Customer Reviews

The All Purpose Joy of Cooking

5 star:		(135)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This review is for the spiral-bound edition.

I'll start with the written content: this cookbook is a complete guide not just for cooking, but for food as a whole. There are recipes for every conceivable type of consumable. Beverages (nonalcoholic and alcoholic), appetizers, snacks, candies, jellies, desserts, sauces/toppings, stuffings, and what goes in-between: simple entrees to full-blown multi-course dinners. The instructions are detailed and easy to understand. Unlike cookbooks that tell you to "cut into fillets and braise until done" or "serve with a piquant sauce," the directions take you through step-by-step, always explaining what is really meant. The ingredients range from items found in any supermarket to the more obscure near-alien things that will require serious searching, although most of the ingredients are quite reasonable. There are numerous illustrations throughout, finally letting mankind in on the secret of why some coffee cakes look like they were made from the inside out.

Not just recipes, either. This book includes detailed information on selecting, testing for/maintaining freshness, storing (including an entire chapter on freezing), preparing, and cutting the food. Different types of fruit are explained. Half a dozen pages are devoted to informing the reader about wine. Cuts of beef are explained here; JoC finally explains why chuck is chuck and tip is tip, and where they come from. Table decor, place settings, and appropriate wine glasses are explained too.

The writing style is joyful. Clearly, the authors do not just enjoy cooking, serving, and eating the food... they like talking about it, too. There is a gleeful sense of humor throughout, and anecdotes about where the food originated from and how it got its preposterous name. The contents of this cookbook are a treasure.

Now for the bad part: the physical book. Had the pages been printed on better quality paper, I would upgrade this poor excuse for a tome to galley status. The paper is clearly manga paper, almost (but not quite) as good as the quality of the phone book paper of your yellow pages, yet not quite as thick. The pages are transparent enough that you do not need to turn the flimsy page to see what is printed on the other side. The text size is small, the same size as the print of the listings in a phone book. The ink quality is atrocious; it's obvious that the photocopying machine used to crank out these pages was running out of toner, giving the book dark-text pages and fuzzy pale-text pages. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether the text is in bold print or if the toner cartridge went into its final death throe. The spiral spine is cheap plastic and does not allow easy page-turning. The quality of this (physical) book is absolutely ridiculous.

That's five stars for the content, one star for the physical book.

The Joy of Cooking is by now a classic, a Bible of cooking. An encyclopedic tome of procedures, material and recipes. I shall not attempt to cover its many virtues here, but instead I would like to focus on two reasons why you MUST get this book:

LEARNING TO COOK The Joy of Cooking is more than just a recipe book. It's a textbook. As a student, living on my own and having to take my first steps in the kitchen, this book was a life saver -- it taught me how to cook. Other cookbooks are mere collections of recipes: If you follow them carefully, you have a good chance at ending up with something close to what the author intended. But most cookbooks don't teach you anything about preparing food -- they're just recipes -- so you never really understand, for example, how different doughs are made and how they're used for different breads and pastries, or what kinds of fish should be broiled, fried or cooked, etc. The Joy of Cooking teaches you all that, and much more. If you take the time to actually read the descriptions at the start of each chapter, as opposed to just searching for and following a recipe, you will understand how to cook. The importance of this is immense: If you actually understand what your doing, as opposed to simply following directions, you can improvise, invent new recipes, correct any problems/mistakes/errors, etc. You will begin to think like a Chef. I own many cookbooks, but the Joy of Cooking is one of the very few that actually attempts (and does such a wonderful job) teaching you how to cook. You shouldn't miss up on this opportunity. It's very clear, very well-written, and is ideal for those that are taking their first steps in the kitchen.

RARE AND DIFFICULT TO FIND RECIPES While the Joy of Cooking can't contain each and every ethnic food, it is quite encyclopedic nonetheless. Often, I search dosens of cookbooks, surf the internet, ask friends, only to discover that what I'm looking for is already in the Joy of Cooking! I should have consulted it first! Do you realise that the Joy of Cooking will teach you how to make marshmellows, Halwa, Turkish pastry dough (for borekas), candy, and many other not-so-easy-to-find recipes? And all from scratch: Marshmellows are essentially whipped sugar syrup and gelatin. Halva is essentially sugar syrup and raw tehini sauce. Making Turkish pastry dough is an involved process that takes time and precision -- all the steps for which are in the Joy of Cooking. While I have all these recipes in other books as well, I have no other SINGLE book that contains them all. The Joy of Cooking is encyclopedic and diverse, its scope as far as procedures or ethnic foods are concerned is enormous. This should be your first cookbook, and unless you're looking for some really exotic procedures and recipes, it could very well be your only cookbook.

