(Photo by foooooey) Cookbooks have a prominent place in my tiny apartment. My kitchen doesn't have a lot to brag about except for its charming built-in bookshelf, which I've packed with my favorite cookbooks. Sure, like most of you, I probably look up hundreds of recipes online (the Yahoo! Directory boasts an amazing collection of recipes). But when I really want to relax and cook something that I know will turn out just right, I turn to one of my trusted "kitchen bibles." In the age of the Internet, Food Network, and food blogs, how does a cookbook survive? The books that make it onto my kitchen shelf are the ones that have withstood the tests of many home cooks. These cookbooks are more than just a collection of recipes: they include explanations that are so nuanced and detailed that they make for an interesting read even when you're not standing in front of the stove. A true example of this is Marcella Hazan's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking." Anyone who's followed her recipes knows that the paragraphs preceding the recipes are as important as the ingredients themselves. For polenta, Marcella instructs you to rain the polenta over simmering water so slowly that you can see individual grains. Her Bolognese sauce is simmered for four hours or more, and you'll know why there is milk in the sauce only if you read carefully. My other kitchen bible is from America's Test Kitchen. Their recipes have gone through the gauntlet of scientific tweaking, and the book explains why each recipe has won out over the rest of the test batches. Try the lemon bars from the book and you'll be a convert (the secret is whole milk -- shh!). Now, cookbook fans, don't get your aprons all twisted -- I didn't forget "The Joy of Cooking" or Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything." Enough poetry has been waxed about these books, so I'll spare you. So, what's your no-fail kitchen bible? Tell us in the comments below. Suggested Sites... Omnivore Books on Food - a bookstore dedicated to cookbooks and all books on food. For Better, for Worse, for Richer, for Pasta - Marcella Hazan, profiled by The New York Times. Jamie Oliver - books and recipes by the Naked Chef. From the Design Desk: Focused on Food - Chronicle Books explain the design behind books on food.

Directory categories: Cooking Techniques, Shop for Cookbooks, Julia Child, Chefs

Archived under: Books, Chefs, Cooking, Food and Drink, Home and Garden, Recipes

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