I've come across Peter Reinhart's name before in searching for a good inclusive bread book to buy. It is really nice to have a recommendation by a real person who has actually cooked from one of them. I may have to buy myself a present.
Speaking of which, I bought a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking a few weeks ago and am really enjoying it. I like how, in the introduction, Julia Child writes that these recipes are here to teach techniques and that, eventually, you won't need recipes at all except to remind you of the proportions of things. Which is great to hear because that is how I cook! I'm also finding that I've gotten 3/4 of the way to a lot of the basic things she teaches (sauteed mushrooms, for example) but she includes the why as well as the last bit of information needed to make something really fabulous! Even if I'm not making an elaborate recipe from her book I find myself referring to it to see exactly how to do something that another recipe jots down as if everyone already knew how to do everything.
Interestingly enough, that is the book that gets mentioned on the SmittenKitchen site. She doesn't say she has a favorite cookbook, but that is the only one she mentions in her FAQ to attempt to avoid getting ridiculous amounts of email asking the same questions. I may have to pick one up.
I haven't tried his other books, but have heard great things about the Bread Bakers Apprentice as well. M is really into the science behind food and really love On Food And Cooking by Harold McGee, so you might find that interesting also.
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Speaking of which, I bought a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking a few weeks ago and am really enjoying it. I like how, in the introduction, Julia Child writes that these recipes are here to teach techniques and that, eventually, you won't need recipes at all except to remind you of the proportions of things. Which is great to hear because that is how I cook! I'm also finding that I've gotten 3/4 of the way to a lot of the basic things she teaches (sauteed mushrooms, for example) but she includes the why as well as the last bit of information needed to make something really fabulous! Even if I'm not making an elaborate recipe from her book I find myself referring to it to see exactly how to do something that another recipe jots down as if everyone already knew how to do everything.
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I haven't tried his other books, but have heard great things about the Bread Bakers Apprentice as well. M is really into the science behind food and really love On Food And Cooking by Harold McGee, so you might find that interesting also.
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