I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes a great cookbook. I’m currently working on my third book (wow…) about Brunch and as it carefully, lovingly, stressfully, curiously, and haphazardly takes shape, I think a lot about how to make it great.
‘Great’ is both elusive and subjective. I think it’s about being of service, being creative, communicating what’s beautiful about food and what’s beautiful about life. Easy. Super easy. Luckily, I have shelves full of useful, beautiful, encouraging, inspiring… downright GREAT cookbooks to absorb as I make my own.
Let’s talk about cookbooks: the good, the great, the inspiring.
• So much of the information we take in comes from our computer screens, our phone screens, our electronic books (is that what they’re called?). One thing we’ve lost in this new transmission of information is FEEL. A great cookbook feels good to the fingertips. It’s the kind of canvas bound, thick papered book that you want to run your hands over before opening. Feel, for savoring. One feel-good cookbook in my collection is Jamie At Home. Its canvas cover, thick paper, and colorfully playful interior make it feel just… special, every time I take it down from the shelf.
• I eat with my eyes. Ok… so I mostly use my mouth, but my eyeballs have a lot to do with how much I enjoy what I eat. A great cookbook often has really stellar photography. Mouth-watering, hunger-inducing, bright-light food photography. I always reach for The Kitchy Kitchen when I need inspiration for approachable, everyday food. The photography is clean, simple, special… and just makes me feel like I’m living a good good life.
• Some of my favorite cookbooks have a laser point focus, or a specific niche to tease out. Such focused cookbooks can be a wealth of knowledge… like little cooking encyclopedias. I love The Perfect Egg for all things eggy from breakfast to dessert, and an old cookbook called The New Complete Book of Pasta when pasta is on the brain. One of my favorite baking books of all time: The Cake Bible… it really is.
• I call upon a part of my brain called my Food Brain to think up the recipes I post here and in my cookbooks. It’s not rocket surgery but my Food Brain needs feeding. Great cookbooks are out-of-the-box and mega creativity. Hellloooooo: Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook. Related: Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies. Be about it.
• I’m a self-taught baker. Translation: I don’t make very good baguettes and I’ve messed up more chocolate mousse than I care to mention. For me, great cookbooks are those that nail me with technique. It’s about rules and regulations. I splurged on this Advanced Bread and Pastry just after I had finagled my way into my first bakery job. It was a tremendous help in terms of technique and ratios. School yourself… or let Julia Child school you: Mastering The Art of French Cooking. Classic and essential.
• A really supreme cookbook is a feel-good, approachable, new classic. One of the best examples of this is Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: from my home to yours. It’s classic yet inventive, and rooted in solid technique. Dorie is a master / my hero. Other feel-good very new classics is Food52 Genius Recipes and The Gourmet Cookbook.
This is barely the tip of the iceberg. Really… there are just too many great cookbooks to mention. There are many more great cookbooks coming out this Fall! We’ll talk about those soon. I’m really excited.
xo Joy
42 Responses
I cannot wait for your next cookbook!
I can’t put my finger on what quite makes a cookbook ‘the one’- but if I go to bed reading it like a novel, then I know I’m onto a winner. I’m currently loving Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook- it’s both a delight to look at as well as getting meal inspirations! You’ll love the little illustrations inside it.
I read the subject line and then i read “I’m writing a cookbook about brunch” and i thought, well being about brunch is what makes something a great cookbook!
All that aside, I think that consistency of recipe quality (which should go without saying but) is essential. I think that’s why blogger cookbooks are appealing. There’s already the proof around consistency. Personally, since I cook with both cups and a scale, I like it when a recipe gives me both weight and relative options, esp. with flour.
What I don’t need from a cookbook: I don’t need a cookbook to reinvent the wheel every time. I just borrowed the my new roots cookbook and so much space is taken up with the very basics. It seems to be a bit at odds with what the cookbook is about. For basics, I’ll get a great tome like vegetarian cooking for everyone (which I think is one of the best cookbooks of all time for many reasons.) I borrowed the My New Roots book because I know I already like her recipes. I would have liked more recipes and less filler.
