NPR's Best Cookbook of 2011

[Alleycat]

I'm sad to say, I own NONE of these!

http://www.npr.org/2011/11/21/142598...-kitchen-nerds

[ljt2r]

I have 2: The Food of Spain and Twenty. I have 2 back-ordered: 52 and The Food of Morroco. Usually I dread/relish these lists because I end up craving every book on them, but actually I think only Cook This Now is going on my wish list from this particular list.

Does anyone have an opinion on the baking book?

[Alleycat]

I think Rosie's, 52 and Cook This Now sound interesting. Plan to check them out at B&N. Amazon also lets you "look inside" Rosie's.

http://www.amazon.com/Rosies-Bakery-...2022970&sr=8-1

I looked through Lidia's Italy in America at Costco; it looked good, but I didn't know how much I'd make.

[ljt2r]

Yeah I'm not a huge Italian fan, so none of the Italian ones really appealed to me.

[veschke]

Is that a new edition of Rosie's book? Because I'm sure I have a very battered copy of that at home.

I think I'm finally cookbooked-out. I have tons that hardly ever get used, and new ones tend to appeal to me less than they used to. None of those titles says "buy me now" to me. Maybe I am just in a new phase of life that way.

[SallyT]

Is that a new edition of Rosie's book? Because I'm sure I have a very battered copy of that at home.

I looked on amazon, and the "new" book combines her two cookbooks into a revised edition. I LOVE the original one, but see no need to buy a new one. I'm actually making her apple pie for Thanksgiving.

Incidentally, I make her noodle kugel each year for Yom Kippur break fast - this year, right after I made the kugel, I was leaving my local Verizon store, which is next door to one of her bakeries, and ran smack into ROSIE (Judy Rosenberg) herself! I was so excited, and told her that I'd just made her noodle kugel (which is amazing, by the way...). She was really nice

[amarante]

I also have the Rosie book and was wondering the same. Can't see the point of getting a new one. I am pretty certain that my "old" one is actually two cookbooks as well.

If you don't own any and love to bake, it's certainly a contender.

[Canice]

Geeze, I only ever even heard of two of them! A local Moroccan chef was talking about Paula Wolferts's book at his own book signing two weeks ago, and next week I'm going back to that same store to meet my hero, Michael Ruhlman

[veschke]

She was really nice

How sweet! I love the book. DH and the kids end up in Inman Square every time they car needs fixed and get cupcakes, but I have never been to one of her shops somehow. Love that book, though.

[ljt2r]

Ok I LIVED in Inman Square and have no idea what bakery we're talking about. This wad in 1996ish...

[veschke]

Ok I LIVED in Inman Square and have no idea what bakery we're talking about. This wad in 1996ish...

I think she was there then. We moved to Boston in '95. (In Medford now.)

http://www.rosiesbakery.com/storeinfo/index.aspx

[Alleycat]

I
I think I'm finally cookbooked-out. I have tons that hardly ever get used, and new ones tend to appeal to me less than they used to. None of those titles says "buy me now" to me. Maybe I am just in a new phase of life that way.

Veschke, this is how I have been feeling too. I peruse new books, but rarely buy anymore. When we redid our kitchen, I lost 2 bookcases, so had to seriously cull the herd. I don't buy many special edition cooking magazines anymore either -- no place to put them, and most I never reach for when I'm cooking anyway!

[amarante]

I think the internet really has changed my need to have cookbooks and/or paper files because I just don't have the ability to find recipes on "paper" when I need them or am looking for recipes for specific needs whether that be ingredients, type of cuisine, occasion etc.

It's theoretically nice to read a cookbook or magazines but it just doesn't work for me unless I can store recipes digitally so that I can actually find them.

I also confess that often I look at new recipes and realize that they aren't really offering me anything particularly new because it's become increasingly rare for me to look at a recipe and not think that I either have a T&T that is probably better or that I have a zillion variations of a recipe I haven't tried yet.

There are some genres that are still of interest but I tend to check those out of the library. I was interested in the CI Book of Easy recipes (not sure of the title) and they had interesting crockpot techniques that didn't involve searing first but used soy and other flavors to enhance but even that book had only one or two that I would actually make.

[veschke]

When we redid our kitchen, I lost 2 bookcases, so had to seriously cull the herd.

I had to do the same thing when we moved last year. Maybe that has something to do with it. I do still buy some -- heck, right after we moved I bought a stack -- but I am definitely choosier than I used to be.

[beacooker]

Someone on the bb posted about the Roasted Lemon Chutney from All About Roasting, which intrigued me to get the book from my library. I haven't made the lemon chutney (yet), but I did make a flank steak with a poblano pepper stuffing from the book for dinner tonight that was absolutely delicious. DH proclaimed it 'restaurant-worthy'. As I said, I got the book from my library, but I'm considering buying it. I rarely buy cookbooks anymore, but when I do, I now tend to lean towards ones that have lots of information, vs. ones that just have lots of recipes, and this one fits the bill. Tons of information about roasting, yet still plenty of interesting recipes.

[ljt2r]

Someone on the bb posted about the Roasted Lemon Chutney from All About Roasting, which intrigued me to get the book from my library. I haven't made the lemon chutney (yet), but I did make a flank steak with a poblano pepper stuffing from the book for dinner tonight that was absolutely delicious. DH proclaimed it 'restaurant-worthy'. As I said, I got the book from my library, but I'm considering buying it. I rarely buy cookbooks anymore, but when I do, I now tend to lean towards ones that have lots of information, vs. ones that just have lots of recipes, and this one fits the bill. Tons of information about roasting, yet still plenty of interesting recipes.

I love her All About Braising, but felt that maybe I just don't roast stuff enough to make the purchase worthwhile. However, just knowing she has a roasted lemon chutney recipe (if the recipe is simple, I'd love it if you could share) has me wondering if I have oversimplified the book in my head. Thoughts?

PS especially because it is a goodcook book, which means if I am patient I will get it for $10 or so...

[beacooker]

Turns out it wasn't the bb I saw it on, it was at 101 Cookbooks. She has the recipe at http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives...ey-recipe.html I really want to try it!

If you don't roast very much, then I would say that you do 'need' the cookbook , since roasting is such a simple way to make delicious meals. Just reading through the book teaches you a lot of tips that will be helpful even when you aren't cooking from a recipe. For example, I liked her tip that if you are serving roast chicken and a green salad on the side, replace about half the oil in your dressing recipe with drippings from the chicken pan. I tried it and it was great.

How is the All About Braising? Now I'm a Molly Stevens fan, but my library doesn't have other cookbooks by her.