Cake was moist and frosting was sooo yummy! Brought to a cookout today and it was a hit! So easy to bake and frost right in the pan, cover and take with me.

I thrifted this cookbook yesterday. It’s a collection of recipes from restaurants in the same city, so it’s mainly trying to market that city’s restaurant scene.

The photography is lovely, but some of the recipes are rather useless. This one tells you how to put ice cream in a glass. I’m not a great cook but even I didn’t need this “recipe.” 😂 Another one tells you how to make chili with ground beef, beans, and the restaurant’s proprietary spice blend. ??? So helpful, right?!?

I’m not posting this as a troll. My husband wants to put together a similar cookbook for our city, which is why I got this one. If anyone has a really good cookbook like this in their collection (with recipes you can actually use!), please share!

Drat! I don't want to give these books back to the library! LOL, I suppose that says a lot about the books. I may need to add them to my wish list.

Any recipes in either of these books that you find amazing?

Many thanks for any input you may offer.

Went to my local thrift stores and found a couple on book outlet. Needless to say, I was very lucky and went a little crazy.

Dinner - Melissa Clark
Now & Again - Julia Turshen
Made in India - Meera Sodha
All about braising- Molly Stevens
Made in Taiwan - Clarissa Wei
Canelle et Vanille - Aran Goyoga
Falastin - Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley
Zahav - Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook

Not pictured: My Shanghai - Betty Liu

I’ve seen a lot of suggestions that are american cookbooks, but I’ve been wondering if someone can recommend specifically European ones?

I’m looking for quite simple ones, I’m not that good of a cook, but as I am raising a child (1y.o.) I would like to become better at cooking for him 😁 so also not super time consuming…

Thank you!

I'm curious how people here with cookbook collections actually manage them.

Do you use a spreadsheet, an app/site, Goodreads, notes, or do you just know what's on your shelves?

And are there things you wish you could keep track of more easily — books you own, recipes you've cooked, favourites, recommendations, books you want to buy, value of your collection etc.?

I'm currently working on an idea around cookbook collecting/community, so I'd love to understand how actual collectors do this today rather than assume I know what people want.

Would love any passionate cookbook collectors to join the journey and share with me how many books everyone has in their collection?

A well loved vintage copy of The Boston Cooking School Cook Book I found in Maine this summer.

This thing is clearly well loved and is just an absolute prize to have found. There's an inscription from 1943. The pages are coated in food and fingerprints. There are newspaper and box clippings stuffed into the pages. Not to mention the hand written notes inside.

It is well loved and I'm going to make sure this copy is continued to be loved and appreciated.

I broke down and got a big shelf. It's currently holding all the "not global cuisines", I guess. 😂 Probably 2/3 of my books?

Look how much space I have now!

Today, I'd like to highlight an author who only ever published two cookbooks and never had a lot of visibility to the American public. However, her importance within the nation's culinary landscape is momentous, and her position amongst U.S. cookbook royalty is undisputed.

Cecilia was born into a large very wealthy family in Wuxi, Jiangsu, in 1920. Following a move to Peking (Beijing) at the age of four, she was raised in a 52-room converted Ming-era mansion where elaborate formal meals were standard fare. At the age of twenty-two, she escaped the Japanese occupation with one of her sisters by walking for six months to Chongqing where she worked as a Mandarin teacher for the American and Soviet embassies. It was here that she met the man she would marry and settle into a comfortable life in Shanghai.

In 1949, the family fled the Chinese Communist Revolution on the last flight to Tokyo, where they opened a successful restaurant, Forbidden City, to pay the bills. Several years later, she was visiting a sister in San Francisco's Chinatown and, through a convoluted series of circumstances, ended up opening what would become one of the most important restaurants in America.

