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Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker

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    Notes about this Book

    • smsheil on October 23, 2011

      Texas

    • Breadcrumbs on June 04, 2011

      This was the very first real cookbook I purchased for myself. Prior to that I'd picked up some pamphlet-type books and a paperback copy of the Duncan Hines cookbook on sale. I picked this up at a food and wine fair and there was a spin to win contest w every purchase. My spin won me a copy of the Good Housekeeping Cookbook which turned out to be a real gem for me. I can't honestly recall ever making a recipe from the Joy of Cooking but I did refer to it over the years when I was stuck or, just looking for info on a dish or ingredient.

    • nicolepellegrini on December 12, 2010

      A necessary reference book for any chef's collection. Great basic info on everything from roasting a chicken to freezing food to basic sauces. Use it a lot when I am constructing my own recipe but need guidelines for cooking times, temperatures and techniques.

    • dgcbooth on October 14, 2010

      Note that some of the editions vary widely from each other. For example, there's a 1990's edition (1997 I believe) that had a more dry tone and departed from the earlier lightheartedness. The recipes were also not as good a collection and the information more sparse. The 2006 edition notes in it's forward by Ethan Becker that they were trying to bring the "joy" back to Joy of Cooking and return to more of the 1975 edition. From what I've seen, and from reviews, they succeeded. Review, or read reviews about, whatever edition you're considering before purchasing if you do not already own this book. If you can a much older edition, they're great fun to read, even if you don't try the recipes :)

    • shifra1 on July 18, 2010

      75th Anniversary Edition

    • nomadchowwoman on January 07, 2010

      Classic American reference. I know some people for whom this is their only cookbook. I use it if I'm looking for a simple take on a classic American or immigrant-American dish, for the most basic sauces or muffins, etc. A great book for getting a perspective on American cooking and its evolution.

    • lbarzin on December 29, 2009

      The one cookbook to have if you're stranded on a desert island. Even Julia Childs credits this as her go-to cookbook.

    Notes about Recipes in this Book

    • Cornmeal pancakes

      • Laurendmck on February 20, 2010

        p. 645. Double the recipe. Would be great with blueberries.

    • Brownies cockaigne

      • Laurendmck on February 20, 2010

        I make these all the time. I add one tablespoon of instant coffee powder and I bake them exactly 21 minutes.

      • cpauldin on January 05, 2012

        This is a very good brownie recipe. Make sure the eggs are at room temperature as recommended- they seem to have a better texture.

      • BlytheSpirit on January 31, 2012

        This is my favorite brownie recipe.

    • Sourdough chocolate cake

      • Laurendmck on March 20, 2010

        I couldn't find this recipe in the 2006 edition.

    • Apple, peach or plum cake cockaigne

      • kimslist on September 13, 2010

        How can something so simple and wholesome be so delicious? My go-to recipe when I need to use up the extra plums from my tree. Great with firm varietals. Irresistible fresh from the oven.

    • Cheese dips I

      • nicolemorgan86 on February 09, 2012

        Note that the recipe also relies on 1 oz. of cream cheese. Made this without the roquefort and used a bit more cheddar instead. Also subbed serrano-vinegar hot sauce for the Worchestershire. Great dip for baked pretzels, although very rich and filling.

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    Publishers Text

    Joy is the all-purpose cookbook. There are other basic cookbooks on the market, and there are fine specialty cookbooks, but no other cookbook includes such a complete range of recipes in every category: everyday, classic, foreign and de luxe. Joy is the one indispensable cookbook, a boon to the beginner, treasure for the experienced cook, the foundation of many a happy kitchen and many a happy home.

    Privately printed in 1931, Joy has always been family affair, and like a family it has grown. Written by Irma Starkloff Rombauer, a St. Louisan, it was first tested and illustrated by her daughter, Marion Rombauer Becker, and subsequently it was revised and enlarged through Marion's efforts and those of her architect husband, John W. Becker. Their sons -- Ethan, with his Cordon Bleu and camping experiences, and Mark, with his interest in natural foods-have reinforced Joy in many ways.

    Now over forty, Joy continues to be a family affair, demonstrating more than ever the awareness we all share in the growing preciousness of food. Special features in this edition are the chapter on Heat, which gives you many hints on maintaining the nutrients in the food you are cooking, and Know Your Ingredients, which reveals vital characteristics of the materials you commonly combine, telling how and why they react as they do; how to measure them; when feasible, how to substitute one for another; as well as amounts to buy. Wherever possible, information also appears at the point of use.

    Divided into three parts, Foods We Eat, Foods We Heat and Foods We Keep, Joy now contains more than 4500 recipes, many hundreds of them new to this edition -- the first full revision in twelve years. All the enduring favorites will still be found. In the chapter on Brunch, Lunch and Supper Dishes there are also interesting suggestions for using convenience and leftover foods. Through its more than 1000 practical, delightful drawings by Ginnie Hofmann and Ikki Matsumoto, Joy shows how to present food correctly and charmingly, from the simplest to the most formal service; how to prepare ingredients with classic tools and techniques; and how to preserve safely the results of your canning and freezing.

    Joy grows with the times; it has a full roster of American and foreign dishes: Strudel, Zabaglione, Rijsttafel, Couscous, among many others. All the classic terms you find on menus, such as Provencale, bonne femme, meunière and Florentine, are not merely defined but fully explained so you yourself can confect the dish they characterize. Throughout the book the whys and wherefores of the directions are given, with special emphasis on that vital cooking factor -- heat. Did you know that even the temperature of an ingredient can make or mar your best-laid plans? Learn exactly what the results of simmering, blanching, roasting and braising have on your efforts. Read the enlarged discussion on herbs, spices and seasonings, and note that their use is included in suitable amounts in the recipes. No detail necessary to your success in cooking has been omitted.

    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 to themselves and to you. Choose from our offerings what suits your person, your way of life, your pleasure -- and join us in the Joy of cooking.

    Because of the infinite patience that has gone into the preparation of Joy of Cooking, the publishers offer it on a money-back guarantee. Without question there is no finer all-purpose cookbook.

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