Cookbooks

There are a huge number of cookbooks out there, and more come out every week. Those by celebrity chefs such as Rachael Ray or Bobby Flay are probably the most visible, both because they’re celebrities and because bookstores tend to place them very prominently. While I love the Food Network, my absolute favorite cookbook is not by a celebrity (though he does have a column in the New York Times): Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything.

It’s perfect for pretty much any level of cook; he has an extensive section on setting up your kitchen, and provides a little section on techniques such as broiling and steaming, explaining what each is. Whenever he introduces an ingredient with its own special method of preparation (such as fish) he provides clearly-illustrated diagrams detailing what to do. People who just began cooking should find it very helpful, as well as more advanced cooks who perhaps don’t cook fish (or another ingredient) that much. For each section, he provides a two or three page “The Basics of…” section that serves as a great primer for new cooks and a good reminder for old ones.

For many recipes, he provides three or four variations: ways you can vary the recipe while still staying true to its original spirit. For example, Pasta with Butter and Parmesan is probably the most basic pasta recipe you can make, but you can add any minced herb of your choice, bacon, ham, peas, spinach, sauteed onions…it’s a long list. The book is 900 pages long (!), and these variations don’t take up much room, so the title is not hubris at all.

The other cookbook that I use extensively is by Jamie Oliver — okay, yes, he had his own show on the Food Network. The writing style is charming; instead of the usual “Combine 3 Tbsp olive oil with 2 tsp garlic in a skillet”, he writes in a much more conversational style: “Throw a knob of butter in the pan and add the garlic” would not be out of place in his books. His style, while great for more experienced cooks, is problematic for newcomers; for example, “a knob of butter”, one of his favorite phrases, is ill-defined (I’d say it’s about a tablespoon, for the record), and the directions are vaguer than Bittman’s. The other great part of his books are the full-page color photographs; it’s good to see a beautiful photograph of what you’re going to end up with while you’re making it. (Note: Jamie Oliver has other cookbooks, all of which I’d recommend.)