Cookbooks You Actually Use/Revisit at Home to Cook?

LSpainKing on 09/08/2022 - 17:36

Hey everybody,

Was just wondering what cookbooks you keep coming back to and any suggestions for the best ones. Already have a few but thought the OzBargain consensus would be valuable seeing as so many cookbooks are tailored for US markets with ingredients that might not be readily available here

If you want to share why you like it so much (a stand-out recipe, the presentation, you learned something) feel free. Knowing whether you use it as a cookbook or a learning aid could also be helpful (e.g I'm reading The Food Lab but more so as a book than something to source recipes for dinner)

Thanks for any suggestions

Food & Grocery Cookbook

Comments

  • Hybroid on 09/08/2022 - 17:40
    +2

    I'm terrible at cooking but looking to improve and quite like Joshua Weissman's daily videos whom also has a $24 cookbook available.

    https://www.youtube.com/c/JoshuaWeissman/videos

    https://www.bigw.com.au/product/an-unapologetic-cookbook-by-…

    The recipes are relatively accessible for average person and easy to follow and try at home with basic tools.

    There's a fair bit of childish cringe acting to endure with his videos though, but the content is pretty good.

    • SpainKing on 09/08/2022 - 17:57

      No chef myself, just like trying to make something tasty and nutritious once a week

      I've bought his book but not read through it yet. I thought the "Unapologetic" in the title meant he was going all out and not holding back making the recipes complex or hard to source but s'pose I was misinformed. Cheers for sharing and providing links

  • Crow K on 09/08/2022 - 17:56
    +1

    "The Basics" by Anthony Telford is my go-to bible (and at close to 600 pages it is almost Biblical in proportions)

    Zero glossy pictures, just all the (basic) recipes on one page and then additional tips/substitutions/alternate treatments on the facing page. Great font, layout, aesthetic. Feels like the book has been designed to be scribbled on and added to (but of course, that would be Book Crime).

    https://www.amazon.com.au/Basics-Really-Useful-really-cookbo…

    • SpainKing on 09/08/2022 - 18:06
      +1

      That's a lot of basics. I've never heard of Anthony Telford but a great suggestion, with only 4 reviews on Amazon it's just the sort of thing I was hoping to find.

      Have any of his recipes ever disappointed?
      What're your favourites?

      • Crow K on 09/08/2022 - 18:11
        +1

        I've never been disappointed with any of the base recipes (I always make a point of cooking the 'template' meal before adding my little flourishes and experiments), but I've made plenty of poor decisions while riffing on established themes (note to self, no more beetroot in cheese-based gnocci dishes).

        I treat the book as a "oh okay, so that's what moussaka is" experience, if I'm ever curious as to what makes up something I've never tried or heard of.

        I feel like my preferred shakshuka recipe came from this book (but if it didn't, let's lock in something pedestrian like "cottage pie" as a favourite).

        • SpainKing on 09/08/2022 - 18:28
          +1

          Very smart, always good to see what the expectation is before you add your own spin on it. Then you can compare whether basic is best or CrowReally's homestyle reigns supreme. I reckon we all have that ingredient we just can't help trying to include in every dish (sesame seeds and bacon for me)

          Only had shakshuka once at a cafe and it was pretty enjoyable but I'm still waiting on one to knock my socks off so I'll have to give it a go

          Along with their cottage pie ;)

          • Crow K on 10/08/2022 - 08:58

            @SpainKing: I reckon shakshuka could very comfortably take some sesame seeds and bacon! Give it a go!

  • Nugs on 09/08/2022 - 18:03
    +2

    'Cook with Confidence' first published in 1965 by Rigby so you can imagine it might be considered bland by todays multicultural standards. It was my mum's home economics book.
    Page 9 in bold - Never use an asbestos mat on any boiling plate; it is harmful to the element. Righto
    Mainly used for desserts; jam tarts, spanish cream etc
    .

    • SpainKing on 09/08/2022 - 18:16
      +1

      Unfortunately it looks like they've updated to the 2013 version on Amazon but sounds like it had some useful tips. Today's generation will never know the dangers asbestos mats pose to those defenceless boiling plate elements

  • MeesusEff on 09/08/2022 - 18:20
    +1

    I dont usually bother with recipe books anymore as i get annoyed by reading recipes i dont have the ingredients for (herbs and spices wise) and that i wouldnt use for anything else. I do like to browse / follow and save recipes i see on instagram that i can do at home. I like cjeats, christieathome, pete_eatss, iankewks, and now random ones will pop up on my feed since ive been watching recipe videos. I just play around with whatever ingredients i have at home but use those recipes as a base.

    I made an insta account just for that, not really a social social media person

    • SpainKing on 09/08/2022 - 18:38

      That annoys me too, that's why I was hoping this would be a good forum to discuss books you regularly revisit/use to cook because you normally have most of the ingredients in that case or they're accessible enough to keep going back to

      I don't use Instagram but I appreciate the alternative suggestion. I just never know whether to trust a meal made to appeal in a short-form video format. Hope others can use them as effectively as it sounds like you are

      Do you ever revisit any of their recipes or you like to experiment with something new every time?

  • BHR on 09/08/2022 - 18:21
    +9

    https://www.recipetineats.com/

    Haven’t had a bad recipe yet. A cookbook is in the works, but honestly recipe + video + golden retriever is better than a book. Good for learning as you can see the steps in the video and they’ve been consistently great, so if it didn’t work it was something I did.

    • SpainKing on 09/08/2022 - 18:31

      Oh I love to use Nagi's recipes as inspiration. Didn't know she was working on a cookbook but you've got me excited now. I was hoping for some of these suggestions tailored to Australia and Nagi really understands what's available and what's not

    • thatonethere on 09/08/2022 - 18:37

      This is a good source

    • Yola on 11/08/2022 - 19:10

      I have tried many of her recipes. Love the Laksa and pumpkin soup which is amazingly easy yet flavorful.

  • PumpkinHater on 09/08/2022 - 18:32
    +1

    The cook's bible! Best cooking book I have ever come across.

  • mskeggs on 09/08/2022 - 20:55
    +1

    Traditionally in AU, the Margaret Fulton cookbook (and the CWA cookbook). These are very good for things like custards, pavlovas, scones, fruit cake - things that need specific direction that aren't cooked everyday. The brick sized Stephanie Alexander book is also ok for having a recipe for everything.

    We got the Hello Fresh for a few weeks on the promo, and their recipes were good for ideas.
    These are all day to day things.
    My most frequent reference is the folder full of hand written recipes from Mum, torn out recipes from magazines and newspapers, and photocopies from friends books of something we liked. It's about 4cm thick, and has taken 30 years to get to. In the kitchen there is sometimes the question "where is that meatball recipe with the fennel?" "About 3/4 of the way through, with the chorizo pasta one on the back." or something similar.
    I reckon most recipe books only have a handful of recipes you would ever cook twice.

    I agree with you that US recipes are garbage (add a can of this and a can of this with a packet of something else, ta da!)

    • Yola on 11/08/2022 - 19:13

      The food delivery recipes are good for quick meals. They specialise in designing them that way.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/08/2022 - 22:45

    Greg Doucette's ultimate anabolic cookbook calories in calories ouuuuutt

  • ThithLord on 10/08/2022 - 08:45

    Jamie Oliver's 5 Ingredient meals is awesome. Each recipe is 5 ingredients (excluding herbs/salts/peppers etc). It's really good.

  • Yola on 11/08/2022 - 19:21

    When I was learning to cook I had a small book written by
    Charmaine Solomon of Chinese recipes. I cooked many over the years and still do.

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