I actually really like to cook. I’m not always good at it and I definitely not very efficient. But I do enjoy it as long as I have a recipe.
I am not an inventive cook. Over the years, I’ve gotten pretty comfortable with throwing in a little of this and a little of that. I can pretty easily estimate a tablespoon and a teaspoon. I can almost remember that there are 8 ounces in a cup but 16 ounces in a pound. But when it comes to being creative in the kitchen, that’s not my forte.
I need a good recipe. I’ll do a lot of online searching. I like AllRecipes.com for a good variety and I’m lovin Foodily.com as a great food search engine. But I still like some of my tried and true old cookbooks. I have a few favorites and here’s the criteria they meet.
- Pictures. I have to have pictures of the food I’m going to make.
- Ingredients that I have in my kitchen. I’ll run out for oyster sauce if needed but don’t make me search for ridiculously expensive and hard-to-find ingredients.
- Step-by-step instructions. Over the years, I’ve learned techniques and can usually fill in the blanks. But I read directions and they better be right.
- Recipes that work. Yes, I need a cookbook where the recipe have been tested, actually work, and produce good results. And no, not every cookbook does that (cough, Martha Stewart)
Without further ado, here are my top 5 favorite cookbooks with a sample recipe from each.
1. Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
You know the red checkered cover. I have used this cookbook more times than I can count. It is a beginner’s MUST as it not only includes simple recipes but directions for basic things like how to bake a potato or how to hard boil an egg. I use it for a reference guide when it comes to freezing meats or substituting ingredients. I use it for everything and I’ve never been disappointed. Not even once.
Sample recipe: Corn Bread
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil (I use Canola)In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat together eggs, milk, and oil. Add to flour mixture and stir just till batter is smooth (do not overbeat)
Pour into a greased 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake in a 425 degree over for 20 to 25 minutes.
Note: My edition was printed in 1989 but I’ve never felt the need to upgrade. It covers everything I need.
2. Cooking Light Five Star Recipes: The Best of 10 Years
I was a Cooking Light fan for a long time until I realized that we needed to pay attention to more than just fat in a recipe. So I take the “light” part of the cooking with a grain of salt. However, the healthier recipes I’ve made from this cookbook have never disappointed. And judging by the comments I got on the Blueberry Coffee Cake photo I shared this past weekend, I thought it might be a good recipe to share.
Sample recipe: Blueberry Coffee Cake
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 8-oz. nonfat cream cheese (seriously, use fat-free here – you won’t be able to tell the difference)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamonBeat butter and cream cheese st medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating well. Add egg; beat well.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into margarine mixture. Stir in vanilla; fold in berries. Pour batter into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour; cool on a wire rack.
Wish I had photos for all of these recipes but this one I just HAD to share.
3. Betty Crocker’s 30-Minute Menus
Yes, this is another oldie but goodie. This is a 1992 cookbook that I feel like I ordered from a book club (anyone else remember them?) This cookbook details full meal recipes. I usually make just a main dish or a side but technically they can all be made in 30 minutes. In fact, I made this one for dinner just tonight. And it was loved by all.
Sample recipe: Honey-Mustard Ham
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 pound fully cooked smoked ham slice, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup sour creamMix water, honey, and mustard in 10-inch skillet. Add ham. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer over low heat about 15 minutes, turning once, until ham is heated through. Remove ham; keep warm. Stir in sour cream and heat 1 minute. Pour over ham.
4. The All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook
I need to remind you that I do actually live in the South. And I do love grits and hushpuppies. But that’s about where my love of Southern food ends. It’s heavy and greasy and carb-overload, typically. However, I found a lovely little cookie recipe a few years ago when I went a little crazy with Christmas cookies. I’m not a big chocolate lover and find so many holiday treats are too much. This was a nice light cookie that would be just perfect with a cup of tea.
Sample Recipe: Lemon Icebox Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon saltBeat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well afetr each addtion. Add lemon rind and juice, beating until blended.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until belnded. Divide dough into 3 equal portions; rolle ach portion on wax paper into a 12 inch log. Cover and chill 8 hours.
