When spring is right around the corner, I always want to learn to make new dishes. You might ask - what's wrong with recipes posted on the internet? Well, there's just something about having a book that really sets it apart from reading from some anonymous person's recipe. With that said, here are the books I have/have read and how I felt about them...
Morimoto (Japanese): my first cookbook, loved it. I have made about half of the dishes on the book, and a few I still frequently make, although with lots of tweaks.
Zakarians Town & Country (American/French): my second cookbook. I made about half of the dishes on this book as well, but I did not enjoy a lot of it. Maybe because I dont find butter/cream+salt appealing. I need more flavors.
Symons Live To Cook (American): I liked this one a lot. Soulful food with bold flavors. Not afraid to use bacon.
Childs Mastering the Art of French Cooking (French): more of a leisure read for theory and ideas. I did not make anything in this book. I think the flavors here, good they may be, are too basic for me.
Los Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking (Southern Chinese): being a northerner (northern China, that is), I was not a fan of this book.
Changs Momofuku (Asian): loved the beginning of this book pork belly, buns, ramen, different sauces/dressing, but then it gets too eccentric.
Vongerichtens Simple to Spectacular (French): did not like this at all.
Samuelssons The Soul of a New Cuisine (African) not a fan.
Humms Eleven Madison Park (American): loved the concepts, but a bit too complicated. However, I do take a lot of their crumble, puree, and pickle recipes.
Humms I Love New York (American): this may be simpler than 11Madison, it just did not seem appealing.
Gutenbrunners Neue Cuisine (Austrian): tried only a few recipes they were okay.
The Just Bento Cookbook (Japanese): I found this useless.
Giadas books (Italian): leisure reading/last minute dinner ideas.
Bobby Flays books: leisure reading/last minute dinner ideas.
A little on my cooking style:
Mainly Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai). Soulful and bold proteins, light and delicate salads/soup. A little bit of American and French is thrown in here and there. I fall back on Italian and American when I have little time to think of something new to make. But if Im going to make something new, it will probably be Asian of some sort. Also, I do not like sweets.
Please also keep in mind that given where I live (Michigan), fresh seafood is hard to come by.
Recommendations are much appreciated! Cheers!
Morimoto (Japanese): my first cookbook, loved it. I have made about half of the dishes on the book, and a few I still frequently make, although with lots of tweaks.
Zakarians Town & Country (American/French): my second cookbook. I made about half of the dishes on this book as well, but I did not enjoy a lot of it. Maybe because I dont find butter/cream+salt appealing. I need more flavors.
Symons Live To Cook (American): I liked this one a lot. Soulful food with bold flavors. Not afraid to use bacon.
Childs Mastering the Art of French Cooking (French): more of a leisure read for theory and ideas. I did not make anything in this book. I think the flavors here, good they may be, are too basic for me.
Los Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking (Southern Chinese): being a northerner (northern China, that is), I was not a fan of this book.
Changs Momofuku (Asian): loved the beginning of this book pork belly, buns, ramen, different sauces/dressing, but then it gets too eccentric.
Vongerichtens Simple to Spectacular (French): did not like this at all.
Samuelssons The Soul of a New Cuisine (African) not a fan.
Humms Eleven Madison Park (American): loved the concepts, but a bit too complicated. However, I do take a lot of their crumble, puree, and pickle recipes.
Humms I Love New York (American): this may be simpler than 11Madison, it just did not seem appealing.
Gutenbrunners Neue Cuisine (Austrian): tried only a few recipes they were okay.
The Just Bento Cookbook (Japanese): I found this useless.
Giadas books (Italian): leisure reading/last minute dinner ideas.
Bobby Flays books: leisure reading/last minute dinner ideas.
A little on my cooking style:
Mainly Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai). Soulful and bold proteins, light and delicate salads/soup. A little bit of American and French is thrown in here and there. I fall back on Italian and American when I have little time to think of something new to make. But if Im going to make something new, it will probably be Asian of some sort. Also, I do not like sweets.
Please also keep in mind that given where I live (Michigan), fresh seafood is hard to come by.
Recommendations are much appreciated! Cheers!