Overview of the Best Cookbook Collection

I started collecting cookbooks twenty years ago. I am definitely an early adopter of technology but there’s no replacing a hardbound book of substance, with beautiful photography.

If you are starting your own collection, I recommend focusing first on cooking techniques. The first book that I would buy is The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, by J. Kenji López-Alt. Next, I would buy Modernist Cuisine at Home by Nathan Myhrvold. This is a condensed version of his highly regarded five volume Modernist Cuisine series, adapted for home chefs.1

Professional Cookbooks

Next, I would invest in the following professional cookbooks, particularly The Professional Chef and Professional Cooking. Although many target culinary professionals, these books will teach you the fundamentals of cooking.

• Allen, Darina, et al. Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookery Course. London, Kyle Cathie, 2007.
• Allen, Darina. Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cooking School Cookbook. Gretna, Pelican, 2002.
• Choate, Judith. Fundamental Techniques of Classic Cuisine. New York, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2007.
• The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Baking and Pastry: Mastering the Art and Craft. Hoboken, John Wiley & Sons, 2016.
• The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), The Professional Chef. Wiley Hoboken, N.J 2011.
• Gisslen, Wayne. Professional Baking. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley, 2017.
• Gisslen, Wayne, and J. Gerard Smith. Professional Cooking. Hoboken, NJ, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2015.
• Labensky, Sarah R. On Baking: a Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals. Boston, Pearson, 2015.
• Labensky, Sarah R., et al. On Cooking: a Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals. Boston, Pearson, 2014.
• Myhrvold, Nathan. Modernist Cuisine at Home. Berlin, Phaidon, 2015.
• Pépin, Jacques, et al. New Complete Techniques. New York, Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2012.
• Peterson, James. Baking Berkeley, CA, Ten Speed, 2009.
• Peterson, James. Cooking. Berkeley, CA, Ten Speed Press, 2007.
• Willan, Anne. La Varenne Practique: the Complete Illustrated Cooking Course, Techniques, Ingredients, and Tools of Modern Cuisine. New York, Crown, 1996.
• Wright, Jeni, and Eric Treuille. Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques: the Indispensable Reference Demonstates over 700 Illustrated Techniques with 2,000 Photos and 200 Recipes. New York, William Morrow, 1997.

Topic Specific Cookbooks

There are many books that focus on the science of cooking and deep dive into specific topics like sous vide cooking, sauces, or bread making. I recommend the following:

• Corriher, Shirley O. BakeWise: the Hows and Whys of Successful Baking with over 200 Magnificent Recipes. New York, Scribner, 2008.
• Corriher, Shirley O. Cookwise: the Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking. New York, NY, William Morrow, 2011.
• Keller, Thomas, et al. Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide. New York, NY, Artisan, 2008.
• McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: the Science and Lore of the Kitchen. New York, Scribner, 1984.
• Peterson, James. Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making, 3rd Edition. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley, 2008.

International Cookbooks

For a visual overview and history of international cuisine, I recommend the Culinaria series. I particularly like Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and Greece. Recipe-specific cookbooks that I recommend include:

• Arronte, Margarita Carrillo. Mexico The Cookbook. Berlin: Phaidon, 2014.
• Batra, Neelam. 1,000 Indian Recipes. New York, NY, Wiley, 2002.
• Kapoor, Sanjeev. How to Cook Indian: More than 500 Classic Recipes for the Modern Kitchen. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2011.
• Poore, Marge. 1,000 Mexican Recipes. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley Pub., 2001.
• Scicolone, Michele. 1,000 Italian Recipes. John Wiley & Sons, 2004.
• The Silver Spoon Kitchen. The Silver Spoon. London, Phaidon Press, 2011.
• Thompson, David. Thai Food. Berkeley, CA, Ten Speed Press, 2002.

