchase and it doesn't seem I can find them anywhere. Any help is appreciated!

Vegetarian cookbooks?

Succa — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 12:30:44 -0800

Vegetarian cookbook recommendations? I'm looking to buy one as a gift for an aspiring meat-spurner who doesn't have much cooking experience. If possible, I'd like a more pragmatic book that focuses on easing the entry into a vegetarian lifestyle, rather than an emphasis on high-end cuisine.

Out of the subcontinent, into Africa

fuzzbean — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 08:03:21 -0800

Looking for recommendations for an Ethiopian/Eritrean/North African cookbook. My boyfriend is a big fan of this type of cuisine (okay, okay, cue the MRE joke...go on, do it...) and I'd like to be able to make it at home. I've cooked quite a lot of Indian food and am generally pretty comfortable in a kitchen, but have no idea of a good cookbook for this type of food. Any suggestions are welcome, as are any suggestions of favorite dishes to try perfecting.

I live in the Newton-Wellesley-Waltham area outside of Boston and have access to a variety of ethnic groceries nearby, so I don't think I'll have too many difficulties getting ingredients, but if there's any other Boston MeFites who have thoughts on where to go shopping, it'd certainly be appreciated. Will I need any special equipment/pans?

Also, which area Ethiopian restaurant is your favorite?

Printing pdf ebook to paper

junesix — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 10:57:55 -0800

Recommendations for printing these (1,2) beautiful, two-page, full-color electronic cookbooks to hardcopy from the PDF files? After reading through these two electronic cookbooks in Acrobat, I felt it was a shame that I wasn't giving my eyes and hands the full sensation of enjoying the recipes and photographs on paper. Any recommendations on the best way to print them out for maximum enjoyment? I'm prepared to spend a bit of money at the local printers for full color printing but should I print them in double-sided two page-per-sheet landscape with three silver rings to hold them together? Double-sided single-page spiral bound? Other creative solutions? I'm going to make a few copies for personal use and potentially as gifts so I'm not looking to fire up the machines at an industrial bookbindery.

Good Mediterranean/Persian Cookbooks

namespan — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 19:58:26 -0800

What are some good Mediterranean/Persian cookbooks? Is there a Madhur Jaffrey for this kind of cuisine?

Looking for best cookbook for "light" cooking...

stevyb — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 11:29:37 -0800

I need to start eating at home more often but I inevitably start making "comfort" foods...mostly because I lack the knowledge and to make lighter foods...what cookbook do you recommend for light and delicious recipes? I don't care if the recipes are easy or not...just want good, fresh, "light" food....

Question number 12665

slew — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 10:52:24 -0800

I am wanting to purchase an Asian Cookbook for my daughter for Xmas, any suggestions

Question number 8611

rdr — Sat, 10 Jul 2004 18:14:26 -0800

About tempeh. I've been driving 20 miles occasionally to get tempeh burgers from native foods . I've bought both of their cookbooks and I intend to start making my own burgers. I assume that I can I find tempeh at health food stores but I assume that there is a lot of variability between tempeh brands. I was hoping that I could get pointers to local brands (in Los Angeles) that would be well suited to making veggie burgers. Any tips on cooking tempeh would be appreciated too.

Question number 4291

Soliloquy — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 22:04:41 -0800

I'm looking to buy a children's cookbook for a young friend in Canada, but the only one I could find on Amazon.com or Google that explicitly stated it had metric measurements (Children's Quick And Easy Cookbook by Angela Wilkes) looked a little too advanced for the kid's tastes. Can anyone recommend a good one with metric measurements, basic cooking terminology, and kitchen safety tips?

Oh, and heavy on the cookie recipes...