The 75th anniversary edition of The Joy of Cooking cookbook will be released on Monday. The new edition is "a sort of greatest hits of home cooking" according to The New York Times Magazine.
The magazine provided a preview of two recipes re-issued in the new Joy: tamale pie and a spice cake made with tomato soup. The cake's already caused quiet a stir about cooking with off beat ingredients (sauerkraut in a coconut cake, anyone?) on the rec.food newsgroup.
Along with the newest version of the cookbook, Joy of Cooking also launched a new line of red and white kitchen tools which were designed here in New York City by Prime Studio. The Joy of Cooking gadgets are available online at Target.com. Considering their price point of about $5 each, the spatula, spoons, and measuring cups I tried work well. They feel solid and are easy to clean. Do you like colorful kitchen tools like these, or do you generally stick to metal and basic black?
I took my mother's old wedding-present Joy of Cooking to London with me in college and essentially used it to learn to cook.
I go to Joy for more traditional recipes and basics-- they have a great pancake recipe and killer mulled wine. The "about the ingredients" and informational sections are super helpful and informative, great when you pick up a new ingredient or a meat that you haven't made before. The version I have (circa 1970) is a little dated, but the recipes are clear, straightforward, and, in my experience, delicious. I love that they also provide variations for almost all of their recipes.
I have the Gourmet cookbook as well, but even though I use recipes from their magazine and Epicurious.com pretty regularly, I don't use the book nearly as much as Joy of Cooking. I just find Joy is more useful for general cooking reference and help.
Cookbooks are to be savored. Read like a mystery novel. -- My grandmother
I inherited the bulk of her cookbook collection (it fills an IKEA Expedit), much to my roomate's annoyance. But unless I'm looking for inspriation, I tend to pull Joy of Cooking, The Better Home's and Garden CookBook, or LaRousse Gastronomique. Between those 3, I can piece together or find exactly what I'm looking for. If I had to choose just one to give to someone just learnign the basics, it would be Joy. Hands down.
R - what are your Joy of cooking faves?
Do you have pics of your cookbook collection and how you store it? It might be interesting to share tips on how to collect and store -- "curate" -- a cookbook collection in an apartment space.
I personally love the 1997 edition and recommend it highly, though I am looking forward to this new edition. The press has been mixed so far on this new edition, but I agree with you that the new Joy of Cooking tools are a hit!
Don't miss the take on the new Joy and the best of the past editions in today's New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/01/dining/01joy.html?pagewanted=3&ref=dining