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Summary: Perfect for the new cook and a reference for the pro
Review: This cookbook is a must have for anyone who dabbles in the kitchen. From the basics- how to make a hardboiled egg- to the complex- Eggs Florentine- the Joy of Cooking is probably one of the best guides to have in the kitchen. Food trends will come and go, but your Joy of Cooking will remain on your shelf for years. This is a perfect gift for the new cook, the new homeowner or the new college graduate, simply because the reference guide is great. Like, what the hell do you do with a pork loin?
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Summary: Only Cookbook you need!
Review: This is the only comprehensive cookbook you will ever need!
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Summary: A Bible for the Kitchen
Review: I have found this particular version to be my best asset in the kitchen (after my chef's knife)! Our household is always trying new recipes from many cookbooks, on-line food websites, etc. I have found that the Joy of Cooking cookbook is one that I can always reference - to compare and check those recipes against. More often than not, we utilize the Joy of Cooking recipes and methods, or combine them in with recipes from other sources. It has now become a benchmark we use to judge the viability of recipes we come across outside of "the Joy". I have been amazed that whether I want to cook a traditional American "home style" meal or test my creativity with something more current (California Cosine, high-end restaurant style) I have always been able to use my Joy of Cooking to help out. In addition, we find it invaluable for double-checking on the basics: measurement equivalents, cooking methods, etc. Whether you want to brush up on boiling an egg or making coffee...to cooking an incredible Beef Wellington, this book is indispensable! (The Beef Wellington, by the way, is now a holiday staple in our house...better than Martha Stewarts version!)
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Summary: GREAT REVISION, GREAT BOOK!
Review: I don't know why some people are saying that this book is not as good as the old Joy of Cooking. I have both, and I disagree. I think there are a lot more recipes in the new one that you're likely to make, plus it still has the same great
quality as the old one: every step is clear, precise and explained in great detail.It might lack the humor of the original, but
who cares? It's a cookbook!! Give this new book a chance.
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Summary: Great Reference
Review: This book is one of the few cookbooks I use constantly. Quite honestly, I don't think I have actually used a recipe out of it, but I am always getting it out to look up the basics - How long do you cook that fish? Definitely a wonderful foundation for any kitchen.
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Summary: A classic for any serious cook
Review: I own dozens of cookbooks because we love to cook and I buy the ones that have recipes I know I will use and use often. The Joy Of Cooking is a cookbook that I received as a gift in the 60's and have since purchased additional copies along with cook books by Julia Child for gifts. This is a cookbook that any serious cook will have in their kitchen library. It is laid out well and the directions are easy to follow. The fact Julia Child owns a copy speaks volumes. One recipe I make almost weekly is the cheese souffle. Easy to make and a real winner in our home. Rich, light and delicious.
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Summary: still a classic...but
Review: I replaced a paperback version with this one. This is definately a book i would get in hardcover. Its [costs more] but will lst much longer... the book has changed over the years to keep up with what is happening in *cooking* today. I think when it first came out there were many many MANY fewer cook-books and it was THE only one some people had. And in that vein, i think they added things that I wouldnt use this book for... say asian food. there are plenty of asian food cook books on the market that are readily available. I dont think i would go to this book to find an asian recipe .... i think maybe they are a bit stuck in the *being all things to all people* kind of book mind-set. for me, i dont need that... maybe some people prefer to have *all* kinds of recipes in one place...but i think some of the other things have suffered. what did they have to take out to add that....it seems to me it was a bit of the more classic instructional stuff... im not saying this isnt a good book becuase i think it is. I'm just not sure in this day and age that trying to be *the one cookbook in everyones kitchen* doesnt deminish it on alot of levels.... i think it will take me some time to figure out. how helpful it is over time...how many times i refer to it... how often i think to myself that the answer will be in there and it is....
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Summary: keeps getting better
Review: I received a hardback copy of this cookbook when I got married a few years ago. I have always had a love of cooking, but this book made me fall in love all over again. The detailed info about different types of flours, vegetables, cooking methods, etc., have helped me to become a better cook. Unlike some cookbooks, this one has recipes that are easy and do not require a lot of strange spices you will only use once. I recently bought the cd version, which is great because you can change the number of servings, and it automatically changes the amount of ingredients needed.
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Summary: Great compendium, but not complete
Review: The "Joy of Cooking" (affectionately know by some as "Irma") is a wonderful collection of recipes, terms and techniques. However, I found it to be sadly incomplete. For example, there is no recipe for baking hash brownies. Now, I've known that this recipe has been widely available since, at least, the late '60's. But is it in this book? No, sirreee. Of course, an accomplished cook could improvise on the basic brownie recipe (p. 645), but I'm a beginner, and not always clear thinking, so a more complete set of recipes would have been very helpful.
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Summary: Consistent, time-tested -- THE cookbook every human needs.
Review: I actually have both the original and the new JoC. This one's a vast improvement over the original. This one's updated with all the new foods we're all used to now that we just didn't have 20 years ago, like star fruit and jerk rubs. And it revises recipes from the original -- the cornbread recipe now includes a "northern" and a "southern" version, with the "southern" version actually resembling authentic cornbread. This is the first cookbook I ever bought. It is still the seminal reference work for cooks. From how to skin squirrels to making hard candy to how to roast turkeys, anything you want to know about any food, it's in here. I've probably cooked dozens, if not hundreds, of the recipes in this book over the years, and haven't been disappointed yet. Every recipe is tested and consistent -- and that's probably the best thing you can say about this book. It's consistent. It's also the primo information source on food ingredients, from types of flour to varieties of pears. Due to its scope, individual sections are somewhat limited, but they are effective at piqueing the imagination. The book also assumes a small amount of skill on the part of the reader -- the brand-new cook will find plenty here that is do-able, but some things will look intimidating. That said, rest assured that *nothing* in here is outside the ability of the average home cook. In short, I have no reservations at all about wholeheartedly recommending this book to every single cook reading this.
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