Can’t wait for your new book! So exciting!
I echo what others have said. One of my favorite things is a photo for each recipe. That always makes me enjoy a cookbook more. It’s the enjoyment of the photography along with the side of my brain that needs to see what the dish could look like when I make it.
Love your post!! I also used cookbooks to prepare different types of recipes!!
Hugs,
Love from http://www.trangscorner.com {a lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and food blog}
Well I just added a bunch of cookbooks to my wish list! :)
But seriously…I need to know about your shoes. Because those are going on my shoe wish list for sure.
My bookcase is bending with my collection of books and no matter what electronic device is available, I always head to those book shelves for inspiration. My perfect book must have amazing photography because that’s already a huge interest of mine, but not just of the finished dish. Each recipe needs a story or background with photographs…ingredients, action and messy shots are all my favs :) Can’t wait!
Maida Heatter’s “Book of Great Chocolate Desserts” is another winner. She’s from Marion and Julia’s era. You can get her books at great prices, she’s another amazing baker worth checking out!
Growing up my mother always had “The Joy of Cooking”. Still good for classic “go to “recipes. My whole family are great cooks especially my dad. Nigella is probably my most used ” How to be a domestic goddess”. I also have great cook books from Rick Bayless, The Mexican Kitchen, Jacque Pepin and Martha Stewart for classics. I always add my own twist. The Beaufiful Mexico cook book and all in this series are pretty great, but sadly out of print now. If you can find one at decent price,buy it! I have two of Yotam Ottolenghi’s cook books and love those too! I have too many! My dad bought me a vintage copy of Julia Child’s Mastering the art of French Cooking, which is great to read, ( perfect instructions) and cook from. I almost forgot Mariam Cunningham’s” lost recipes” and “The Meat Club Cook Book” by three authors, whose names escape me now. Of course often now I use great food blogs(Joy!) and Smitten Kitchen are two favorites.
Lovely books! This would be great to read before writing my first cookbook (eek!) which is now at the printer. Taking notes though for the next one when that happens :)
Congrats to your #3!! :)
xo
I found a few new cookbooks- thanks. Really enjoyed reading this post and the feel under the fingertips is often key to even opening up a cookbook! Thanks…and those shoes in the top shot…swoon!
I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot lately as well. I’m in the process of writing my first cookbook, and whenever I’m feeling in a rut, I turn to my favorite cookbooks for inspiration. Right now, I find my own ideas about taste and technique continually pushed by Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem. Thanks for sharing!
Where’s the “like” button? This was fun. I have your first cookbook and love it! Funny thing – I often turn to it to figure out how to make buttermilk. :)
My family calls my cookbook collection my “fictional reading” because I read them like fiction! There’s nothing like a great cookbook. FYI, there’s a group of us baking our way through Rose Levy Beranbaum’s latest book, The Baking Bible. We already baked through Rose’s Heavenly Cakes. You can see the hosting blog here, if you want. https://rosesalphabakers.blogspot.com/
Can’t wait for your new book to be on the shelf!
There are so many great cookbooks out there it’s hard to choose! I definitely am looking for a clean design, beautiful and striking photos, and fun yet accessible recipes.
https://chatterboxnewyork.com
Absolutely love these points – I’m just starting to put together ideas for a cookbook myself (I put one together a few years ago and am now feeling stupid enough to do it again), and I’ve been asking myself the same question… Time to sit down with a pot of tea and a pile of my favourite cookbooks! Also very much looking forward to your book – brunch is one of my favourite things, and if your blog is anything to go by, it’s going to be incredible!