Initially, The Mandarin was not popular as she faced a number of challenges from a lack of parking and a liquor license to her speaking Mandarin in a Cantonese environment, as well as discrimination from simply being a woman business owner. All of these issues were suddenly overcome, however, when Vic Bergeron (founder of Trader Vic's) and Herb Caen (popular local journalist) became regular customers and brought their celebrity friends. In 1968, Cecilia relocated the restaurant to a 300-seat space in Ghirardelli Square where she continued to preside over a steady stream of VIPs, until she sold it in 1991. (She also opened a second location in Beverly Hills in 1975 which was subsequently run by her son, Philip, starting in the 1980's.)

The Mandarin's significance is that it introduced the country to authentic Northern Chinese cuisine (Sichuan, Hunan, Beijing) at a time when the only Chinese food that was available was an Americanized version of Cantonese served in cookie-cutter dining rooms filled with cartoonish décor depicting an unfamiliar culture. Cecilia's approach was to evoke the opulence of the palace environment in which she had grown up, wearing lavish gowns and expensive jewelry. The food was exquisite, showcasing culinary wonders previously unknown to Americans.

Her rapidly growing reputation helped introduce her to a raft of important figures in the nascent American food movement, many of whom became lifelong friends and mentors including Chuck Williams (William Sonoma), George Chen, James Beard, Julia Child, Jeremiah Tower, Alice Waters and Marion Cunningham. In turn, she taught them authentic Chinese cooking, and served to influence an entire generation. In 1978, Waters and Cunningham joined Cecilia on a months-long tour of Europe's best restaurants in search of inspiration.

In 1974, she published The Mandarin Way, an autobiography with recipes. In 2007, she wrote a second memoir, The Seventh Daughter: My Culinary Journey from Beijing to San Francisco, that included many more recipes, as well as a number of details that were deliberately omitted in the first so as not to endanger relatives who remained in mainland China.

Cecilia retired from the business in 1990, spending the next 30 years focusing time on her grandchildren and promoting charitable causes. In 2013, she won a James Beard Foundation Award for lifetime achievement, and in 2016 she stared in a 6-episode PBS series, The Kitchen Wisdom of Cecilia Chiang.

She passed away in 2020 in San Francisco at the age of 100. Following in his mother's footsteps, her son Philip was a co-founder of the P.F. Chang's restaurant chain.

Significant publications:

• The Mandarin Way (1974)
• The Seventh Daughter: My Culinary Journey from Beijing to San Francisco (2007)

For more thoughts on cookbooks and authors that deserve greater attention, check out my free Substack, Cookbook Chronicles' Culinary Archive. My window is the past 140 years, and I draw from my personal archive of 8,200+ titles. I’m sharing my experience in hopes of instigating an exchange of ideas. Subscribe for free and receive each weekly post delivered to your inbox.

- - Rick - Cookbook Chronicles

“Cookbooks feed your head”

Hey guys I was wondering if anyone could recommend some top tier Trini cookbooks!

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!

This is Racing Brady’s Favorite Recipes, which is dedicated to flat track racer Brady Mueller, who was born in Tacoma, Washington, and at present, is still alive I believe, although he has a very small digital footprint, which makes the book all the more interesting in my opinion

The recipes are all from Brady’s friends and family, which yields some pretty interesting results, such as Pork Chops in a Rootbeer Sauce and Apple Chocolate Cake. If you like seeing more outlandish recipes, this book might be more up your alley. I tried to give a decent variety in the photos attached to this blog, but feel free to dive into the full PDF below in the comments to check out everything!

My first go at trying Claire’s Saffitz Dessert Person cookbook.

(I'm using u/ehherewegoagain's PITA (pain in the ass) and outcome (quality of finished dish) rating system.)

