Joy of Cooking [1975]
by Irma S. Rombauer (Author), Ethan Becker (Author), John Becker (Author), Marion Rombauer Becker (Author), Megan Scott (Author)
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Includes more than 4500 recipes that range from simple, everyday food to classic and gourmet dishes.Tags
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Yes, it's (sort of) middle-brow, but it's really good. If you want to start cooking but are scared of the kitchen, this book is probably the place to start. It is chock-full of digestible-sized bits of good advice. It's true, there's a great deal of information which may be extraneous, too, but after all, there are few other resources to turn to for hints on preparing opossum (a recipe I am pleased to see restored to the new 75th Anniversary edition). It speaks in plain language about dozens of matters you wouldn't think to ask until it's too late ("But I'm going to need twice that much..." "Oh no! I don't have any corn starch...!"); it's full of course of fine recipes and menus; it is democratic in the best sense, referencing most of show more the regional cuisine of the U.S.A., and best of all, speaking to the general reader in a commonsensical, non-mystifying and familiar way about the kitchen and what goes on there. At least fifty percent of cooking is not being intimidated; TJoC is a perfect Dumbo's-magic-feather to give you confidence, and a companionable guide along the way. Once you know that it isn't a disaster if the pasta overcooks a little bit, or that you can always make another batch of cookies, you can start to have fun. The great quality of TJoC is that it clearly savors its topic, and communicates this savor, all the while demystifying it. There are passages of real pleasure about the snappiness of snap peas or raw root vegetables, the succulence of seafood, the goodness of gravy, and why and how not to skip dessert. But before the pleasures of the table come those of the stove- and counter-top: Stirring, chopping, measuring, and yes, tasting. These are things everyone knows how to do, already; and aside from ingredients and heat, they are really all anyone needs to be able cook. TJoC is the perfect teacher of the secret recipe, an only apparently paradoxical blend of adventurousness with a modicum of garden-variety discipline. Cuisine is more than a matter of munching. It's a matter of consciousness-- of paying heed to what and how one takes into one's body. Which is to say, at bottom, it's a question of joy. show less
This book covered everything from basic cooking, setting a tabel to skinning a squirrel correctly. Some of the recipes are a bit dated, but provides a good foundation for anyone whether they are new to cooking or have been cooking for years.
I fell in love with this book as a young woman and still love it today. It has great information on just about anything you will want to bake or cook. It has pages of substitutions to help you out of a pinch if you realize you are out of something. It has a great index that helps you locate what you're interested in easily. I think every young woman that wants to cook or bake should have one!
This is one of the great "dear dumb housewife" books on the market. Although we own a number of cookbooks, this plays a central role in our kitchen for those out of the ordinary, or very ordinary cooking tasks that aren't covered elsewhere. A necessary addition to any kitchen.
Very helpful for some things. A great source as a reference. But such complicated recipes! Best as a supplement or reference cookbook, not an everday, what-to-make-for dinner sort of book.
CMB
CMB
A standard which I fall back on for reference more than for recipes, but still it teaches so much about ingredients and cooking techniques one can hardly do without it.
This is the best cookbook I can think of, although I've got many great ones from the French. Every time I need to look up a certain dish, I'll look in here first. But I must say I don't like the later versions; when I got one I quickly gave it away.
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Author Information
Irma S. Rombauer, Irma Rombauer was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. She is the well-known author of "The Joy of Cooking." For the first book, she depended on friends and relatives for recipes, whose experience was in German cooking and baking. She wanted to write the book for the post Depression women who had not been in their kitchens, show more were busy and not overly interested in cooking, but wanted to create a wonderful meal with minimal effort. Her style in the book was to present the recipe as a narrative with one paragraph essays that had no separate ingredient lists or instructions. Rombauer approached cooking as a necessity and covered the entire scope of kitchen procedures, making the book easy to use in a home kitchen. Her first attempt at publication took her to Indianapolis to meet with D. Laurance Chambers from Bobbs-Merrill Company. Chambers strategically rejected her during their first meeting and then persuaded Rombauer to do a revision with no advance payment or guarantee of publication. She produced a manuscript that filled fifteen notebooks, which were a combination of new and old recipes that were in her distinctive format. Rombauer naively believed that she could negotiate a contract with Chambers by herself and after weeks of well timed rages, that caused her to be ill for weeks after, Chambers got her to sign a contract the gave Bobbs-Merrill the copyright to the new edition and the original, self published edition. In subsequent contracts, Rombauer made sure that her daughter, Marion Rombauer Becker, would have editorial control in the event of her death or absence. Rombauer's daughter had her first solo effort as editor for the 1962 edition, which was just a short time before her mother's death. Marion's interests in natural and raw foods and her desire to make the book more detailed and accurate can be seen in subsequent editions. Marion's son, Than Becker, became involved in the editorship of the book and has featured contributions from many food writers. "The Joy of Cooking" now features chapters on maintaining nutrients while cooking and explains how and why certain materials commonly combined react the way they do. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Joy of Cooking [1975]
- Original title
- Joy of Cooking
- Original publication date
- 1931
- Epigraph
- That which thy fathers have bequeathed to thee, earn it anew if thou wouldst possess it. - Goethe: Faust
- Dedication
- To friends of the JOY who over the years through their countless letters and words of appreciation have made us feel that our efforts are worthwhile.
- First words
- We present you first with the front-door key to this book.
[ACKNOWLEDGMENTS] JOY has always been a family affair. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Index: As you familiarize yourself with the JOY, you will need the Index less and less and will become, in the fullest sense of Dr. Johnson's words, a know-it-all. Meanwhile, happy hunting.
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)[ACKNOWLEDGMENTS] But JOY, we hope, will always remain essentially a family affair, as well as an enterprise in which its authors owe no obligation to anyone but themselves and you.
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)[FORWARD] Choose from our offerings what suits your person your lifestyle, your pleasure; and join us in the joy of cooking. - Disambiguation notice
- This is the 1975 edition. Joy of Cooking was extensively revised around 1997 and contains significantly different material.
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Statistics
- Members
- 2,331
- Popularity
- 8,418
- Reviews
- 19
- Rating
- (4.33)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 10
- ASINs
- 12