The Best of Basic Cookbooks

I have many cookbooks and enjoy some more than others.  I tend to look for cookbooks that specialize in a particular type of cooking rather than all purpose cookbooks which tend to cover a broad range of disciplines.  I find most of the recipes in those books to be easy to follow and are a great starting point for creating your own recipes that have your personal touch.  Most of us look in the fridge and try to figure out what to cook with what we have.  If you have a well stocked kitchen with the basics, having basic cookbooks makes coming up with the right recipe easier. 
There are some all purpose cookbooks that I really like and go to when I need to brush up on a cooking technique or want a beginner recipe that I can play with.  The following books I recommend having in your collection as go to multipurpose cookbooks.  They are especially helpful if you are trying to locate a particular recipe or technique and don't want to mess with the internet.
I also like to borrow books from the library before I commit to purchasing them.  Some well advertised cookbooks have fallen flat for me when I get my hands on them because there are only a few recipes in them I would make.  I have saved a ton of money by borrowing before I buy.  








1.  Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook-great all purpose cookbook and great gift for newly married people.  Each section has a great guide to whatever the food is, i.e. meat, seafood, cheese, vegetables, etc.  There is also a freezing and canning guide with beginner recipes.  Overall it is a great way to get started cooking and learning about foods.  This book is printed just about every year and has been updated since mine was published in ......1989!    









2.  America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook-really great recipes that have been tested thoroughly.  Excellent resource for techniques and they have some great product ratings too.  I have found the equipment ratings very helpful when I need to purchase a particular item for my home kitchen.  The food product ratings do not take into account organic foods or preservatives in foods.  They simply rate what their panel thought was the best tasting/texture.  I match the product ratings up to what I have learned about food quality and go from there.  I have found I rarely utilize this feature after putting the foods up against my own standards which include the food source and product ingredients.
The recipes are easy to follow and I have had great success with most of them.  They really have tested the recipes and found the best way to make my family's favorite foods.  I have found the information on the science involved in cooking to be the most helpful as I have learned to cook.  I use this cookbook quite a bit. 








3.  The Joy of Cooking-there is so much in this book it is hard to not have it on the list.  I use this when I don't know where else to look for cooking non-traditional foods or especially for how to make things that I would normally buy in the store like marshmallows.  This is not an easy read and previous cooking knowledge is helpful.  The beginning of each chapter has very good definitions and descriptions to help prepared the recipes.  There aren't very many pictures but is comprehensive.