Joy of Cooking

Rating:
Summary: Not a good general cookbook for the novice
Review: I am by no means an expert or even experienced cook, but I am also by no means an idiot. I have had this book for several years and have used it often. It is full of good reference material and some very good recipes.
But I have also found that it is often far too un-necessarily complicated. I have also tried several receipes that simply didn't work. Like I said, I'm not an idiot, I followed all the directions carefully, but still...
I think maybe if I knew more about cooking then I could figure what went wrong and what to do correctly, but I don't think a cookbook should be trial-and-error exorcise.

Rating:
Summary: It truly is an "all purpose" cookbook!
Review: I own dozens of cookbooks, but I find myself going to the shelf for this book more often than any other. Everything I've made has been wonderful, from hollandaise sauce to braised short ribs (which my Mother-in-law claimed was one of the best meals I ever made and I've been married over 20 years.) Last night I made creamed turkey from turkey leftovers; my parents raved. A note of caution, this cookbook uses more top-shelf ingredients and doesn't have the benefit of photos. But for the more experienced cook, it is a must.

Rating:
Summary: Still excellent
Review: I agree with one point the former critic makes in that some of these recipes aren't for eveybody. (I mean, how many people are going to need to know how to roast an armadillo?) But it is still the best cookbook to have if you only have one cookbook. Here are two extremely valuable things I discovered, and only from reading JOY. When you make zucchini, you salt the zucchini first, cover to let steam until they become tender - the salt draws the moisture out of them - and then remove the cover for a minute or so longer so that the residual moisture in the pan evaporates. BUT, when you fry onions, DO NOT salt them first or cover them, because they will dry out and steaming onions makes them tough. Now I have never made armadillo or possum. But I fry onions all the time and they come out perfect (tender and just a little bit crisp), thanks to my following JOY's instructions. I have also tried many of the pastries (including strudel) and my guests thought I was trained as a pastry chef. All I did was follow JOY's advice. Now, I think that JOY could be modestly revised - I mean, everybody uses the microwave nowadays and nobody needs to melt chocolate in a double boiler anymore! But for reference and for learning how to make the most basic items and serve them at their most flavorful is JOY's strength. Rombauer-Becker's "About" sections ("About Flour" "About Corn," etc.) are just gold to a part-time cook like me. Love you JOY OF COOKING!

Rating:
Summary: The best reference book for food and drink
Review: I must agree with kidnova from Toms River, NJ in that "The Joy of Cooking" is not a book to learn cooking. Admittedly I don't use it for recipes very much but I have referred to it countless times over the last 15 years for information about the ingredients I am using. How to store potatoes or what is chateaubriand exactly? There are basic recipe ideas for almost anything, then I embellish from there. This is an absolute must-have for any cook, serious or beginner.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Primer
Review: The New Joy of Cooking has been an absolutely exceptional basic resource for the kitchen. It provides a broad array of standard recipes, all of which contain alternate preparations and basic steps, as well as hints and references. Every recipe, of the 22 I've so far tried has turned out perfectly, as expected. (The oatmeal cookie recipe is wonderful!)

Rating:
Summary: Quaint...but not practical for me....
Review: I've heard many reactions to this cookbook, similar to those here, before I purchased it. I went ahead and got it because the encyclopedic aspect appealed to me. I guess I wanted the "original" rather than "new and improved" version. But upon reviewing it, I found that it was just not very readable and very dated. Yes, it is, for the most part a reference book. Yes, I have the spiral bound edition, which is inferior quality. But even if I owned the hardcover version, the majority of these recipes DO NOT appeal to me. They are interesting to read, as they remind me of some of the vintage cookbooks I have. I have also found some good recipes, such as rosettes and press cookies, that are difficult to find elsewhere. But upon flipping through, I see that many of the recipes are heavy, 50's fare...or "variety meats" (I'm sorry, but I personally find the idea of eating brains, blood or other oddities pretty repugnant)...or just way too time consuming. While interesting to know, I really don't see myself skinning a possum or other wild animal any time soon.
For these reasons and more, this book just isn't practical for me. I really think this original version is geared toward the 50's housewife who had all day to prepare a meal. If I have a yen for something, more often than not I can find an easy version in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that tastes grand. I have not looked at the "new version" of Joy, so I can only hope it is an improvement. Get this for the novelty factor only. As a final note, if you want to try your hand at all kinds of 50's cocktails...there are pages and pages of this, too!

Rating:
Summary: Don't throw away!
Review: Just a quick word, in case you buy the "new version", this one has recipes (quick hollandaise), that the "new" joy of cooking doesn't have! This one's a keeper too!

Rating:
Summary: THIS is the one!
Review: This edition is far superior to the 1997 travesty.I have cooked for over 30 of my 41 years. I have literally hundreds of cookbooks. I come back to this edition of Joy all the time.Unlike the 1997 book, this book still has the reassuring tone of Marion Rombauer Becker, and some anecdotes from Irma Rombauer.The illustrations echo those of Ginnie Hoffman, who did the illustrations for the great 1964 edition.Others who have praised the 1997 edition say that this edition is not multicultural enough. Bah. They also say that this edition is too high in fat. Fear of food! One must have balance! Fried chicken one day, a large, lightly dressed salad the next.Yes, there are no processor, microwave, or bread machine recipes in this edition, however, many competent books of processor, microwave and bread machine recipes abound.The typeface is easy to read, and this is just a better edition, The voice is clear and true, and not a distracting mishmash.

Rating:
Summary: Good reference book
Review: I haven't read every single recipe in this huge book. It is filled with hundreds (maybe thousands) of recipes, but the best part of the book is the sections that give general knowledge about cooking: how to cut up meat, what various herbs are used for, etc. Very educational for a beginner cook.

The recipes I've had a chance to read, though, seem a little to "gourmet" for me--you know---the kind that includes ingredients that you don't have on the shelf and cost a lot of money at the store. I much prefer recipes that are good, but can be made from ingredients I already have.

Rating:
Summary: The Original and Best
Review: (But don't buy the spiralbound!)

I'd been looking for the old, good, real Joy for a while, and found it in the spiral-bound format at a certain unnamed competitor of Amazon. Bought it on the spot, and almost immediately regretted it - what thin, cheap paper! It's like trying to read Kleenex. I left it at my beach share for the summer and the humidity alone made the thing swell noticeably.

Now, as for the contents: Joy is not for the contemporary "beginning cook," since microwaves have ensured that today's beginners know nothing at all about cooking (indeed, judging from some of the comments here, they barely seem to handle the concepts of "reading" or "visualizing without pictures"). The value is for the cook having both basic skills and the inclination to educate him- or herself. Irma and daughter Marion make wonderful companions, providing a strong, sympathetic editorial voice throughout. (Unlike the dreadful 1997 rip-off perpretrated by greedy, grave-robbing grandson Ethan, who consigned the actual writing over to a 40-odd-person committee - and it shows.) Especially helpful are longish sections detailing cooking processes and ingredients, which provide a cook with the wherewithal to vary recipes as needed.

The recipes themselves are mostly classics, with some for the ambitious and others that are perfectly suitable for day-to-day. A few even reflect changing diets, with lower-fat and -calorie variations, but the emphasis is definitely on standbys.

This is a book to learn with and to treasure. Just do yourself a favor and get the hard-cover!