By: M. Waring

M. Waring — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 23:11:45 +0000

Fantastic new edition I love the new edition. Love, love, love it! When it arrived, I sat down and started reading it. This will sound silly, but I actually CRIED because it was so fantastic and brought back so many good memories.I have used the 1975 edition since I started to cook. It was the first book I would turn to when I wanted to see the “standard” recipe for anything. I loved the friendly tone and always found the recipes reliable, producing consistently tasty results. Its only weakness was that it had become a bit dated, in terms of modern tastes and food trends.I was excited when a new edition of Joy was released in 1997. It turned out to be a total disaster. Among other things, it lacked recipes for pickling and canning, ice cream and lots of other American standards. Additionally, the 1997 edition eliminated the friendly tone and instructions I had come to love. Worst of all, the recipes were not reliable. I made a few really bad dishes from it before I stopped using it almost completely. Its only strength was in its updated instructions for cooking meat, fish and poultry.This new edition is a tremendous achievement. It keeps the down-to-earth tone of the older editions while providing a perfect selection of old favorites and new (primarily ethnic) dishes that are widely eaten in the US. The ice cream and pickling/canning sections are restored. It’s actually an improvement on the 1976 edition, and that’s saying something!I love this edition. I’m throwing out the 1997 edition and eventually I may even part with my old 1975 copy, though it has tremendous nostalgia value for me.

By: Marcy

Marcy — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 22:57:19 +0000

Cook up some classics! Originally a self-published book in 1931, and no less than nine revisions later, this thick volume of recipes (it’s got to be at least 3 inches thick) is a great addition to anyone’s cook book library.But wait! This book is not merely just a collection of recipes- although with 4000 classic recipes and an additional 500 new ones, that would make it worth buying alone. No, this cook book stands heads and shoulders above the rest because its what I call a “teaching” cook book. It contains recipes for just about every dish or food category you can think of which are arranged in various sections throughout the book. Then, at the beginning of each chapter, there is a kind of introduction which goes into detail about that category. For example, the section on grains starts off with an almost encyclopedic explanation of the types of grains, their anatomy, how to combine them, and so on.A handy, informative cook book with plenty of choices, there is sure to be something for everyone and even healthy eaters will find a great section on what makes up a healthy diet, how many calories you need, etc. Also recommend for readers who need more motivation to eat healthier and have trouble changing their diet habits.

Comments on: Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition – 2006

By: M. Waring

By: Marcy