(But don't buy the spiralbound!)

I'd been looking for the old, good, real Joy for a while, and found it in the spiral-bound format at a certain unnamed competitor of Amazon. Bought it on the spot, and almost immediately regretted it - what thin, cheap paper! It's like trying to read Kleenex. I left it at my beach share for the summer and the humidity alone made the thing swell noticeably.

Now, as for the contents: Joy is not for the contemporary "beginning cook," since microwaves have ensured that today's beginners know nothing at all about cooking (indeed, judging from some of the comments here, they barely seem to handle the concepts of "reading" or "visualizing without pictures"). The value is for the cook having both basic skills and the inclination to educate him- or herself. Irma and daughter Marion make wonderful companions, providing a strong, sympathetic editorial voice throughout. (Unlike the dreadful 1997 rip-off perpretrated by greedy, grave-robbing grandson Ethan, who consigned the actual writing over to a 40-odd-person committee - and it shows.) Especially helpful are longish sections detailing cooking processes and ingredients, which provide a cook with the wherewithal to vary recipes as needed.

The recipes themselves are mostly classics, with some for the ambitious and others that are perfectly suitable for day-to-day. A few even reflect changing diets, with lower-fat and -calorie variations, but the emphasis is definitely on standbys.

This is a book to learn with and to treasure. Just do yourself a favor and get the hard-cover!

Without going into any long saga, let me just say that if the spiral bound addition had been given to me 23 years ago as a wedding shower gift, it would not be with me here today. The binder does not allow for easy opening of the book, or turning of the pages, and the paper is of inferior quality. It is too thin, too flimsy on the fingers. I do not believe it will last. I just purchased this version for my 19 year old collage student, and want to return it for the hard bound edition. There will always be those who don't approve of change. If some things have been omitted and replaced with others, there are always reasons for such changes even it we don't agree with them. My copy(hardbound) is 23 years old and still going strong. All of my kid's pick it up when they cook, without my influence at all. It is the most important cooking manual on my shelf, and I own hundred's of cookbooks. If the general layout and feeling remain the same, I would only recommend the spiral addition with the proper changes.

I've been cooking for thirty years and tried almost every popular cook book printed. My mother had the first version of this book, and I've bought new copies every five years or so, when the pages just wouldn't stay in the book anymore! (and it wasn't because of a poor bindery job, either!) I now have only this book and my personal collection of recipes. Now my current copy has fallen apart and I'm buying another. If you want to know how to cook just about anything, in any manner (including pit cooking!) and have fun reading the directions, this is the version of Joy of Cooking you want to own. Nutritional information, preserving, storing food . . . I've even tried the canning and pickling. The instructions are extremely complete.

This edition is far superior to the 1997 travesty.I have cooked for over 30 of my 41 years. I have literally hundreds of cookbooks. I come back to this edition of Joy all the time.Unlike the 1997 book, this book still has the reassuring tone of Marion Rombauer Becker, and some anecdotes from Irma Rombauer.The illustrations echo those of Ginnie Hoffman, who did the illustrations for the great 1964 edition.Others who have praised the 1997 edition say that this edition is not multicultural enough. Bah. They also say that this edition is too high in fat. Fear of food! One must have balance! Fried chicken one day, a large, lightly dressed salad the next.Yes, there are no processor, microwave, or bread machine recipes in this edition, however, many competent books of processor, microwave and bread machine recipes abound.The typeface is easy to read, and this is just a better edition, The voice is clear and true, and not a distracting mishmash.

I use a well thumbed, 1946 edition with lots of pencil notes in my mother's handwriting. My daughter saw it and asked if she could have it because my cooking is notoriously "creative" and she could not believe that I certainly do use it at least for startoffs. I ordered her a new copy from Amazon. She is now overseas as a missionary and says it is extreemly useful because it EXPLAINS how and what, regardless of where you live or what is selling in the local market. It includes almost everything (except foreign or exotic)but has fascinating comments and little histories. If you want a straight forward, practical and somewhat old fashioned (very few quick mixes or prepackaged ingredients)this is a great all time PLEASURABLE book to use. Not a book with pictures, but several variations on the same page with cross references.

