If you are a newbie to the cooking world, head over to your local library and checkout a few of these cookbooks. I hope you love them as much as I do:o)
Each night I read my book of choice and flip through a cookbook to get some new ideas. These are just a few of my favorite cookbooks that I use all the time:
Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Volume One by Julia Child,
cowritten by Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck
The book that started it all for lots of foodies:o)
Made it's claim to fame in the movie "Julie & Julia" based on the book by Julie Powell
The Williams Sonoma Cookbook edited by Chuck Williams
I find myself flipping through this book again and again to look for a unique recipe.
There's a lot of spins on classics, not one is difficult to make.
Williams Sonoma Weeknight Fresh + Fast Cookbook by Kristine Kidd
This is currently one of my most useful cookbooks.
Every recipe is simple, without taking up a lot of time to make.
My favorite feature of the book is that the recipes are divided up into seasons.
Have you ever found an awesome recipe that calls for tomatoes, zucchini or a dessert that has peaches in it?
Those ingredients are most delicious in the summertime, so that would be a recipe to make during the summer months. This cookbook tells you what ingredients are suited for each season.
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook Collection by Ina Garten
I'm lucky enough to have the whole collection of her cookbooks. They include:
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
The Barefoot Contessa Parties
and
The Barefoot Contessa Family Style
What can I say, Ina is a genius. She brings food to life, creating art.
I love when she says, "How easy is that?" (also the title of her newest cookbook)
She uses a lot of fresh ingredients that really give great taste to each recipe.
I would easily use this recipe if I was having some very important guests coming over for dinner.
The All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook edited by Julie Fisher Gunter
aahhh....the ultimate comfort food bible.
really, is there anything better than real, true southern cooking?? I think not.
I like to think that this is where Paula Deen got a lot of her inspirations.
This cookbook has over 1,250 recipes of honest-to-goodness delicious food.
There's lots of tips and pictures and it even includes the nutritional value for each recipe (gulp...beware of the Best Southern Fried Chicken, even though it is goooooddddddd).
Calling all gals who have Italian boyfriends!!!
I have come to terms with the fact that I'll never be able to come close to making Nick's mom's pasta sauce. However, I sure as heck will try time and time again.
And what can I say, I love me some Italian food.
Pasta.
Seafood.
Tiramisu.
oh my!
Those wonderful folks down South sure have their work cut out for them because the Italians really know how to cook!
This cookbook is divided into course sections and each recipe corresponds with a different region of Italy. It gives you some great tips and techniques and, best of all,
it tells you what vino to pair the recipe with!
Mangia!
I would like you all to know, I did not leave out my dear friend Ms. Paula Deen, but I do find myself using all of her cookbooks and not just one in particular. Y'all can also find a lot of her recipes online at:
