Craig Claiborne (1920–2000)

The good thing about this book is that it has a lot of recipes, pretty much *just* recipes--no pictures, no engaging stories--so there's no filler. (I don't care how a dish looks after it's been fiddled over by a food stylist.) The down side is that many of the recipes are much heavier on the butterfat than I'm used to. Lots of butter, lots of cream. Also, some of them are a little cryptic but nothing that can't be overcome, "e.g. cook the vegetables in a small amount of boiling water." How show more much is "a small amount"? One cup? Two cups? (I guessed two cups. Everything worked.)

So--not for someone who needs incredible amounts of hand-holding or is entirely new to the concept of cooking, nor for anyone who eschews fat, but you get a lot of recipes that ought to work out with a little attention. show less

Of all the cookbooks that I have, this one ranks high as one of the priceless culinary jewels. Over the years, it has been my first reference whenever I am looking for a recipe, or an idea, especially for an entree, sauce or a dessert. The spectrum of recipes contained in this one volume accommodates a variety of personal tastes. Although first published in 1971, the recipes are still contemporary, and, in fact, many of the once obscure ingredients now are readily available throughout the show more United States, not just in metropolitan areas.

Not only are the recipes well-tested, which ensures me that I will always have a delicious and attractive result, but also, the three-fold organization of the cookbook really facilitates my recipe "excursions." The recipes themselves are collated by country, alphabetically from Armenia to the United States. A second tier of organization, by recipe title, consists of 13 "Categories" ranging from Appetizers through Beverages, and some of the Categories are further subdivided. For example, under Vegetables, recipe titles are listed by specific vegetables. The final tier of organization is a traditional index with listings both by recipe name and by critical ingredient.

This is a cookbook that can be just as valuable to a beginner as to an experienced cook. show less

Written by Craig Claiborne, with the advise and tutelage of Virginia Lee in 1972. Claiborne has given most of the recipes a simple introduction for their history or interest. They are also, within their category, marked for simple preparation to complicated. There are several color photographs of prepared dishes, but most of the book is without illustration. Some of the more complicated cooking techniques and dumpling pinching have line drawn illustrations.

This has some interesting recipes, show more some that are way more fuss than I will do, however, I did buy a bamboo steamer so that I could try some of the dumplings. We love dumplings. The only problem is the fuss of making the dough, although for many of them one can find wonton and egg roll wrappers easily enough in the store. What stood out for me in reading this, is how many of the ingredients have become standard supermarket fare compared to 1972 when this was written. Also, the internet has made getting the few things not available easy enough to order. Cool.

In comparing this to the "Yan Can Cook" by Martin Yan I read recently, the flavors are the same, but he has simplified the process to more manageable methods. There was so much waste in many of the recipes of Claiborne and Lee! show less

The one thing this book has going for it is a compendium of the author's nominations for most essential elements of a cookbook library. For the time in which it was written, it was pretty much right on. Otherwise, he was a smug little prat.