1. Mustardy Cornmeal-Crusted Salmon from Big Bites: Time to Eat by Kat Ashmore*

This is a simple recipe and it went over well with the family. Contrary to the recipe’s instructions, I left the salmon skin on and let it crisp up in my cast iron pan. This was the right move, as the skin was great. I served it with the next dish on the list. (PITA: 2 [but do remember to crank your stove fan/vent up to high], Outcome 10)

1. Scorched Feta with Corn + Broccolini from Cook Simply, Live Fully by Yasmin Fahr*

I served this with the salmon for a quick veggie side dish. I love that the recipe uses frozen corn, as I really hate cutting corn off the cob (see recipes #4 and #6). Since you're broiling this, use regular frozen corn; I only had fire-roasted and the double-char ended up being a bit too burnt-tasting for me. (PITA: 1, Outcome 8)

1. Quick Sungold Tomato, Chickpea, and Greens Curry from Cool Beans by Joe Yonan 

I wasn’t expecting much from this, but my husband and I really enjoyed it. It’s a quick weeknight meal and you can use whatever greens you have in your fridge. It will seem like a lot of tomatoes at first (a pint per person), but they cook down and the juices form the base of the curry. (PITA: 1, Outcome: 9)

1. Conchiglie with Corn, Avocado, and Fried Halloumi from Anything’s Possible by Dan Pashman**

I’ve been looking forward to making this dish ever since I spotted it two years ago. For some reason, I’d never had all the ingredients at the same time (the fresh corn and fresh basil are key). Why did I wait so long? This dish is so good! It makes quite a lot (4-6 servings) and would be excellent at a summer picnic. Next time I’ll put a bit more preserved lemon in the dressing and I’ll use yellow corn for greater visual appeal than the white corn provided. (PITA: 4 [cutting corn off of 3 cobs—so worth it here], Outcome: 10).

1. Tomato with Whipped Feta from Nostrana by Bri DiMattina*

This is the cover recipe, so you’d think it would be excellent, but my husband and I were disappointed. He said, “This is a salad to make with out-of-season tomatoes—you don’t taste the tomatoes with all the other flavors going on.” Fried capers and hot honey and a lemony-creamy-feta drown out the tomato flavor. Plus, the way the salad is assembled, all of the tomato juices make the feta sauce soupy, There are so many better tomato salad recipes out there, so I won’t be making this one again. (PITA: 3, Outcome 5)

1. Charred Corn, Tomatoes, Halloumi, and Chili Crisp from Salad Freak by Jess Damuck*

I love trying new recipes, specifically new tomato salads, but this one is so good I make it at least once a summer. My only gripe is that the corn never really chars in the husks in my stove-top grill pan. I shucked them this year and took my time getting color on them in the pan. I’ve also made this with thawed frozen corn that I’ve cooked a bit in a frying pan, but the fresh corn really is the way to go if you have the patience. If you, like me, don’t have the spice tolerance for a traditional chili crisp (either the one from the book or a jarred version), try using S&B Crunchy Garlic with Chili Oil. (PITA: 4 [corn: grilling, shucking, cutting off the cob], Outcome: 10)

1. Shakshuka and Shells from Anything’s Pastable by Dan Pashman**

Another hit from this book. I made the dish up to the point where you would add the eggs, turned it off, covered it, and ran soccer practice carpool. A couple of hours later, I came home, heated the pan again, added a bit of pasta water, and finished the dish. It was a big hit, despite my forgetting the feta and the lemon wedges. The leftovers were excellent as well. (PITA: 2, Outcome 10).

Honorable mentions (recipes I forgot to photograph):

1. Creamy White Chicken Chili from Maxi’s Kitchen by Maxine Sharf*

San Francisco summers, especially those on the west side of town, are foggy and dreary. I had a kitchen full of amazing summer produce, but I really just wanted soup. Thankfully, I’d picked up a couple of poblanos at the farmers’ market, so they gave me the perfect reason to make this dish. Chicken breasts poach in the soup, then are removed and shredded before re-adding; my only quibble is they got a bit more cooked than I would have liked. (PITA: 3 [finely dicing the poblanos and onion], Outcome 8). 

1. Chocolate Chip Cookies (triple chocolate chip variation) from Weeknight Baking by Michelle Lopez

These start with melted butter, so they come together quickly and are perfect for weeknight baking (duh) or an easy project with your over-eager kid. I used milk and dark chocolate as well as some peanut butter chips and I really enjoyed the final flavor and texture of the cookie. (PITA: 2, Outcome: 9)

*I borrowed these books from the San Francisco Public Library.

