If you search for recipe books on Amazon or at your local bookstore and you would find them by thousands. So when I got down to choosing the best among them it wasn’t the easiest of things I had ever done in my life. It wasn’t only about recipes but the kind of impact these books have made on my culinary skills. My choice went up to some very classic cookbooks that were evergreen and can be tried by anyone who loves cooking.
So here is my favorite picks on Top 15 Classic Cookbooks :
1. Classic Recipes for Modern People
A friend gifted me this one by chef bros and Max Sussman. I must admit it is one of the best cookery books I have come across. They selected 75 classic recipes and reinvented them. I fell in love with their sense of humour going through the recipes.
2. The Silver Palate Cookbook
This cookbook recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and I curse myself for being late in picking this up. This one is special as much for the 350 mouth-watery recipes as it is for the way the content is presented. It isn’t just a recipe book but an encyclopedia that I shall treasure for life.
3. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
I fell in love with Italian food as a teenager and thus Essentials of Italian Cooking is one of my prized collections. Marcella Hazan’s takes us through the stages of mastering Italian cuisine it was a pilgrimage of sorts reading through this one.
4. The Broad Fork
Hugh Acheson has been one of my all-time favorite chefs. And I would recommend this book to anyone who has more questions than answers in the kitchen! Hugh answered some of the silly questions that I had in my mind and I can definitely claim to be a better cook after reading this one,
5. The Flavor Bible
How do I get such enticing flavors in my dishes? Well, I have read Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page’s The Flavor Bible. It isn’t one of the ordinary cookbooks that I otherwise have but one that has taught me the basics of getting the best flavors from the ingredients I use.
6. A Girl and Her Greens: Hearty Meals From the Garden
I picked it up at an airport and the next six-hour flight passed off without any turbulence! Jokes apart if you want to do it with the greens you need to pick this one up. It is an amazing collection of recipes from simple ingredients and I fell in love immediately.
7. Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking
I blamed myself for not having read or heard about Israeli cooking before I came across a certain Michael Solomonov. Ever since then I have just been bowled over by these dishes prepared on melting pots and I am sure you won’t be able to resist the temptation of trying them out.
8. Eleven Madison Park: The Cookbook
Let me be honest I am a big fan of French cuisine and this admiration has reached a whole new level after going through Eleven Madison Park which brings traditional French cuisine with a modern touch to the table. I tried most of the 125 restaurant style urbane recipes adapted for amateurs.
9. Molto Batali: Simple Family Meals from My Home to Yours
There are days when I can’t spend hours in the kitchen and on such days Molto Batali is my escape route. Go through the 120 recipes and you will want to get started with them immediately. I bet you already have the ingredients in your refrigerator to get started like I did.
10. Olympia Provisions: Cured Meats and Tales from an American Charcuterie
I started experimenting with prepared meat pretty late and it all started after having gone through this cookbook. American charcuterie holds a special place in the hearts of fans most of the dishes I have cooked are ones you will only find in the best restaurants.
11. Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto
Friends call me a barbecue addict and I wear it as a badge of honour. And it all started having been taken for a treat at Franklin Barbecue years back. I have tried most of Aaron Franklin’s recipes after having bought the book at their barbeque joint. regret – I wish I could get it signed.
12. Simple French Food 40th Anniversary Edition
I tried Richard Olney’s recipes in the recent past after having picked a copy of this classic cookbook from a local bookstore. What makes this book one of my favourites is how easy the recipes are. I gift it to my friends quite often these days as I feel it can appeal to even those who survive on instant noodles!
13. The Zuni Cafe Cookbook
I had been eagerly waiting for The Zuni Café Cookbook, for months and I must admit it was worth all the wait and anticipation. It isn’t just the recipes that make this one special but insight into the ingredients that make this one special.
14. Desserts by Pierre Herme
This book is one of the best classic cookbooks in the dessert category. I love preparing desserts and so I grabbed a copy of this by perhaps one of the most celebrated pastry chefs Pierre Herme. The deserts that he has shared are truly divine and now I try them every time I invite someone home.
15. Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing
I always wanted to learn the traditional craft of curing meats and Charcuterie has helped me take these baby steps. I know people from professional chefs to home cooks look at this book as a bible and I guess all of us have good reasons to think so.
Choosing from various sectors of cookbooks is really hard when you have so many food segments in place. So here was my effort to bring before you my favourite set of some classic cookbooks as they tend to be evergreen no matter the time. Hope you liked my collection and I would love to know your best cookbooks of all time list so do share it in the comments below.