Amazing. Thank you, Joy. Mastering the Art of French Cooking is one of my all-time favorites, I found an original edition at a Half Price Books and have treasured it ever since. Photography is essential, especially when cooking with out-of-the-box ingredients because we humans ARE visual creatures and if something looks appealing we are so much more willing to give it a shot. This is key for those of us who work with whole foods that really aren’t considered mainstream. I love your gluten-free recipe especially, and have even adapted some of your other recipes to be gluten-free and even grain-free. The possibilities are endless if you have your techniques down pat. I love your writing style and your photos and will definitely be looking forward to your new book!
-sara
https://almostpaleokitchen.blogspot.com/
Great cookbooks really are something, aren’t they? I love Jerusalem for the amazing food and photography (I’ve loved every recipe we’ve made out of it), which isn’t even always of the food but gives a great sense of place. Beyond the Great Wall and Flatbreads and Flavors are both location-focused cookbooks that we love. (Every grain of rice, mentioned above, is a new addition to our house and already we can tell it is AMAZING).
I know you know and love An Everlasting Meal, though I guess that’s slightly less of a cookbook – I love reading How to Cook a Wolf too (my coworker and I were just talking about both, and I found a ridiculous NYTimes review of the latter from 1942 that was amazingly/alarmingly sexist).
It’s funny, How to Cook Everything (Veg version) is probably the cookbook I turn to the most often, just because it’s so comprehensive. Even though it doesn’t have great photographs, it’s such a useful book, and usually if I’m wondering what on earth I could make out of ____, I can find it there. Joy of Cooking is great too, and is how I first learned to bake pies!
Thank you for the recommendations, I’m going to be checking them out!
Great photography, lays flat, recipe index and ingredient index and no crazy ingredients that no one has heard off… That is what I look for. My husband traveled for work to US and brought me back your Homemade Decadence (we´re French) and I am cooking my way through it! Awesome and beautiful!
I love READING cookbooks. The stories. The photos. The history. I’ve collected cookbooks since I was a little girl. Yes, I cook from them, too. :-)
I need simple directions, great pictures so I know if my recipe looks like yours or if I screwed it up. I need simple products and ones I can recognize and not have to drive all over town for. I know I’m a pain in the #*# but your recipes are wonderful so you already know what we want. Good Luck with the book. Paulette
A good cookbook lays flat, has great photos, and an easy to use index in the back and table of contents in the front.
A good cookbook has instructions easily laid out for newbies, and also allows old hats to skim if need be.
All of your reasons are good. Also, I love a cookbook that has a photo for every. single. recipe. Everysingleone!!
I love beautiful photography in cookbooks, but I do own some without that are invaluable (Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone has no photos, and is probably my dessert island cookbook). When I’m looking for a cookbook I look for a pretty clear point of view. I want to be able to say, “I want to eat this”, and more or less know where to turn. And it goes without saying the recipes have to work, whether they’re very clear and very technical, or more loosely written (a la Jamie Oliver).
Really enjoyed this post and think you’ve put your finger on the “elusive and subjective” elements that make a cookbook great. I share many of your favs and would also add another layer: elevates the everyday. Basically all the Ottolenghi cookbooks. The recipes are healthy enough to eat everyday, yet sparkly enough to make them feel special. :)
I agree with your thoughts about the Genius Recipes, however check out the briskest recipe …….. HUGE typo. 160 pounds of brisket instead of 6 pounds. Novice cooks beware.
I have begun a cookbook collection that will only grow from here. I really love a good cookbook that is clear, has great pictures and let’s be honest – LAYS FLAT on the counter when you are using it.
I’m all about the little stuff (I’m an editor in real life – so that makes sense). Are the ingredient lists on the same page as the instructions? That big photo is beautiful, but if it means I’m going to spend the entire cooking time flipping pages, ugh. And are all the details right? Pan size listed? Temperatures correct? Carrots shredded or chopped? It’s all in the details!
Cute shoes! What brand?
I’m trying to write a book at the moment and it is so hard carving out a niche and creating something that’s not been done before. Will get there in the end hopefully!