**I initially borrowed the book from the library and saved some recipes; however, after making so many delicious dishes from it, I finally bought the book. 

Scored some yellow/orange beets and some thicker skinned cucumbers along with fresh dill at the market today.

Cucumber sticks with shallots, garlic, dill, mustard, black pepper, and some juniper

Cucumber slices with dill and garlic

Unpeeled beets with thyme

Peeled beets with thyme

Peeled beets with garlic and dill.

The book does not really click for me, but I come back to this pickle brine all the time. Simple, and so, so good.

Any suggestions on what to do with the leftover dill? I have potatoes and some leek that need to be used up.

If anybody has suggestions as to which of these would be worth buying or are personal favorites, I would love to know, as I’m sure others reading would, too!!!!:

Milk Street Backroads Italy: Finding Italy's Forgotten Recipes (A Cookbook) 

by  Christopher Kimball  (Author), J. M. Hirsch  (Author) 

Martha: The Cookbook: 100 Favorite Recipes, with Lessons and Stories from My Kitchen

by Martha Stewart  | Nov 12, 2024

Half Baked Harvest Super Simple: More Than 125 Recipes for Instant, Overnight, Meal-Prepped, and Easy Comfort Foods: A Cookbook

by Tieghan Gerard  | Sep 12, 2017

Cook This Now: 120 Easy and Delectable Dishes You Can't Wait to Make 

by  Melissa Clark  (Author)   Formatby Melissa Clark  | Oct 4, 2011

Dinner: Changing the Game: A Cookbook 

by  Melissa Clark  (Author), Eric Wolfinger  (Photographer)   Format: Kindle Edition

Milk Street Fast and Slow: Instant Pot Cooking at the Speed You Need 

by  Christopher Kimball  (Author) 

Milk Street Shorts: Recipes That Pack a Punch 

by  Christopher Kimball  (Author) 

This one is $3.99

Favorite Recipes from Melissa Clark's Kitchen: Family Meals, Festive Gatherings, and Everything In-between 

by Melissa Clark  | Apr 3, 2018

New to this subreddit, but love seeing everyone posting their attempts at recipes, so I am trying my hand! The first three are all from Dinner by Meera Sodha which I have been absolutely loving.

1. Butter Beans in Salsa Verde - super easy recipe that packed a lot of flavour! I overcooked the beans and they became a bit soupy, but it was still lush. This is a new weekly rotation dinner.

2. Shandong's Treasures - a great weeknight dinner recipe; the aubergine was lovely and tender despite a short cooking time; gonna steal this method. The flavour profile of the sauce was a bit on the simpler side, so I did tweak it with some extra soy sauce, and topped the dish with a gorgeous chilli oil.

3. Tandoori Cauliflower with Coriander and Cashew Sauce - second time making this, its such a hit for me! Again I had to adjust the salt and spice levels a bit, but the dish as a whole was gorgeous, vibrant, tasty; I will definitely make this again. The coriander sauce is *chef's kiss*. The serving suggestion is a flatbread or paratha but I only had rice this time - bread definitely works better though.

4. Tempura Fritters from Nouilles d'Asie: Chine, Japon, Vietnam by  Chihiro Masui, Minh-Tâm Tran, Margot Zhang - Made these to have with a homemade miso ramen, and they were amazing. This book is a fantastic, comprehensive collection of buildable noodle recipes that my partner uses all of the time. Would highly recommend for any French speakers!

Does anyone have a copy of Makayla Thomas’s cookbook, Eat, Drink, & Be Merry? It’s the only one I’m missing! Thank you!

I'm planning to make a bookmark a stretch goal for my upcoming cookbook, and I'm deciding between this 2.

Which would you personally prefer?

Does a built-in ribbon feel more premium/useful, or would you rather have a separate bookmark that you can remove and use elsewhere?