Cut each log into 1/2 inch slices (about 28); place on lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
5. Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: Feasting with your Slow Cooker
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a huge lover of the recipes in this cookbook. I know that sounds odd. This cookbook is full of user-submitted recipes and clearly, not everyone is a gourmet cook. However, if you like to use a slow cooker, I find this to be a great reference book. Want to make ham a potatoes? There are 8 different recipes. Want to make chili? There are 17 different recipes. I look at them all and then pick and choose my ingredients. I usually end up with my own concoction but use the ingredients, proportions, and cooking times to make something pretty delicious.
Sample recipe: Sally’s Split Pea Soup
1-lb pkg split peas
1 ham hock
1 carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
1 rib celery, diced
2 qts. water
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
2 whole allspice
3 potatoes, diced
1 tsp. sugarWash and sort split peas, removing any stones. Then combine ingredients in slow cooker.
Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours.
Remove ham bone. Cut meat off and dice. Return meat to soup. Stir through.
Remove bay leaf before serving.
And now you are privvy to some of the things I like to make in the kitchen. If I had my way, I’d bake all the time. But, you know, carbs and sugar and all. I’d love to hear what cookbooks would make your list and why.
13 comments
Oh, love this! That first one is my go to cookbook for (just about) everything! I need to check out all of the others!
I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one that loves that cookbook!
I rarely use cookbooks, except for inspiration. I will usually just glance over the ingredients and give the directions a quick look and then do it however I want, lol. But I do love, love, love The Flavor Bible, by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. It’s like a food dictionary but instead of definitions it lists flavors that pair well with each food. Perfect for people that like to experiment in the kitchen.
For baking my favorite book is The King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Book. It has a good variety of recipes and has helped me branch out to use different flours over the last few years (I have at least 10 different types of flours in my pantry right now). I bake A LOT so I like to have a go-to book for that. I adjust a lot of those recipes too, but it’s a great jumping off point.
Now I feel like I need to try that blueberry coffee cake, it looks delicious!
Oh man. I have never heard of either of the cookbooks you mentioned but they both totally seem like cookbooks we would love (my husband loves to cook too).
I am finding that crock pot recipes are not all that great. Thanks for sharing.
I kind of agree. I actually have the Southern Living slow cooking cookbook and it does have some amazing recipes!
Great choices, all Fadra. I’m more of a kitchen sink chef in that I live to make up my own recipes. However, I have a lot of cookbooks and adore just browsing them. I was a subscriber to cooking light for many years and some of my top baked goods are from it ( check out the caramel apple pie). A standby for me, though, is Good ole Joy of Cooking. That book has everything in it. Also the big Gourmet tome is a fabulous resource, as are any of the Racheal Ray or Jamie Oliver books. Happy cooking!
You know, I had the Joy of Cooking for years and never made a single thing from it. It just didn’t seem practical enough for me. I think I still have it in storage somewhere. I refuse to get rid of an old standby.
I have cookbooks #1 and #4 and love them too. I always buy the Southern Living Christmas books too, and they always have great recipes. I’m an Anne Burrell fan, and Jimmy bought me her cookbook for Christmas. I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet, but they look great.
Out of all five, I’d say the two you have are probably my favorites (although I do use the Cooking Light cookbook a lot).
That southern living cookbook is about to be added to my collection…
My favorite cookbook is the Joy of Cooking. It’s my cooking bible!
I have the number 1 and number 5 too, and those are a couple of my favorites. I just tried out a recipe 2 weeks ago from Fix it and Forget it, Mac and Cheese, the first recipe on page 202 and I’ve already made it again – delicious!!! I have 3 other cookbooks you should check out (and they’re old!): “Recipes from the Heart Cookbook” by The Pampered Chef ©1997 (they have awesome appetizers), Southern Living’s “Our Best Easy Weeknight Favorites” ©1998, and Better Homes and Gardens “America’s Best-Loved Community Recipes” ©1994. And now you have my top 5 books 🙂