Rosie xx
I love to borrow cookbooks from the library for a constant (free) source of inspiration! Sometimes I’m looking for a specific author/type of food, but other times I pick one up randomly and flip through it. I’m looking for lots of pictures, some words that catch my eye and make me want to stop and readreadread, and for at least 3 of the recipes I skim past to be something I want to eat. And of course, I love to add my favorites to my bookshelf at home!!
Great list! I’m a huge fan of Kitchy Kitchen too. I love her food style. I love your food style as well and I’ve made several of your recipes. You have been a big inspiration to me as I am a self taught baker as well. :-)
I totally agree with Allysa’s comment; I love cookbooks that give me a photo for every recipe! I don’t want to have to image what the dish will look like – show me! I’m WAY more likely to purchase and use a cookbook that’s full of beautiful images.
Congrats on your upcoming cookbook! Can’t wait to hear more about the project and see the final result : )
Allison @ alwayseatdessert.com
I have over 150 cookbooks, so I don’t even know where to begin. My favorites are Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, Fuschia Dunlop’s Every Grain of Rice, Jennifer Reese’s Make the Bread, Buy the Butter, Amanda Hesser’s The Essential New York Times Cookbook, and Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette. I’ve never made a bad recipe from any of the above books, and I also love just reading them. I also love flipping through the Canal House small editions books for inspiration and dreaming.
For me, it’s GOT to have a photo on (nearly) every page. A cookbook with just the 10 color photos in the middle? Never going to buy that. All of my favorite cookbooks that I use heavily include a photo on nearly every page (your Homemade Decadence is my go to baking-everything I’ve made gets rave reviews!), and I also agree with your idea of “niche”.
I love checking out cookbooks at the library and trying new things, but I only actually BUY the ones with great photography, spread thorughout.
Sarah M
Dorie’s book is one of the most butter stained and cream spilled on my shelves. She inspires me whenever I need a boost, a crowd-pleasing dessert, or a spirit-boosting treat. Another one of my faves is just about anything by Ina—maybe it’s cliche, but she’s still a queen!
What a great post! I love it! The cookbook market is so saturated and I think it’s high time for us to step back and discover what is really essential in a good cookbook. :)
For me, what makes a great cookbook is having a picture with every (or at least almost every) recipe. When I’m looking through cookbooks to make my dinner menu each week, I flip through and wait for the pictures to grab me. The few books I have that only have one picture every 15 pages don’t get looked at thoroughly because I rely on the picture to jump at out at me and tell me what to make. It’s the same thing when I’m looking for something to bake…if i can’t see a picture that makes me say “mmmm I should make that”, I probably won’t make it.
The greatest cookbooks are those that you can both read for inspiration AND use for specific recipes. That means they need to be light enough to hold in bed, but they need enough heft to stay open on the counter and not have tiny cutesy fonts.
I just love this post. There is nothing better than curling up with a stack of cookbooks on a rainy day. Barefoot Contessa and NIgella Lawson are 2 of my favorites.
In response to LAZYW, I love the Kitchen Witch too. I can spend hours there on my trips to NOLA. Really looking forward to your Brunch book Joy.
I am so excited for you, congrats ahead of time on Brunch! I’ll be owning it for sure. One of my favorite places in the French Quarter (in the whole world!) is a little cook book shop called Kitchen Witch I think. Have you been? My gosh. I spend a couple of hours browsing there every time we visit NOLA. They have rare books, new releases sometimes, cool stuff, and music and neat old kitcheny items like aprons. Light strings everywhere, haha. Plus they sell a custom spice mix that I cannot live without for cooking here at the farm. So good.
One of my favorite “great” cookbooks is by Elizabeth David. Gorgeous.
But I am really looking forward to your next release.
xoxo
i look for something new- whether it be a completely unique method/flavor/idea, or just something i don’t know much about. and how many recipes i want to make; if i bookmark the first 5, it’s usually a good sign (; also if you’re willing to lug it with you when you go backpacking (this may have happened with “the cake bible” a couple years ago while i was extremely stupid).