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Summary: Not for newbie cooks!
Review: It's quite the bible of food and cooking. I found the explanation of certain food groups and handling helpful. For example, what types of meat are from what parts of animals, and the oils and consistencies differ. But as a newbie cook, I found little joy and little cooking. It's a good reference book, but much too intimidating. There's not enough beginner-type of explanations of cooking terminology or food prep techniques (nor are there pictures to help out).
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Summary: The Classic
Review: This standard (pre-1997) version of The Joy is the one to have. Not just because it's the one our mothers and grandmothers used when they taught us to cook, or the one we used in cooking together with our spouses and friends. But because it's BETTER than the new "improved" version that came out in 1997. Oh, I have the "improved" one, too -- but it tries to be something The Joy was never meant to be: chichi. It's so busy being nouvelle that it forgets its roots. It won't tell you how many glasses of champagne you can pour from a fifth (8-12) when you're helping to plan a wedding, or what to substitute for buttermilk in a cookie recipe. This is the must have!
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Summary: If you only want one cookbook, this is it
Review: If you are not a serious cook, and want only one cookbook, this is the one cookbook you need. And if you are serious about food and cooking, this is the Gold Standard of American cooking.This book, to me, is the equivalent of Julia Child's "Mastering the art of French Cooking" for French cuisine, the gold standard. In addition, I understand from some people who have purchased the 'new, upadted version' that it's not as good or as well tested as this version. So I will stick to this one. Lastly, I like the binding on this book for use in a kitchen. Much more practical than perfect binding, as found on paperback versions.
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Summary: Clam Bake
Review: Where else can you read the specifics of skinning skinning small game and hosting a clam bake. Buy this book and give all of your other cookbooks to the goodwill.
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Summary: Got Me Through College
Review: A concise, straightforward book on cooking basics. When I went off to college, and living on my own, this was the ONE source I used in my self-taught cooking 'lessons.' What is so great about the book is how simple the instructions are in understanding to guide one through cooking virtually anything. This is the one book I will insist my child, when she goes off to college, takes with her.
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Summary: Very Good Cookbook, but...
Review: Almost everyone I know has great things to say about this cookbook. I enjoy cooking so much I decided I'd give it a try and see for myself what all the fuss was about. I admit it:I had great expectations. However,I was a little dissapointed when I got it. It's a monster of a book,which I felt I had to sit down, read and review rather than grab and go. Joy of Cooking has very good recipes, but it lacks good illustrations/pictures for my taste. I see it more as encyclopedia than cookbook. Bottom line is: I liked it, I didn't send it back, I use it sometimes, but my all-time favorite, 5 stars cookbook still is the wonderful BETTER HOMES & GARDENS NEW COOKBOOK.
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Summary: Not all it's cracked up to be
Review: When I dropped my meal plan for college, I was looking for a solid cookbook that could help me learn how to cook and give me a wide variety of recipes that I could prepare. I thought that the Joy of Cooking would be the ideal book for someone in my situation. I was mistaken. The Joy of Cooking is not a book to learn cooking, but a book to consult if you want a certain recipe. While each section does include some helpful explanation (such as selecting ingredients), the recipes are outdated for a person like me (I don't think I'll be making a lot of Persimmon Pudding). Many of the recipes are "cross-referenced", meaning recipes call for the addition of substances from other recipes, ex: add a White Sauce, pg. 434. This is fine if you have the time to prepare these meals ahead of time or are familiar with cooking, but it is not what a time rushed college student and new cook needs. Overall this book was not what I was looking for. I give it 3 stars for its quantity of recipes. I felt it was lacking in organization, simple modern tastes, and it's spiral binding left something to be desired when trying to cook.
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Summary: The Real One
Review: Thank goodness they didn't drop this classic from the market when they brought out their so-called "New Joy of Cooking". This is the book. This is the one book that ought to be in every kitchen. And, despite readers' comments on the quality of the spiral-bound edition, if you can't afford the hardcover, *buy* the spiral-bound and upgrade to the HC when you can. You must have this book in your kitchen. ((After this one, get "The Pirate's Pantry", a Lake Charles, Louisiana Junior League cookbook)) Not only does this book tell you how to *cook* things, it has sections that tell you *why* you cook certain things in a certain way and certain things differently. It covers the most elementary of basics in clear and concise language, and goes on from there to more complex and difficult cooking. And, unlike many, it covers aspects of cooking that you may never need -- but then again, someday you may - things like cooking wild game and other non-everyday occurences. Best cookbook inna whole flippin' world. Buy it.
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Summary: SMALL PRINT, ITS ALMOST LIKE READING A DICTIONARY
Review: The words are too small to read., with black and white cartoon pictures..The book is only good for knowing what you want and finding it in the index.. i recommend the Better Homes New cook Book...
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Summary: THE QUINTESENTIAL COOKBOOK
Review: I have lots of pretty cookbooks with good recipes that I enjoy very much. What I like about Joy of Cooking is 1) it is incredibly complete. When I hear for the first time about some exotic ingredient I can almost always find a recipe in Joy Of Cooking 2) It is much more than a recipe book. It is the most complete compendium of cooking technique and food information I know of.
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