What's your "Master" cook book?

[Galileo126]

We all have cook books, yes? We buy them, trade them, cherish them, use them to the point that the outer cover is immersed and stained in old liquids and dry ingredients.

Sure, I have about 20 cookbooks, most of which are from cultures which aren't my own. (Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, Native American, Euro-French, yadda yadda yadda...) I do have 10 cook books devoted to exclusively sea food. You can take the kid out of Rhode Island.......

But as an American, I do have two "master" cook books - which covers everything we tend to eat:

(1) The Joy of Cooking (copyright 1973), original was 1931, btw.

(2) The New Basics Cookbook (copyright 1989).

I was reading a C&B thread by Paper Roses who asked about a sweet roll question in "Better Homes and Gardens" cookbook, which prompted this here thread.

What's YOUR master go-to cookbook, when you are not sure how to make something?

[elleng]

1. Mine used to be an old James Beard,

but since separation and sale of the house, I haven't seen it. Very sad, so I'm challenged to try to recall old recipes.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. Online mainly these days.

Cook's Illustrated, but I don't own the books, so I mostly hit the magazines or the website. I like them because they tend to tell me more of the things a lot of other cookbooks just seem to assume I already know. They also tell me the 'why' of what I'm doing, not just tell me how to do it.

[Galileo126]

5. Which is why I liked "Good Eats" program by Alton Brown

He explained the "why" one should do it a certain way, and if not, then bad things will happen.

Too bad Alton is nothing more than a game show host now.

[Major Nikon]

6. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

There are no recipes to speak of in this book. It just tells the how and why. It's required reading for many (if not most) culinary school students. Alton Brown bases most of his episodes straight of the pages of this book and in some of his shows you'll see the book on his bookshelf.

If you like the show, you'll love this book.

[Galileo126]

10. by Harold McGee?

I just looked it up, hardcover on Amazon for $25.

No one in my family knows what to get me for Christmas, since I don't ask for "stuff".

I'm gonna ask for this! Thanks, Major-Nix!

[Major Nikon]

11. That's it

I actually have two editions of this book in hardcover.

[Galileo126]

3. Oh yeah... I forgot

My mom has "The Woman's Home Companion" cook book, from 1946, which was my gramma's. I asked mom to put it in the "will" for me. The title of that book makes me laugh...

[yallerdawg]

4. We still use...

"Betty Crocker's Cookbook" I gave my wife Christmas '88.

The best recipes are like math - there is only one way to get it just right!

We've updated as we aged, though. Now we get "Heart Healthy" versions.

Probably because of that evil Betty Crocker!

[Worried senior]

9. I have the Betty Crocker cookbook

that was my mother's from the 40's. Has some great recipes, the book is beat up and some of the pages are missing but refer to it often.

Have several others but it's mostly from on-line or Betty.

[PADemD]

19. You can get a new copy of the old cookbook.

http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crockers-Picture-Cook-Book/dp/0028627717/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449033758&sr=1-9&keywords=Betty+Crocker%27s+Cookbook

Mine was beat up, too.

[Worried senior]

20. Thanks for the information

I'm 70 so doubt I'll need a new one but maybe whoever inherits it will.

[packman]

7. Brings back memories

The Vincent Price Cookbook.

First cookbook my wife and I got right after we married. First recipe we tried was a mushroom/cream/egg thing. A TOTAL disaster . Didn't try any after that and stuck to things we both knew how to cook until much later.

[Major Nikon]

8. The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and Betty Crocker are both excellent standards

Of the two I prefer the Better Homes and Gardens.

[flamin lib]

12. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.

Almost literally begins with how to boil water.

After that it's the interwebs.

[TygrBright]

13. Generally go first to Bittman's "How to Cook Everything." n/t

[Snarkoleptic]

14. Mrs. Snark and I have been on our vegetarian experiment for around 4 months and our go-to book is-

http://americastestkitchen.buysub.com/homepage/the-america-s-test-kitchen-complete-vegetarian-cookbook.html

[NJCher]

15. I'm a sucker for vegetarian cookbooks

And also America's Test Kitchen, which I learned about right here at the C&B forum.

Would you mind mentioning a few of the recipes that are your faves? I'll probably get this cookbook.


Cher

[Snarkoleptic]

17. Oops, I mistakenly replied to myself.

See #16 for a proper reply.

[Snarkoleptic]

16. Our current faves are-

Tempeh Tacos, Veggie Wraps w/ Hummus, Tofu and Poblano Burritos, Spring Rolls, Tofu Scrambles, lots of the pasta dishesk but...

My current obsession is pizza!
I've tried a number of dough recpies, but this is the one I'm currently using, mostly because it's nice and yeasty (is that a word?)-
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pizza-dough-354220

Notes-
I substitute bread flour for a chewier crust.
We also really like the Trader Joe's "Quattro Formmaggio", which has no mozzarella and is very (some say too) flavorful.
http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article/945



I've made a couple of margherita pies with fresh basil, tomato and mozz that were really nice.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

18. The Stainless Steel Book

AKA "The Professional Chef"

A C.I.A. textbook.

[winter is coming]

21. Probably the first place I look is the original Betty Crocker cookbook.

It's not fancy eats, but the recipes work. After that, probably Joy of Cooking or Alton Brown's Good Eats cookbooks, unless it's a cake, in which case I go for Rose Levy Berenbaum's Cake Bible.