Joy of Cooking Launches Gadgets and Cookbook

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?

On Sunday, I tested the Joy tools while I made the tamale pie. It was the first time I'd cooked with a Joy recipe. The tamale was quick to throw together, a little bit casserole throw-back, a little bit fun. Next time, I'll dial up the spices and add some hot peppers. Anyone have old favorite recipes from past versions of Joy that we should look for in the new edition?

The arrival of this newest version of the Joy of Cooking book comes on the heels of encyclopedic cookbooks from Gourmet, Silver Spoon, and most recently Bon Appetit. Weighing in at about 1,000 pages a piece, how many of these big books do you own? What's the best way to pick and choose between them?

Comments (6)

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.

posted by v in boston on 2006-10-24 11:30:13

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.

posted by r in sf on 2006-10-25 00:19:38

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.

posted by Chris on 2006-10-25 11:01:06

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!

posted by Tara on 2006-11-01 03:10:40

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

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