Cookbooks or recipe books were created for cooks of all levels, from beginner to advance, amateur to professional. Within their pages are recipes to consult as reference and guide, listing all the ingredients needed, mentioning the cooking tools and equipment used, and outlining as detailed instructions as it can. New cuisines, historical

1. Recipe Books
Cookbooks or recipe books were created for cooks of all
levels, from beginner to advance, amateur to
professional. Within their pages are recipes to consult as
reference and guide, listing all the ingredients needed, mentioning the
cooking tools and equipment used, and outlining as detailed
instructions as it can. New cuisines, historical facts and narratives are
also featured in some good cookbooks.
The contents of recipe books contents range from sweet to savory and
vegetarian to all-meat. The writing style could be personal (based on
the experience of the cook or celebrity), professional or both. The
photographs of each ingredient, recipe and procedure would prove
beneficial as
well,
especially to
beginners
not familiar
with a
specific
technique,
ingredient or
look of a
dish.
It’s not just
the beginner
that benefits
from recipe
books. While
the most
advance
cook or baker has recipes memorized through experience and daily
cooking practice, they would also benefit from recipe books as a
place to learn something new, get inspiration or a new idea, or simply
to look up a classic dish as reference.
Choosing Your Cookbooks
Of the many being published today, which cookbook or recipe book
would best suit your kitchen shelf? Here are some ideas to consider
when browsing through your local bookstore or online:
1) Look for a cookbook with a range of recipes. Value for money is the
recipe book that offers you more than a dozen useful recipes. Most
should be kitchen tested so you know the recipes actually work.

2. 2) Get a general cookbook to serve as your culinary reference. These
are the books that define cooking terms, introduce ingredients, and
explain the techniques that go into specific dishes, meals, or menus.
Examples include the Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer; Mastering the
Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette
Bertholle; How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, and others.
3) Get something specialized and focused only on specific foods
(cookies and cake ‘bibles,’), ingredients (all apple, cheese, vegetable
books), techniques or method (baking, stewing, casserole), budget
and experience.
4) Flip through the cookbook and see how it is relevant to you, what
you wish to read, your time, lifestyle and budget. Read some of the
recipes. Are the instructions clear and detailed? Do the recipes seem
overly-time consuming? Are the recipes designed for beginners,
intermediate, or advanced cooks? Do you like the way the author
“talks” in the book and the way it’s arranged? Will your family like the
dishes featured?
5) Cook like your favorite chef or food celebrity. If you like a chef or
celebrity, most often he or she would have come out with a cookbook
featuring their personal recipes, style of cooking, preferred ingredients,
and writing style.
6) Other sources of recipes are available online with videos, feedback
from other cooks or website readers, and almost always free. If you
have your own clippings, personal collection, heirloom hand-me-down
recipes, keep them in a binder with page protectors, folder or sturdy
envelope. Eventually, this collection can be passed on to your family
members as itself a heirloom piece.