What was the best cookbook you ever purchased/borrowed and why?

Mine was "The Cook's Illustrated Guide To Grilling And Barbecue: A Practical Guide for the Outdoor Cook". I grilled the BEST steak using their instructions. I checked it out from the local library but I plan on purchasing it later.|||I didn鈥檛 know how to cook at all when I started my new career as a stay-at-home mom. I had to learn fast, and so I watched as much of Alton Brown鈥檚 Good Eats as I could. I also bought his book (well, all three of them). While they may not be fancy gourmet foods, they have all been tasty recipes, and they are reliable and straightforward.



I like that he explains how to use different tools and different methods for cooking and baking. Knowing the reasons that he included certain ingredients or steps makes it much easier to substitute or modify a recipe, and I love that he includes a list of the needed "hardware" such as a cooling rack, stand mixer, or non-metallic mixing bowl for a recipe. Having the books around makes me much more confident in the kitchen and I have learned so much from them.|||but I would say FORUM FEASTS. I find the best recipes come from cookbooks put out by locals....church, schools...etc. In these , most of the recipes are family favorites and are tried and true.

FORUM FEASTS was put out in 1973 ( revised edition) by The Forum School in Ridgewood, New Jersey. For some reason, every recipe that I have tried has always been good and I find myself going back to this one cookbook when I have a mental block as to what to serve.

When it is time for a Housewarming present, or something like a Bridal Shower, this is the cookbook that I will most inevitably put in a basket with an assortment of cooking supplies. Everyone who receives it , says that it is their favorite of all their cookbooks.

If the question pertained to a type of cooking or baking, I am not too sure that I could just name one cookbook. Then you are getting into different types and areas of cooking. But that is a good question considering that you picked a grilling and barbeque cookbook.

I can't wait to see what others have as their first pick....maybe I have it ? ( Doubt it...gave up collecting a few years ago. Plus, I can find so many new recipes on the computer....why spend the money and take up more space?)|||I know that probably sounds like a joke, but my sister and I used this cookbook (good Lord, has it really been 40+ years ago?) and we both still love and prepare favorite recipes from it.



My absolute personal favorite is the recipe for tuna burgers.....go ahead, get the book and see if you don't just love them.



I will also never live down the time I tried to prepare a "Drum Cake" for my Mom's birthday one year. The cake itself didn't taste too bad. It was the decoration which was my downfall. The cookbook had a lovely full-color illustration of a beautifully iced cake which was then decorated with candy cane sticks and maraschino cherries to look like a big bass drum. Well.......I tore up the cake so bad trying to put the icing on, that I finally had to just mash up the candy cane sticks and sprinkle them liberally all over the cake to hide the gaping holes and little squished-up bits of cake.



Mom, being ever the domestic diplomat, finally managed to wipe the tears of hilarity from her eyes and actually sit down and eat the cake. Dad %26amp; my sister were laughing so hard I don't think they ever did manage to taste it......|||The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters. It has some recipes but mostly gets you started on making your own. It gives you the basics from choosing knives and kitchen tools to stocking your pantry then it goes on to how to create a salad, how to roast a chicken, how to make a soup etc. All the basics which you can take to create anything you can imagine. This book makes such a great wedding or engagement gift.|||I have fallen in love with this one! It's something so simple, yet everyone thinks that you've spent ALL day in the kitchen!! To beat all, there's several books in the series...I have the "101 More Things to Do with a Slow Cooker" and I gave a couple of these books out as gifts last year for Christmas.|||I still have to say The joy of cooking. I have gone through several copies. It is the best source of everything that has to do with cooking.|||Either the Betty Crocker cookbook or The Better Homes and Gardens cookbook-those both have recipes for everything you would ever want to make starting from the basics :)