The Things You Didn't Know You Needed: Part 3

There are a lot of cookbooks on the market ~ and there are a lot of websites dedicated to giving you all sorts of cooking and food-related information. But I find that there are very few things that you'll ever {need} to know that you can't find in one of the tried & true cookbooks....Joy of Cooking



Originally printed in 1931, this cookbook has been updated several times over the years. The 75th Anniversary Edition (printed in 2006) boasts a grand total of 4500 recipes ~ 4000 of which were re-tested and updated for the most-recent edition of the book and 500 that were new to this edition. It has all of the usual stuff ~ lists of acceptable ingredient substitutions, charts to help you convert from metric to US measurements, etc. ~ but it also goes out of its way to {explain} the techniques used in the recipes so that you're not stuck if you come across a term that you're not familiar with. I'm telling you ~ this cookbook is a rookie's dream.

{Joy} is also chock-full of tidbits that you don't need to know all the time, but that come in handy ~ like how to figure out what sized bird you'll need to feed the whole family on Thanksgiving, which kind of wine or beer goes well with what type of food, what equipment you'll need to make certain things, and how to store various types of ingredients.

If you're someone who loves to cook ~ if you're someone who wants to learn to cook ~ if you're looking to buy a gift for a cook ~ you should pick up a copy of Joy of Cooking. It's {well} worth the $35 price tag!