Confused which cookbooks are worth the dough? South Valley
Newspapers’ three food columnists offer up their favorites
The cookbook section of any major book retailer can be downright overwhelming. A quick flip through a few of the books reveals that a few are apparently written in some secret chef language. Others are mostly pretty pictures of food. Still others seem OK, but how can a buyer tell if the recipes will actually produce tasty meals?
To take some of the guessing out of buying a good cookbook, our very own South Valley Newspapers food columnists shared their favorites with us, also offering some helpful tips to use when standing before racks and racks of cookbooks.
Mitch L. Mariani II, author of the weekly grilling column ‘Mixed Grill’
“I don’t really have that many cookbooks. The ones I do own, I use as more of a guideline for some basic things I have never made before. One (cookbook) that stands out in my mind is called ‘The Household Searchlight Recipe Book.’ It was published by an old magazine called The Household Magazine. Here’s the kicker, though: This version was published in 1938. It was a gift from the Santa Clara County courthouse to my grandparents when they went to register to get married.
“It has a range of recipes that include breads, fresh fruits and cakes. It also includes sections on canning and preserving, and candies, which I think are not as common in full-encompassing cookbooks published now.
“I also like a cookbook by Rick Bayless called ‘Mexico: One Plate at a Time.’ It’s really good and it’s got classic Mexican food recipes in it, not just recipes for the kind of Mexican food you’d typically find in restaurants. One of my favorite recipes in this book helped me learn how to properly make a good, fluffy, not-too-dense masa for tamales.
“I always say that recipes are only guidelines; they’re not set in stone. So, I like to use cookbooks to help me along in areas I’m not familiar with, like the candy recipes in my grandmother’s cookbook. I always appreciate when cookbooks teach me about new techniques or explain a different way of cooking things. There’s a cookbook coming out next year from the French Culinary Institute called ‘The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Cuisine’ that I’m really looking forward to reading. I think I’ll learn a lot from it, and I’m pretty sure it’s going to end up being one of my favorites, too.”
David Cox, author of the weekly
wine column ‘Wine Guy’
“I have a few cookbooks in my home and a few that I have loaned to folks. Mostly, I experiment with food and watch others intently so I can learn and steal a few recipes. I love the Food Network! Three cookbooks I enjoy are:
n ‘Mexico: One Plate at Time’ by Rick Bayless. I saw his show with the same name on PBS, which prompted me to buy it. This guy loves everything about Mexico – like me – and it shows in his tribute to Mexican food, the culture and its people. (The book is) authentic with some contemporary twists, not just typical enchilada stuff.
n ‘The New Moosewood Cookbook’ by Mollie Katzen. This is a great simple, healthy, vegetarian cookbook. It’s homespun with approachable recipes using common, easy-to-find ingredients. My favorite recipe from another one of her books was a recipe for spanikopita.
n ‘Simple French Food’ by Richard Olney. I’m just starting to get into this one; a friend just gave it to me. It’s classic French food. I have not explored this food arena too much, but I heard this guy is one of the best.”
Elizabeth Gage, author of the weekly
food column ‘Thought for Food’
“My favorite cookbook is the 1961 edition of ‘The New York Times Cookbook’ by Craig Claiborne. It was reprinted several times; I happen to have three copies! The reason it’s my favorite is that, even though the photos are by now hilariously dated, it’s thorough and covers all the basic things one would want to cook without an overwhelming amount of detail, such as I find in the ‘Joy of Cooking’ or Julia Child’s books.
“I first used (this book) as a teenager when I was infatuated with Greece and wanted to make moussaka. It was also my first source for a scone recipe. I still refer to it for roast beef, vinaigrette, pie crust, biscuits and the annual turkey. This is the one book I would take with me to a foreign country or a desert island. Because it is so old, it doesn’t require many ‘convenience’ ingredients that might be hard to find elsewhere. While it covers methods and preparations for various expensive foods – such as foie gras, lobster and chestnuts – it is not the least bit high falutin.'”
