The Food Lovers' Cookbook Collection
The Food Lovers' Cookbook Collection has been assembled by the Foodtourist team to help guide you through the maze of wonderful food writing that is now flooding the market. Some of it is recent writing, some is almost two hundred years old - but it is all relevant to our understanding of cooking today.
We need to carefully explain how we have chosen our favourite fifty books. First, they are books that fall into the category of cookbooks or recipe books. Therefore you will not find Harold McGee's wonderful classic On Food and Cooking or Alan Davidson's The Oxford Companion to Food nor will you find the philosophic musings of Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.
We have then made a judgement about the impact the book has had throughout the world.
Obviously, Escoffier has had an enormous effect on chefs from many countries over a very long period of time. Elizabeth David's works have been treasured on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond. David Thompson's book on Thai Food has helped reveal to the world the complexity and harmony of this cuisine.
And so we came up with our list. We hope to soon create another list of our favourite reference books so that Harold McGee, Hervé This, Alan Davidson and others can also be recognised here for their efforts.
So our list lies below. Click on any of the titles for a more detailed review of the book.
1 - Le Guide Culinaire: A Guide to Modern Cookery by Auguste Escoffier
Escoffier's masterpiece that set the scene for modern French cookery with the publication of 5012 technically exact recipes that were accurately reflected in the 1921 Flamarion edition translated for the English-speaking world. Be wary of editions containing only 2973 recipes as much of the richness of the original book is difficult to capture with these editions.2 - French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David
The classic tour de force of regional French food through the eyes of one of the greatest food writers of the 20th century.3 - Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well by Pellegrino Artusi
Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well by Pellegrino Artusi is a classic Italian cookbook that is written with passion, humility, irreverence and humour. The recipes are well worth trying even though the book was written in the late nineteenth century.4 - La bonne cuisine de Madame E. Saint-Ange by Evelyn Saint-Ange
La bonne cuisine de Madame E. Saint-Ange is a seminal French cookbook beloved by home cooks since 1927. Chez Panisse co-founder, Paul Aratow, has completed the serious job of translating this huge work into English without losing the essential character of this imperious woman's work.5 - Time Life 'The Good Cook' Series with Richard Olney (editor)
An enduring classic in the cookbook repertoire. The Time Life Series is still as relevant today as the day the series was released.6 - Modernist Cuisine by Nathan Myhrvold
A tour-de-force that ranges widely over the techniques required to cook 'modernist' food. A very significant book set with stunning photographs, great recipes and brilliant techniques.
7 - Thai Food by David Thompson
The definitive guide to Thai cuisine written by Australian David Thompson.8 - Modern Cookery for private families by Eliza Acton
Originally published in 1845 this remains the classic British cookbook and one of the first to provide lists of ingredients and advice about cooking times. It had a strong influence on Elizabeth David.9 - Simple French Food by Richard Olney
A thoughtful, erudite and compelling book from one of the greatest food writers of the last century. Olney's passion for French food and for simplicity in preparation and presentation shines through every page. An essential addition to every food lover's library.10 - The Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rodgers
The Zuni Café is one of our favourite places to eat in the world and Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rodgers is one of the most inspiring references that is compulsory in every serious food lover's cookbook collection.11 - Cooking by Hand by Paul Bertolli
Cooking by Hand by Paul Bertolli has entered the pantheon of great cookbooks because of his deep understanding of food products and the clarity with which he sets out his ideas. He is also one of our favourite chefs. This is a classic book with practical guidelines for everything from charcuterie making to the art of perfect pasta.
12 - Middle Eastern Cookery by Arto der Haroutunian
Arto der Haroutunian is a brilliant observer of the food of the Middle East and North Africa. Each of his publications has become a classic in its own right. We have chosen his wonderful book on the food of the Middle East to represent his writings in this collection of great cookbooks.13 - The Classic Italian Cookbook by Marcella Hazan
Even though it was published in the mid-seventies we still think The Classic Italian Cookbook by Marcella Hazan is the best of Marcella's books.
