i talk so much about my favorite cookbooks. i love them. i love how they inspire me. i love flipping though them and looking at the pictures, i love that this has become our favorite spot in the house.
as you know i cook a lot with my kids. we have a lot of fun. i’m one of those moms who loves to get dirty, in fact, i encourage it. when it comes to cooking or baking you will always find flour all over the floor and in some cases an egg dripping down my counter tops. i yearn for those moments, the laughter coming out of my kids mouths when an eggs breaks by accident, the cackles i get when the mixer goes on to high and batter sprays everyone, but my favorite is just the time i get to spend with them creating and using our imaginations. this is the corner of our house where we explore and lay around, flipping through pictures and talking food.
i have a ton of favorite cookbooks (my kids have their favorites too). i go through months where i only cook from one, then i have weeks where i cook through 20. i can’t help myself. i love the selections, i love the way preparing new recipes make me feel and i love the options. so you get it right, i love cookbooks 
i wanted to share some of my cookbooks that are in rotation now. some of them are new and some of them have been in heavy rotation for a couple years. my thoughts on cookbooks, you can never have to many, every day is a new day and a new meal. they helped me get through ruts in the kitchen and help me be a better cook.
what are your favorite cookbooks?
art of the slow cooker, by andrew schloss: i just started cooking with a slow cooker last year. it took me some time to get used to but now that i have used it more then a number of times it is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. i love that this book doesn’t use cans of soup. it’s all natural ingredients from fresh meats to fresh herbs. it’s a real healthy meal that any family would enjoy. this is not one of those books where you just throw everything into a crock pot, this is real cooking, as in you brown the meat, saute the veg and that is what makes it special and one of my favorite crock pot recipe books out there.
river cottage everyday, by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall: i came across this book by accident. my kids love a good bookstore and we just happened to be by borders one day. they are closing up shop here in ny as well as other places. everything in the store was 50-75% off. whenever i am in a bookstore i head directly to the cookbook section. this was the last one. the woman standing next to me turned around and said “that is one of my favorite cookbooks, do not put it down”. needless to say, i hung onto it and continued to follow her down the aisle i have to say, i love this cookbook. i refer to it often. i made a version of his chocolate chip cookies that were out of this world. what i loved most about this book was the focus on fresh, local and good food.
ad hoc at home, by thomas keller: i have always been a huge fan of thomas keller. our love affair started on an episode of no reservations. anthony (my other love) was in napa. i was in love with french laundry. i ordered the book, i cooked out of it, and then there was this. i picked up this book at my uncles house during the summer. it was on my must buy list of cookbooks but i just had never gotten the chance to go get it. remember the creamed corn? that was only the beginning. this book has wonderful recipes that are family friendly and fun to cook.
the beekman 1802 heirloom cookbook, by josh kilmer-purcell & dr. brent ridge: oh, the beekman boys…how i adore them. not only am i a fan of the show, but josh has written a few books i have also read. as well as cookbooks and novels they also have a website that i frequent. i not only love to look at their famous cheese (i am on the waiting list) but all their seasonal recipes that they have posted. so far, since the book just came out, i have only cooked one recipe from the book. creamed spinach and it was fantastic. i changed it up a bit (recipe to come) but the basics of it was there. why do i love this cookbook? they encourage you to pick it up and add your own twist. as well as encouraging you to make the changes they also encourage you to join them on their cookbook blog and share. you can add pictures too!
mastering the art of french cooking, by julia child, louisette bertholle & simone beck: julia, what can a possibly say? julia is a legend in the kitchen. this book is a great reference and a book i think everyone should have. i was given a copy of this as a gift and could never of been happier. i love referring to this book to change up an old dish i make or just to get some new ideas. considering i am not afraid of butter, well, i could cook through this book (it’s been done:-) and be the happiest (my husbands doctor however would not be). if your looking for a good book to inspire or just use as reference, this is the book for you.
the silver spoon, phaidon press inc: i got this as a gift when i got married. i wasn’t cooking a lot then, we were child free and ate out often. we did live in one of the greatest cities (at least i think nyc is) where street after street you can find one fabulous restaurant after another. after i had j and i was home full time i finally picked this up. not only does it have over 2000 recipes, but is well done. it’s a compilation of different recipes from different chefs all over italy. you can find sections from mushrooms to beans, pasta to desserts. i love flipping through this book. sometimes i almost feel like it’s to much, but all in all, it has fabulous idea’s and great recipes. i have made many of pasta dishes and even some fish (you know i’m not baking). it’s definitely a book worth picking up.
so, these are just a couple of my favorites. have any cookbooks you think i need? any that you want to share? leave a comment and let us know.
