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Cookbooks

The 10 best-ever cookbooks

This month is all about back to school, but while the kids are packing their knapsacks with new books for the school year, you too can get a fresh start by picking up one of these top 10 cookbooks of all time.
The 10 best-ever cookbooks

10 best cookbooks of all time

Must-have cookbooks

From phone book-thick tomes to a first taste of veggie cuisine, these essential cookbooks suit just about every skill-set and taste level.

Here are ten must-have cookbooks:

The 10 best-ever cookbooks

The Joy of Cooking (1975 & 2004 anniversary ed.)

Author Irma Rombauer started collecting recipes from friends, which eventually evolved into this mammoth collection. It taught a generation of North Americans how to cook, and remains the handiest book around.

The Joy of Cooking (1975, and 2006 75th anniversary edition)

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Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961, Vol.1, 1970, Vol.2)

If The Joy of Cooking got us in the kitchen, Julia Child’s first books taught us a true love of fine food, from acing French sauces to wowing guests with spun-sugar desserts. There’s no better feeling than the triumph of mastering your first Hollandaise!

Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Volume 1, 1961, Volume 2, 1970)

The Essential New York Times Cook Book (1961)

Craig Claiborne, the longtime food editor of the New York Times, amassed a series of delicious and doable recipes during his decades at the newspaper, many from now-famous chefs and cookbook authors he discovered, such as Madhur Jaffrey. These eclectic recipes still hold up today, all the more so in the 2010 update, The Essential New York Times Cookbook, by Amanda Hesser.

The Essential New York Times Cook Book

Moosewood Cookbook (1977)

Borne of the earth-loving cuisine served at author Mollie Katzen’s Ithaca, NY restaurant, this cookbook is where most of us first learned to cook tofu and lentils. From caramelized onion gravy to a veggie lasagna my friend used to make us at university that is still her signature dish, the ingredients lists may be long, but once you’ve invested in the Moosewood pantry, you’re set for months of hearty vegetarian cooking.

Moosewood Cookbook (1977)

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The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999)

So long as you’re not concerned with your cardiac health, Ina Garten’s first book is still her best. Her maple scones are to die for, and all the recipes are fairly simple and always crowd-worthy. Colourful, fresh and full of flavour, she taught us that there’s nothing that a pound of butter and two cups of mayo can’t fix!

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999)

Plenty (2011)

This book stakes its claim for making vegetables exciting again by way of vibrant Middle Eastern spicing and flavour combos like tahini and pomegranate. Yotam Ottolenghi’s terrific books mean kids will not longer be sneaking Rover their cauliflower under the table anymore. 

The 10 best-ever cookbooks

Ad Hoc at Home (2009)

If Thomas Keller’s seminal cookbook The French Laundry is more for looking than doing, this book brings the expertise down to the weekday kitchen warrior level. Be it perfectly flakey biscuits or chicken pot pies, now you can cook like a chef – at home.

The 10 best-ever cookbooks

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Essentials of Italian Cooking (1992)

At over 700 pages, virtually everything you’d ever want to know about classic Italian cooking is in this big book. Think of it as Italiano shorthand for making authentic gnocchi, risotto, fresh pastas and sooo much more.

The 10 best-ever cookbooks

The Silver Palate (1982)

With over two million copies sold (and counting) – how many of us have made their famous Chicken Marbella recipe? Many circa-80s recipes have become family traditions.

The 10 best-ever cookbooks

Martha's Entertaining cookbook (2011)

Practically a thesis on how to entertain, while the elaborate setups may not be achievable, this year-in-the-life party approach is definitely inspirational. One of many Martha books; she deserves a spot on the list for making us all try a little harder. (She’s our favourite frenemy.)What are some of your all-time favourite cookbooks?

The 10 best-ever cookbooks

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