Some of my go-to cookbooks
They offer up beautiful photos of amazing dishes, but did you ever think about cookbooks as a savings tool?
It’s true; a good cookbook can show you how to eat well with just, and only, the right ingredients. No more failed experiments in the kitchen. No more leftovers glaring defiantly at you from the fridge, taunting you to do something original with them.
I’m not going to insult you by pretending to know your tastes. Maybe your cooking skews Mediterranean or Asian or old-fashioned American. Whatever it is, you can find a cookbook that will suit your needs. Look for the following attributes in a good cookbook.
Simple Ingredients
Are the ingredients foods that you know? Or do you have to trek to some far-flung neighborhood in your city to procure a unique item from a specialty store? If the ingredients are easy to come by, it’s a recipe that you can keep using over and over.
Not Too Many Ingredients
If most of the recipes in a book have more than 10 ingredients, you’re not going to be cracking the spine a lot. If the recipes are generally five ingredients and under, it’s even more likely to make your regular menu rotation. The fewer the ingredients, the more the flavors will shine through, and you’ll know it’s a fast and easy dish you can turn to in a pinch.
Stretch Your Comfort Zone
If you’re used to a certain style of cooking (for me, it’s 1970s American; I know … that’s, um, typical), going to something totally out of your comfort zone means you’re not likely to use the cookbook often. But, if it stretches you a little bit from your usual dishes, you can really get value out of a cookbook.
Fill In Your Gaps
Maybe you’re not a vegetarian, but a cookbook on vegetarian cooking might give you some great ideas for sides. Maybe roasting scares you, so a book on the subject can add some versatility to your kitchen. I recently picked up a slow cooker cookbook and have already made four great dishes from it that I’ll definitely use again. The economic benefit of a slow cooker, by the way, is you can buy lower-quality meats at less cost and cook them slowly for hours, creating a tender, juicy meal.
It’s easy to be tempted by dazzling photos of mouth-watering meals or a celebrity chef’s name on the cover. Remembering the tips above will help you to develop a cookbook library that you reach to again and again instead of creating a library of future yard sale offerings.
What are some of your favorite cookbooks?
Cheers,
Lisa
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