Cookbooks

Raise your hand if you like to read cookbooks... We must have millions of cookbooks in our library! I like to read them and try to commit the information to memory so I don't NEED to reference the book. There's comfort in having a shelf full of cookbooks that are there when you need it...

We're currently reading ChefMD's Book of Culinary Medicine by John La Puma. Its a great read on the properties of different foods and how to balance the properties of each food to create a healthy diet. I like that he has merged medicine with food and I wish the medical field would embrace his philosophy. When you go to the doctor, he should recommend ways to adjust your diet to combat illness instead of just giving you a pill... In the meantime, read this book and learn how to cook the right foods together for optimum health and do what you can to fight off disease without compromising on your gourmet standards.

Get it on Amazon.

Here are a few that we've recently read:

• Things Cooks Love: Implements, Ingredients, Recipes
  Sur la Table
  All cooks are suckers for the latest and greatest tools, but some of us have no idea what to do with the ones we see in the store. Well this book takes all the guesswork out of it. I remember when I saw a cataplana for the first time and I just couldn't imagine what you would cook in the clam-shaped copper pan. Turns out, its a Portuguese-style peice of cookware that you use to cook fish stew in. This book will explain how to use every tool imaginable and where it came from!
  Get it on Amazon.
  
  
• Schott's Food and Drink Miscellany
  Ben Schott
  You'll need your reading glasses for this one... The print is small, but it is chock-full of useless, yet interesint, information. This is a great book to reference when a dinner guest asks you some random food question.
  
  
• How to Read a French Fry
  Russ Parsons
  This is our all-time favority kitchen science books. Parsons describes how to determine the age of the oil used to fry a potato, how starches react to heat, and how to thicken a sauce. Just to name a few. Parsons proves that the unexamined dish is far less rewarding than the meal we understand. Check it out.
  
  
• Mastering the Art of French Cooking
  Julia Childs
  It seems like all the traditional cooking styles stemmed from French cookery, so I thought I'd get information straight from the SOURCE - Julia Childs. This cookbook is more of a reference than anything else. It has everything... How to hold a knife correctly, how to make Peking Duck, etc. All serious cooks should have a copy of this book.
  
  
• The Eay We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter
  Peter Singer
  The latest and greatest book from the author of Animal Liberation really makes you think about what you eat. He examines the eating and shopping habits of three typical families all with different perspectives on humane and organic food. Reading his book, its easy to see why the issue of commercial vs organic is so complicated. It raises some good points and in the end advises us to eat with our conscious, which is probably good advice for the general public...
  
  
• Sylvia's Family Soul Food Cookbook
  Sylvia Woods
  Nothing is better than a little homecooking on Sunday evenings and this particular cookbook has helped give us ideas when the well has just run dry. From ham hocks to green bean casserole, this is an invaluable reference for those who like a little Southern soul in their food.