Cooking TV Show, Magazine & Newspaper Companion Cookbooks

Best Recipe / Cook’s Illustrated

I have subscribed to Cook’s Illustrated and watched America’s Test Kitchen on PBS for many years. They released a number of books that repackaged their magazine articles by topic. Some of their books are repetitive; but their best volumes include:

• Ackere, Daniel Van, et al. The Best Chicken Recipes: a Best Recipe Classic. Brookline, MA, America’s Test Kitchen, 2008.
• Burgoyne, John, et al. The Best International Recipe: a Best Recipe Classic. Brookline, MA, America’s Test Kitchen, 2007.
• Burgoyne, John, et al. The Best Recipe. Brookline, MA, America’s Test Kitchen, 2004.
• Burgoyne, John, et al. The Cook’s Illustrated Guide To Grilling And Barbecue Brookline, MA, America’s Test Kitchen, 2007.
• Burgoyne, John, et al. Italian Classics: the Best Recipe. Brookline, MA, Boston Common Press, 2002.
• Burgoyne, John, et al. More Best Recipes: a Best Recipe Classic. Brookline, MA, America’s Test Kitchen, 2009.
• Burgoyne, John, et al. The New Best Recipe. Brookline, MA, America’s Test Kitchen, 2004.
• Burgoyne, John, et al. Perfect Vegetables. Brookline, MA, Cook’s Illustrated, 2005.
• Burgoyne, John, et al. Restaurant Favorites: at Home. Brookline, MA, America’s Test Kitchen, 2003.
• Burgoyne, John, et al. Steaks, Chops, Roasts, and Ribs. Brookline, MA, Cook’s Illustrated, 2004.
• Tremblay, Carl, et al. Soups, Stews & Chilis: a Best Recipe Classic. Brookline, MA, America’s Test Kitchen, 2010.

Donna Hay

Donna Hay is an Australian chef and food designer with an amazing magazine. I import it every month not just because of the photography but also the fusion of Continental and Asian cuisines. Start with New Classics.

• Hay, Donna. The New Classics: a Definitive Collection of Classics for Every Modern Cook from Donna Hay Magazine. Sydney, NSW, Australia, Fourth Estate, 2013.

Good Eats

Alton Brown’s irreverent TV show, Good Eats, explained the scientific principles behind recipes. I wish it still aired because I learned a lot by watching it. Extra credit: in addition to being a fellow techie, he’s a motorcycle rider. Get all his Good Eats books!

• Brown, Alton. Good Eats. New York, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009.
• Brown, Alton. Good Eats 2: the Middle Years. Harry N. Abrams, 2010.
• Brown, Alton. Good Eats 3: the Later Years. New York, NY, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2011.

Gourmet Magazine

Gourmet Magazine unfortunately has ceased publication. But these two cookbooks capture some of their best recipes:

• Reichl, Ruth. The Gourmet Cookbook: More than 1000 Recipes. Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 2004.
• Reichl, Ruth. Gourmet Today: More than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen. Boston, Hougton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009.

Jamie Oliver

I first learned to cook with Jamie Oliver’s Naked Chef TV series. I own most of his cookbooks but recommend you start with:

• Oliver, Jamie. Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook. New York, Hyperion, 2007.

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart’s Living Magazine is a good source for recipes. And these books below compile her best recipes:

• Stewart, Martha, and Sarah Carey. Martha Stewart’s Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook. New York, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2008.
• Stewart, Martha. The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook. New York, Random House International, 2001.
• Stewart, Martha. The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: the New Classics. New York, Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2007.

New York Times

The New York Times has been a go-to resource for cooking for decades. Some of my favorite compendiums from the Craig Claiborne era are no longer in print. Here are a few volumes that are currently available:

• Bittman, Mark. How to Cook Everything.: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food. Hoboken, NJ, J. Wiley, 2008.
• Hesser, Amanda. The Essential New York Times Cook Book: Classic Recipes for a New Century. New York, W.W. Norton, 2010.
• Kaminsky, Peter. The Essential New York Times Grilling Cookbook: More Than 100 Years of Sizzling Food Writing and Recipes. Sterling Pub Co Inc, 2014.

 Wine

I love a good bottle of wine, particularly those vintages recommended by Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate. Here are a few books on my shelf that focus on wine:

• Johnson, Hugh, and Jancis Robinson. The World Atlas of Wine. London, Mitchell Beazley, 2013.
• Kolpan, Steven, et al. Exploring Wine>. Hoboken, J. Wiley, 2010.
• Robinson, Jancis. The Oxford Companion to Wine. 4th Rev. Ed. Corby, Oxford University Press, 2015.

Updated on October 23rd, 2017