This is my second copy of Joy of Cooking. I had the 70's printing, but it must've gotten lost during a move. I thought I was buying the 80's printing when I recently ordered it from Amazon, but I got another 70's one. But that's fine; It's still the bible. My mother swore by the 1952 Betty Crocker Cookbook, I cook according to Irma Rombauer.

Diehard "Joy" fans rejoice, you can still get the "original" Joy of Cooking everyone's mother and grandmother used. This edition, first published in 1975, is, as I understand it, the last edition written by Irma Rombaur's daughter (the latest, "New Joy of Cooking" was written by Rombaur's grandson). Many prefer this edition to the "New Joy" since it contains less fussy and more classic recipes. Personally, I have them both, and they each have their pros and cons (the "New Joy" finally takes into consideration some basis of healthful cooking, for instance, and drops some of the more antiquated appetizer and cocktail recipes). I also own the "Joy of Cooking : A Compilation of Reliable Recipes With a Casual Culinary Chat," which is a word-for-word reproduction of Irma Rombaur's original, self-published edition of this cooking classic. (With all these editions on the market, it's clear that Irma's grandson knows how to make a profit, if not a perfect chocolate soufflé.)

"Joy of Cooking" is synonymous with good, old-fashioned practical cooking. Every good cook I know owns at least one copy of this book. It's a super all-purpose cookbook, offering well-tested, straight-forward recipes for just about any food you can think of. Alongside the classic "Betty Crocker Cookbook," the "Fannie Farmer Cookbook" and something new from Martha Stewart (I like the "Martha Stewart Living Cookbook," which is a compilation of recipes from her magazine) and/or Cook's Illustrated (either "The Best Recipe" or the "Cook's Bible"), "The Joy of Cooking" will create a perfectly balanced recipe collection for the experienced cook or novice baker.

There is precious little joy in Joy of Cooking. Less joy and inspiration than in any of the hundred or so cooking books on my bookshelf. Joy of Cooking never should be the only cookbook in a household; for conveying a love of food and cooking that nourishes the soul and spurs a cook onward with joy and anticipation is part of the job of a great cookbook.

This said, Joy of Cooking is among the most complete and exhaustive cooking books to be found. For example, it contains twelve pages of descriptions of common fish used in cooking, complete with black and white sketches of the whole fish. (Even James Peterson's cookbook on Seafood does not do this. On the other hand, Peterson organizes fish in a chart of flavor, texture, and oiliness that helps us understand and compare the culinary and gustatory qualities of various fish more effectively. ) And it is full of explanations about how to do things and why. This contextual richness is something rarely found in other cookbooks.

Recipes for typically American foods are well described and explained. The section on getting a flaky pie crust, for instance, is among the better explanations I have read. It combines knowledge of the technical steps with a background of why the steps are necessary. And the result is a friendly, readable, sensible two pages of instruction. So it is true that Joy of Cooking is an essential guide for learning to cook like grandmother did.

Look for obscure foods like fruitcake and you are likely to find recipes for them. There's caponata and ratatouille, and baba ghanoush. There's at least one recipe each for fricassee, floutas, and fiddlehead ferns. Chicken recipes are included for chicken piccata, cordon bleu, cacciatore, coq au vin, doro wat, and a host of other lovely dishes. There are three or four recipes for fruitcake that I turn to year after year. There is a recipe for mincemeat pie which, sadly, eschews the meat.

And this takes us full circle. A number of foods that would be foreign to American palates have been watered down and have lost their essence. In these cases, instructions can get you into the same neighborhood as the right recipe, but frequently there is quite a bit of leg work left to adapt the thing to be the best it can be. Last year I removed my fruitcake from the oven a full half hour before the book said to and yet the outside crust was still just about burned. The cake's decadent richness is so profound that I rarely have more than a slice a month. and will still have fruitcake when it comes time to re-invent the recipe from this book in November. I will once again open up the book, study the recipes, remember what I did a year ago, and do something a little different. Without this book I would be lost.

Spring for a solid physical manifestation of the book, for it will get passed down to future cooks in future kitchens. The book reviewed has these physical attributes: 9 1/2 x 7 3/4, Sturdy White Hardbound, 1136 pages, white acid free paper, red ribbon marker. It is ten years old and in excellent condition. An older paperback version recycled itself into compost in a similar time frame - not a good deal at any price.