Books on cooking (as opposed to cookbooks)

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Darryl L. Pierc

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What are you favorite books on cooking? Not cook books per se, but books related to the subject of
cooking? I picked up from the library _A World Of Curries_ by Dewitt and Pais and am enjoying it
immensely. I also have read about half of _The Art of Eating_ by MKF Fisher and am enjoying that as
well. Both have the obligatory recipes, but they're not exclusively recipe books.

I've seen Alton Brown thumbing through _Of Food And Cooking_ (I think that's the title) and would
like to find a copy. Any opinions on this one?

--
Darryl L. Pierce <[email protected]> Visit the Infobahn Offramp - <http://mypage.org/mcpierce>
"What do you care what other people think, Mr. Feynman?"
 
Darryl L. Pierce wrote:

> What are you favorite books on cooking? Not cook books per se, but books related to the subject of
> cooking? I picked up from the library _A World Of Curries_ by Dewitt and Pais and am enjoying it
> immensely. I also have read about half of _The Art of Eating_ by MKF Fisher and am enjoying that
> as well. Both have the obligatory recipes, but they're not exclusively recipe books.
>
> I've seen Alton Brown thumbing through _Of Food And Cooking_ (I think that's the title) and would
> like to find a copy. Any opinions on this one?
>

My favorites in this vein are

Cookwise How to Read a French Fry Culinary Artistry On Food and Cooking

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com
 
Jeffrey Steingarten -- The Man Who Ate Everything and It Must Have Been Something I Ate

The Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher

The Best Food Writing series -- 2001, 2002, and 2003. I love food writing and I have received the
Best of Food Writing books for the past few Christmases. I really enjoy these books and they are a
great introduction to different authors.

Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin

Tara
 
On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 22:02:42 GMT, "Darryl L. Pierce"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>What are you favorite books on cooking? Not cook books per se, but books related to the subject of
>cooking? I picked up from the library _A World Of Curries_ by Dewitt and Pais and am enjoying it
>immensely. I also have read about half of _The Art of Eating_ by MKF Fisher and am enjoying that as
>well. Both have the obligatory recipes, but they're not exclusively recipe books.
>
>I've seen Alton Brown thumbing through _Of Food And Cooking_ (I think that's the title) and would
>like to find a copy. Any opinions on this one?

Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking

Anything by John Thorne

Christine
 
I've been a professional chef in La Jolla, CA and have to tell you the best books I've read have
been older ones stating the basics. That said, I find there is nothing like experience. To know how
a certain dough feels when it conforms to your fingers, to understand if you add this to that, it
equals either a mess or a maginificence. You get the feel of things, it's hard to describe. You get
there by alot of 'oh ****, who's going to eat this' to 'This is really good'. I've been cooking for
over 20 years so it's all second nature to me, but you have to start somewhere. So just start. It's
a little physics, a little hard work and a lot of fun. Make mistakes and make fools of us all.

Susan

"Darryl L. Pierce" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> What are you favorite books on cooking? Not cook books per se, but books related to the subject of
> cooking? I picked up from the library _A World
Of
> Curries_ by Dewitt and Pais and am enjoying it immensely. I also have read about half of _The Art
> of Eating_ by MKF Fisher and am enjoying that as well. Both have the obligatory recipes, but
> they're not exclusively recipe books.
>
> I've seen Alton Brown thumbing through _Of Food And Cooking_ (I think
that's
> the title) and would like to find a copy. Any opinions on this one?
>
> --
> Darryl L. Pierce <[email protected]> Visit the Infobahn Offramp -
> <http://mypage.org/mcpierce> "What do you care what other people think, Mr. Feynman?"
 
On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 22:02:42 GMT, "Darryl L. Pierce"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>What are you favorite books on cooking?

Anything written by Julia Child.
 
On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 22:02:42 GMT, "Darryl L. Pierce"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>What are you favorite books on cooking? Not cook books per se, but books related to the subject of
>cooking? I picked up from the library _A World Of Curries_ by Dewitt and Pais and am enjoying it
>immensely. I also have read about half of _The Art of Eating_ by MKF Fisher and am enjoying that as
>well. Both have the obligatory recipes, but they're not exclusively recipe books.

I just got 'The Kitchen Detective' by Christopher Kimball (of 'Cook's Illustrated') at the library.
It pins down a lot of "why do this?" and "which is best?" questions. Very useful.
 
Darryl L. Pierce wrote:
> What are you favorite books on cooking? Not cook books per se, but books related to the subject of
> cooking? I picked up from the library _A World Of Curries_ by Dewitt and Pais and am enjoying it
> immensely. I also have read about half of _The Art of Eating_ by MKF Fisher and am enjoying that
> as well. Both have the obligatory recipes, but they're not exclusively recipe books.
>
> I've seen Alton Brown thumbing through _Of Food And Cooking_ (I think that's the title) and would
> like to find a copy. Any opinions on this one?
>

I was the fortunate recipient of two wonderful books within the last year, both of them describing
the travels of a gourmet/epicure (a different one in each book), to all sorts of wonderful meals.

