My favorite cookbooks are a combination of old editions, pamphlets, and newer traditional books. They range from really polished (read: expensive) to hand drawn booklet/zine style (read: cheap cheap -like the budgie) books. I've bought them online, at thrift stores, and received them as gifts. No matter how we find these books, they become special to us because of the importance we put on food, for both social and practical reasons. It feels good to provide a healthy meal for family, friends, and ourselves. It's easy to get nostalgic over titles that we grew up with or those we used when learning to cook. With all the recipes online nowadays, here on HSH and elsewhere, it can be easy to forget about our favorite and loyal cookbooks. I feel sorry for all those unused books out there so I wanted to pull my all-time print-based favorites to share with you.
Our mother's standard cookbooks are our standard cookbook. I learnt to cook using "Joy of Cooking' and probably the Robin Hood Flour cookbook (during my waffles after school everyday phase). Diandra's is 'Whole Foods for the Whole Family' cookbook from La Leche League. What's yours? But does your basic book instruct you how to skin and cook a squirrel? How about pigeons? Didn't think so.
My Grandma Joyce gave me this one. It's from the 70's and the art is so great. Tons of whole foods kind of stuff and really fantastic simple recipes. Kind of fills in the modern gaps 'Joy of Cooking', like tofu recipes, sprouting beans, and vegetarian anything. It also has the best bean cooking time chart I've ever seen.
The rebar modern food cookbook. No brainer. For all your fancy fusion food needs. This one is homegrown, from Victoria, B.C. you should go to the source in downtown Vic for a towering master-piece of cake. Some of the ingredients are a little weird and the fusion idea isn't for everyday, but it's a great book full of fantastic recipes. For my 29th birthday, my friends stole my book and made me a rebar feast. Whoa-man! It was great.
I love Martha. This is another of her successful books, and ranks a step up from Joy of Cooking for fancy-ness. There are so many fantastic baking recipes and practical advice for bakers inside this tome. This book saved me from my life one summer.
'Baby Cakes' is the best. Ever. I have found it kind of hard to find some of the vegan ingredients around here, but everything I make from this book is fantastic. This isn't your standard (egg replacer, butter replacer, milk replacer) vegan cookbook, this one features new recipes made by Erin. She's started her own vegan bakery empire based on these recipes. The banana bread recipe is the B.E.S.T. best.
I don't know what 'Prevention' is, some publication? Anyways, this is their Cookbook booklet. Great pictures of life in the 70's and great whole grain recipes. I have yet to attempt any but love the art.
Locally made booklet. Great recipes, including some surprising and easy tofu, healthly snacks and meals. It's pretty great.
Let's get nostalgic here! What is your favorite Cookbook? Comment below and enter to win the prize: a cookbook-ey package including the 'Healthy Cookbook for Young Chef's' booklet and some random (but awesome!) vintage cooking stuff. This contest is open to everyone, I'll ship it anywhere. The giveaway is closed August 5th at 2400hrs (er, that's midnight). Good luck!
My favorites: Five Roses cookbook and It's a joy to be simple: More-with-Less Cookbook (Mennonite cooking-I purchased at a garage sale). The recipes of my mom , mother-in-law and my grandmothers. I am working on assembling a family cookbook to pass on to my children.
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The Mennonite Treasury--no contest. It's the go-to book for traditional mennonite cooking (recipes and methods), and a lot of the dishes have become conjoined in my mind with my family's herstory and history.
ReplyDeleteWhen I moved away for college a couple years ago, my mom let me have her copy of "The Joy of Cooking," and I seriously think it had to have been printed before 1970. It has taught me much, but this college boy could use a lot more guidance.
ReplyDeleteit's a toss up between "apples for jam" and a an amish book i bought on etsy.
ReplyDeleteMy Bible: The Forgotten Skills of Cookery, by Darina Allen! Everything I need to know about growing, foraging, cheese making, preserving, cooking classic dishes and baking rustic breads. I like the way this lady, who runs her own natural cooking school in Ireland, thinks. It is both beautiful and genuine!
ReplyDeletemy favorite cookbook is an old betty crocker one. I don't have that many cookbooks but I have lots of baking books. I like my personal recipe book, a compilation of recipes from everyone and everywhere. <3
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ReplyDeleteMy late grandmothers copy of The Joy Of Cooking. It's an older version, but such a great reference for the basics of cooking/baking/canning. My grandma was a homemaker and took her role very seriously - she couldn't even boil water when she got married, but taught herself to become an amazing cook. She made lots of notes in the margins, and has even crossed some recipes off (don't waste your time on sweet potato and pineapple souffle)...which adds a little nostalgia.
ReplyDeleteI also really like the Whitewater Cooks series.
danskind@unbc.ca
And the winner is?
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