New cookbooks are constantly released across a wide range of cooking styles and genres, from recipes geared toward novice cooks and vegan diets to deep dives into regional cuisines and holiday baking. Some cookbooks are written by beloved recipe developers, while others come from world-famous chefs. But even as we find new favorites every season, some cookbooks simply remain timeless. They’re the ones we remember as a revelation — a turning point in our kitchen journey or our understanding of ingredients, flavors, and cooking techniques.
At 13 years of age I discovered the Joy of Cooking, the book that is, the Joy was already there in it's primitive sense...lol. My folks went out for a Sunday drive, and I took the notion to make them dinner. The Joy kind of jumped out at me, so I got to work. All I can recall is that it worked out, they loved it, we still speak of t today. I still get the same pleasure cooking for others, be they friends or customers. Of course some 44 years later my style and knowledge has increased significantly. Also being an educator for almost 10 years helped me rethink my approach to recipes and cooking in general, in so much that I don't use cookbooks or recipes...
I would encourage you to go through my blog archives to find out more.
They can be found here.
In the meantime here is a short list of books I do recommend, most are not cookbooks, but more for reference and inspiration.
THE LIST I have many of these books in PDF for free for site subscribers...you may wan to join!
Being a chef or a baker is remaining teachable. Whether you graduated from cooking school years ago or have just begun your culinary journey, one way to keep expanding your education as a chef or baker is by reading acclaimed culinary books from knowledgeable sources.
While you may not be able to work under all of the industry’s most successful people, you can benefit from their decades of knowledge by reading their texts. Spending a few hours flipping through pages is an accessible way to absorb other professionals’ advice, explore their stories, and learn from their mistakes!
Cheers and have a great week!