The books are

"A Pike In The Basement" by Simon Loftus, North Point Press 1989

"Blue Trout And Black Truffles" by Joseph Wechsberg, Academy Chicago Publishers, 1985, first
published by Knopf, 1954

There are no recipes in either of the books, just the most delightful descriptions of
memorable meals.
 
On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 22:02:42 GMT, "Darryl L. Pierce"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>What are you favorite books on cooking? Not cook books per se, but books related to the subject
>of cooking?

The best set of book about food in general, are the "Culinaria" series of published by Konneman
Publishing (Germany). Theres about 9-10 in the set, each speciailizing in trhe cuisines of a country
or region. Together they weigh in at probably 100+ pounds of reading, some recipes, and lots of
excellent pictures and descriptions.

-sw
 
Darryl L. Pierce wrote:

> What are you favorite books on cooking? Not cook books per se, but books related to the subject of
> cooking? I picked up from the library _A World Of Curries_ by Dewitt and Pais and am enjoying it
> immensely. I also have read about half of _The Art of Eating_ by MKF Fisher and am enjoying that
> as well. Both have the obligatory recipes, but they're not exclusively recipe books.
>
> I've seen Alton Brown thumbing through _Of Food And Cooking_ (I think that's the title) and would
> like to find a copy. Any opinions on this one?
>

Most of my books on cooking (not cookbooks) are in Italian. One I like is "A Mediterranean Feast" by
Clifford Wright: a little too big to be enjoyed though. I also bought "Near Thousand Tables" by
felipe Armesto, didn't start it yet but looks good. Cookbooks: I love all those by Nick Malgieri,
the best baker! Hey, nobody is voting for my book.... :-(

Ciao, Anna Maria

www.annamariavolpi.com
 
"Darryl L. Pierce" <[email protected]> wrote in message ...
> What are you favorite books on cooking? Not cook books per se, but books related to the subject of
> cooking? I picked up from the library _

The Way To Cook by Julia Child (gives good basics to build on) How To Read a French Fry by Russ
Parsons (food science made simple)

Ed [email protected] http://pages.cthome.net/edhome
 
Michael Ruhlman has two books I thoroughly enjoy:

The Making of a Chef -- Ruhlman entered the Culinary Institute and followed the program through from
start to finish.

The Soul of a Chef -- the first third of the book covers the Certified Master Chef exam at the
Culinary Institute. The second third follows a Cleveland chef. The last third covers Thomas Keller
and his French Laundry restaurant. The Certified Master Chef section is really exciting.

Tara
 
>On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 22:02:42 GMT, "Darryl L. Pierce"
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>What are you favorite books on cooking? Not cook books per se, but books related to the subject of
>>cooking?

I am tagging on here, as I remembered another good one for this. On Rue Tatin, by Susan Hermann
Louis. Good recipes in there too, but this is about her life in France.

Another one I really like is Honey From A Weed, by Patience Gray.

And if you can find it, and I do think it is has been reprinted in the past few years, a good one is
James Beard's rememberances of growing up: Delights and Prejudices. Has some wonderful recipes in
there as well, but it is much more than a cookbook.

Christine
 
Christine Dabney <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

>
>>On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 22:02:42 GMT, "Darryl L. Pierce" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>What are you favorite books on cooking? Not cook books per se, but books related to the subject
>>>of cooking?
>
> I am tagging on here, as I remembered another good one for this. On Rue Tatin, by Susan Hermann
> Louis. Good recipes in there too, but this is about her life in France.
>
> Another one I really like is Honey From A Weed, by Patience Gray.
>
> And if you can find it, and I do think it is has been reprinted in the past few years, a good one
> is James Beard's rememberances of growing up: Delights and Prejudices. Has some wonderful recipes
> in there as well, but it is much more than a cookbook.
>
> Christine
>

Another interesting read, if you've never seen it before, is _The Alice
B. Toklas Cookbook_ first published in 1954. It's somewhat of a diary chronicling her life with
Gertrude Stein while living in Europe, along with assorted recipes.

Wayne
 
On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 13:15:23 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
>Another interesting read, if you've never seen it before, is _The Alice
>B. Toklas Cookbook_ first published in 1954. It's somewhat of a diary chronicling her life with
> Gertrude Stein while living in Europe, along with assorted recipes.
>
>Wayne

I had that book, but put it in storage when I packed up my house to start travel nursing.
It was good.

Christine
 
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