14 - Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji
Japanese Cooking A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji is a thoughtful and careful book surveying many of the great recipes of Japan. Don't skip the excellent introduction by M K Fisher - it is a gem!15 - The Cook's Companion by Stephanie Alexander
The classic Australian compendium of recipes and one of our most-used cookbooks.16 - Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking by Fuchsia Dunlop
Land of Plenty by Fuchsia Dunlop is a valuable addition to our knowledge of the vibrant and complex cuisine of the Sichuan province of China. The fiery dishes have not been dumbed down for timid Western palates.17 - Cuisine Minceur by Michel Guérard
The definitive guide to the 1970's classic Cuisine Minceur cooking technique by Michel Guérard one of the important figures in the movement.18 - Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop
Fuchsia Dunlop wrote the wonderful and authentic compilation of recipes from the Sichuan Province called Land of Plenty, here she has applied those same skills to produce a survey of the Hunan Province in south west China.19 - The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
Alice Waters is not only a great chef she is also a talented writer. The Art of Simple Food gives us an insight into why Chez Panisse has been such a great restaurant for such a long time.20 - Good Things By Jane Grigson
All of Jane Grigson's books are packed with authoritative information and wonderful recipes that work and Good Things is no exception.21 - The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden
The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden is a scholarly yet approachable survey of Jewish food and cooking techniques throughout the world.22 - Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child deserves its place in every food lover's collection. The recipes are written with rare precision and make no concessions to the "quick and easy" brigade or the "low-fat, low-flavour" movement.23 - The New York Times Cook Book by Craig Claiborne
This best-seller was first published in 1961 and underwent a major revision in 1990. We still like the original as it provides a useful snapshot of American cooking at that time. Many of the recipes are timeless and don't need to be updated.24 - Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller
Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller is subtitled Family-Style Recipes which is a signal that the recipes are likely to be approachable and do not require elaborate preparation. And on reading the book many are able to be implemented by the home cook.
25 - La Cuisine du Comté de Nice by Jacques Médecin
La Cuisine du Comté de Nice is a classic book from the highly opiniated Mayor of Nice Jacques Médecin setting out exactly what the wonderful cuisine of the Nice area is and how it should be prepared. If you have ever wondered what the exact ingredients for a Niçoise Salad should be then this is the source you should turn to.26 - The Glorious Foods of Greece by Diane Kochilas
The Glorious Foods of Greece by Diane Kochilas is a masterful book that surveys the breadth and depth of traditional Greek cooking in a lively, entertaining yet scholarly way. It is a key book for anyone wanting to understand the true cooking of this fascinating country.
27 - Catalan Cuisine by Colman Andrews
Colman Andrews in this major work provides us with stunning insight into the wonderful world of Catalan Cuisine.28 - Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management by Isabella Beeton
An essential reference for all those food lovers who are interested in tracking down old recipes and making judgements about how techniques are changing (or even more interestingly staying the same). This is a major work by an important writer.
29 - The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook by Fannie Farmer
The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook was written by Fannie Farmer in 1896 and quickly became one of the most popular cook books in the United States.
30 - Roast Chicken and other stories by Simon Hopkinson
Roast Chicken and other stories by Simon Hopkinson with Lindsey Bareham is a great cookbook for a number of reasons. The first is the format. It explores about forty small topics, a chapter at a time presenting a few recipes for each topic. The second is that he seems to favour classic recipes and just wants to make them easy to cook and for them to be more satisfying. And the third reason is that the things he writes about are the things we like to eat.
31 - Larousse Gastronomique
Larousse Gastronomique is a classic reference cookbook that is a compulsory item in every food lover's library.
32 - Flavors of the Riviera by Colman Andrews
Flavors of the Riviera by Colman Andrews is an insightful and thoroughly-researched survey of the true food of north-west Italy and southern France.
33 - European Peasant Cookery by Elisabeth Luard
European Peasant Cookery is yet another important contribution from Elisabeth Luard and her publisher Grub Street with this massive survey of food from 25 countries from Turkey to Iceland.