Which to cook from for the challenge?

[Canice]

I'm looking forward to the January cookbook challenge, but am feeling so challenged (too many new cookbooks in the past 3 months!!) that I don't even know which I want to cook from first. Also, I'm currently cooking only for myself, so that makes it a little more difficult, too. So here are the titles; if any strike you as ones you might pick, holler. caveat: Barefoot Contessa starts with an automatic 10 point trail, as I think she may win by default.

1. Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen (Kathleen Daelemans)
2. The Passionate Vegetarian (Crescent Dragonwagon)
3. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook (13th Edition, M. Cunningham)
4. Le Cordon Bleu Quick Classics
5. The Tante Marie's Cooking School Cookbook (Mary Risley)
6. The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
7. 30 Minute Meals2 (Rae-Ray)

[Vicanddi]

Canice, you can always trade off; cook from one book one month, and then switch to another. I don't know if there are any hard & fast rules, but that's what I was planning on doing. That way, I can make several recipes from each cookbook. Now, I have less than 10 cookbooks, so I can do this and still stay on track!

Of the books you list, I would start with 30 Minute Meals 2, followed by Barefoot Contessa.

[vbak]

My vote is for Cooking Thin.

[claire797]

I vote for Ray Ray! Make sure you set a timer and let us know if it really takes 30 minutes.

[golden1225]

1. Rachel Ray
2. Barefoot Contessa

[masimmons]

Rachel Ray or the Contessa

[yorkshirepud]

Barefoot Contessa for purely selfish reasons. I just ordered it using my XMAS gift certificate, along with her family style one, so I'd love reviews from it.

But besides being selfish, everything I've seen her cook on her show looks divine and I'm sure will be instant winners.

[ClaraB]

I'd take a different tack - I'd probably pick a cookbook I wasn't likely to use otherwise, to see if the recipes are any good. So, I'd probably go with Le Cordon Bleu Quick Classics, or maybe Cooking Thin With Chef Kathleen.

[greysangel]

You can definitely cook from which ever one you would like All the challenge is is to get us into our cookbooks. You can do one from each one, you can do them all from one..it's up to you

JeAnne

[CLustik]

I actually have thoroughly enjoyed the attitude and recipes in Cooking Thin - just a vote for that one I guess.

[pinky]

although i love the barefoot contessa cookbook more than the 30 min meals 2 (everything i have ever made has been fabulous), i realize you say you're cooking for just you, so i would stay away from the BC book unless you want to scale a lot of the recipes- i realize her recipes make a TON of food.

[Canice]

Good point, Pinky! I halve her recipes, and even for two it's too too much. (Although I might just be able to sit down with an entire recipe of pan-fried onion dip! )

[Cooky]

They alls sound good. I own number 2, 6 and 7. In one months time, you can probably make a dish from each, or at least I would be able to. Maybe make a breakfast from one, lunch from one, dinner from one and desert from another?

Maybe look through them and mark on a calendar which recipe when. Thats what I had to learn to do or something would end up just sitting on a shelf.

[Kay Henderson]

I'm going to try out recipes from two new cookbooks that I recently purchased:

Recipes for Dairy-Free Living, by Denise Jardine
High Altitude Baking, Patricia Kendall, Editor

(One of these days I'd like to get into Better Homes and Gardens Gas Grill Cookbook. However, after two and a half years here in the mountains, I have figured out why people in cold winter areas don't do a lot of cooking outside in the winter. I grilled year-round in Sacramento, and thought it was just a non-west-coast cultural thing to restrict this type of cooking to the warmer months. Live and learn. )