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Summary: the bible
Review: Fantastic cook book! -- It has everything, is written clearly and is also opinionated! I use this book for 50 percent of the meals I make.
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Summary: A "Must Have" in every kitchen!
Review: Well, what can I say about a classic? This book is simply a MUST for every cook, from the novice to the professional chef, from the vegan to the dedicated carnivore. I can't count all the times it has literally "saved my bacon"! Chock full of information, tips, "Must Haves" and recipes. This book would make a terrific "housewarming" for that first apartment or house.
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Summary: Doesn't Live up to the Original
Review: Growing up the only cookbook we every used was the original Joy of Cooking which was a fabulous reference. I recently looked at the new edition and didn't like it at all! Very hard to understand a recipe - so many recipes 'refer' you to other pages and you rarely find a simple recipe with a list of ingredients and instructions. They should have stuck with the old format. Not recommended.
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Summary: Definitly not user-friendly
Review: My mother read the cover off her copy of the Joy of Cooking. My copy sits on the shelf and gathers dust. Compared to classics like the Fanny Farmer cookbook, this one just doesn't cut the mustard. There is a ton of information crammed into the book, actually too much. A few graphics and a little white space would go a long way in making Joy easier to read and follow.
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Summary: Best of All CookBooks
Review: The Joy of Cooking is one of the finest cookbooks ever written. This is a cookbook that I grew up with, and my mother taught me to cook from. Over the years my family has kept up with the updates to this cookbook, continuing a family tradition of favorite recipes.I have my mother's first copy of the Joy of Cooking, and cherish all of her notes in the margins, and her star rating for each recipe she cooked over the years. I still use this book daily, even though I have several newer editions. This one just seem click. I taught my children to cook from this book, and have given each of them their own personal copy, and will do the same for my ten grandchildren. Recipes are easy to read, instructions are clean and precise. Pictures are beautiful and mouth watering.
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Summary: Like visiting a knowledgeable old friend
Review: Since purchasing this book I have used it countless times for recipes ranging from Marzipan to Pesto Sauce to Beef Stew. And with regard to the individual who couldn't find a recipe for Beef Stew in this book, you will find it on page 669; I have made it myself, and it is indeed delicious! However, I will admit that the index is quirky and in need of improvement; one must get to know the book and its idiosyncrasies before one is able to locate recipes quickly. I would also recommend that one avoid the recipe for Lemon Poppyseed Pouncake (p. 940) -- not only is the amount of butter excessive and unhealthy (one cake holds an astonishing 3 sticks + 1 tablespoon of butter), but the size of the loaf pan recommended was too small, and resulted in melted butter dripping all over the bottom of my oven, causing it to smoke and setting off the alarm! Nevertheless, this book has become an indispensable and trustworthy guide, and one I will continue to use in the years to come!
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Summary: Mothers - give this book to your daughters (and sons)!
Review: If my mom had given me this book when I went off to college, I would have become the cook that I am now five years ago! This book is truly wonderful as a resource for learning all manner of kitchen techniques and for an abundance of recipes. Furthermore, I just love to read it. I learn something new every time I open it. In my opinion, a new bride or recent high school grad armed with JOY and with Bittman's How to Cook Everything is bound to succeed in the kitchen and develop a life long skill and love of cooking. It worked for me!
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Summary: The only cookbook I need! I love it!
Review: I received this cookbook for Christmas 97. I have used it several times a week since then, and have been very happy with the results. I am a vegetarian cooking for a non-vegetarian family, and this book has been a big help. Also, I grew up with a non-cooking mom, and have always felt I missed out on the basic cooking tips passed down from mom to daughter. This book tells you everything. I think the recipes are easier to follow because the ingredients are not listed first, but are written into the text and highlighted. Somehow that seems less daunting. And the book is very educational. Now everytime I go out to eat and have something I want to try at home, I look it up in this book, and it's almost always there. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this cookbook! I'm now using a second copy because the first fell apart after my using it so much! The only downside of using this book is that my husband and I have each gained ten pounds.
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Summary: An overall good resource for cooking and food knowledge
Review: I can't compare the new edition to the old, since I have never used the old version. However, I am very pleased with this book. Both my partner and I have used many of its recipes and have been pleased with all of them. It is a tremendous resource for food knowledge and entertaining as well. My only negative point is that the recipes should list all the ingredients first. It is a bit confusing to read through an entire recipe to determine what is needed and the level of difficulty. Other than that minor caveat, this book is truly a joy.
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Summary: what happened to the basics?
Review: Can you believe that Joy of Cooking does not even have a recipe for beef stew???? If you have an ox tail handy, you are in luck. The introduction was incredibly pompous. The entire tone of this book turned me off, and when I found that I could not even find simple recipes for simple foods, I stopped looking.
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