6.22.2013

A Cookbook Meme




Recently, I read a fun post written by Dana for her blog The Kitchn. The post was entitled Which Cookbooks Defined the Past Decades of Cooking. Dana had read an article in the Financial Times by food writer Tim Hayward called Cookbook Colossi, listing the popular British cookbooks. The article prompted her to make her own list of cookbooks through the decades she feels defines American cooks. 

Danas list is as follows:

The 60s: Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
The 70s: The New York Times' International Cookbook by Craig Claiborne
The 80s: The Silver Palate Cookbooks by Sheila Lukins and Julee Russo
The 90s: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
The 00s: The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judi Rodgers
The 10s (so far): Plenty or Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi 

Because I was cooking in the 50's, I'm adding that decade, and hands down, it was the BH&G cookbook. 
Joy of Cooking, while not on Dana's list, is a cookbook everyone received at bridal showers in the 50's. I'd say that one spans all decades.
In addition, another bible for me back then was this set of Gourmet Cookbooks my mother gave me.



And because the end of the 00's and into the 10's is the era of food blogging and network food shows, do you think any resulting cookbooks are worth a mention? What about Ina? Or Maida Heatter? (Maida is probably too specialized, as she's all desserts, but I have all her books.) Or, as Dana gave mention to, Martha Stewart. What about Alice Waters? Difficult, isn't it?

So what do you think of Dana's choices? I'm on board with her first three, but I'm kind of iffy with her choices for the 90's and the 00's. What are your favorite cookbooks from each decade? What would you add, or substitute? 
How does one determine? Best sellers? Or what you personally used?



(The image at the top of this post I found at Dana's blog and it was by Jane Mount/Ideal Bookshelf for Food52)


14 comments:

  1. For Australia, I think the 00s has to be Donna Hay!

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  2. I have the first three cookbooks and they serve us well.
    I also have a boxed set of the Gourmet Cookbooks that were a going-away gift when we left Charleston, S.C. in 1987. I, of course, use Ina a lot. I think her simplicity suits many of today's lifestyles. I just got my first Donna Hay cookbook and am in love!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  3. I love this cookbook dear barbara. Im agree with you I love Better homes cooking (still have old some magazines to cook from my mom) and For me Gourmet are something special and I love Bon appetit too.
    And I love Nigella and Delia Smith, both that I love (I love Jimmy too) when I begin to blog I begin Delia Smith site so english food are really important to me.
    I have amazing chilean books and sometimes I talked about them but arent in English:(.

    Lovely post!

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  4. A lovely list! I own "The Silver Palate" and love this cookbook (I was lucky to find it at the flea market here).

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  5. Well... I didn't really start cooking until the '90s, but I disagree with the last three choices. Most of my vegetarian friends mention Moosewood, and given that my personal favorite, Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home won a Beard in '95, I feel I could defend my choice.

    For '00? I do think Ina or Paula Deen's Lady & Sons books would get my vote.

    '10? Too soon to say. I haven't given a non-JL cookbook this relatively new decade, that I can recall.

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  6. Plenty is by far my favourite!

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  7. The list has good books. When I need good basic recipes I go to my mom's 1947 Better Homes book. My 1960's is ok. By far Ina's books are beautiful, interesting and "foolproof".

    Linda@Tumbleweed Contessa

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  8. I agree with most of the choices, but regardless of my love for the NYT International Cookbook, the Time Life series was my first real introduction to ethnic cuisine.

    For the 80's I was enthralled by Pierre Franey's 60 Minute Gourmet and the theory (way before Rachel Ray) that a great dinner could be put on the table in less than 60 minutes. I was raising three kids and working and that book and others like it - Marion Burros 20 Minute Meals springs to mind - kept me from falling into the out of the freezer or the can trap. That Rosanne Gold still publishes 123 cookbooks proves people want to cook good meals instead of Sandra Lee-ing it.


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  9. Lindo post mi querida Barbara me encantan los libros de cocina tengo cientos de Francia,Norteamericanos y muchos chilenos pronto tendrás el mío en esta hermosa lista,hugs.

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  10. I love Ina Garten. I have all of her cookbooks. There are other favorites like Emeril and bobby Flay too.

    Velva

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  11. I have all but two of these in my extensive cookbook collection...great choices!

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  12. I am on board for the early choices. Those are the cookbooks so many of us still go back to - they stand the test of time and marked their era. I'm questioning the 90's 00"s and definitely the 10's! I just recently bought a copy of Deborah Madison's cook book, but it might be left in the dust by Mark Bittmans Everything Vegetarian - I might be reaching for that more and more. Embarassed to say I dont even have The Zuni Cafe or Plenty or Jerusalem!

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  13. I am on board for the early choices. Those are the cookbooks so many of us still go back to - they stand the test of time and marked their era. I'm questioning the 90's 00"s and definitely the 10's! I just recently bought a copy of Deborah Madison's cook book, but it might be left in the dust by Mark Bittmans Everything Vegetarian - I might be reaching for that more and more. Embarassed to say I dont even have The Zuni Cafe or Plenty or Jerusalem!

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  14. I am so far behind here, Barbara! Busy, but fun past several weeks for me.

    What an interesting topic! I would say in the 90s I was most influenced by cooking magazines...Gourmet and Bon Appetit. Then came a flurry of Junior League cookbooks that I still use today and other smaller cookbooks. Dorie's Baking is one of my bibles :) Of course, then the internet exploded and I find so much inspiration here with blogging friends.

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