Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!wjh12!foxvax1!brunix!browngr!jfh From: jfh@browngr.UUCP (John (Spike) Hughes) Newsgroups: net.cooks Subject: Re: Everyone should have _Joy_of_Cooking_ Message-ID: <1935@browngr.UUCP> Date: Wed, 6-Mar-85 10:10:38 EST Article-I.D.: browngr.1935 Posted: Wed Mar 6 10:10:38 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 11-Mar-85 06:44:05 EST References: tpvax.558, <178@gitpyr.UUCP> Lines: 22 I can't agree with Gary Benson about The Joy... I *do* agree that it is, at times, precious, and that many of the recipes are not wonderful (all of them seem to have too much salt, and many have too much sugar), but as a guide to various aspects of preparation, storage, and the other mundane routines of cooking, it is full of information. I *do* suggest that the older editions are better. They're not so crowded with symbols (yes, I object to those, too), and they often have information that the new editions lack (like how to clean fresh fish, or how to eviscerate fresh fowl, etc.). I rarely use a recipe from the Joy, but I certainly like having it around... where else do you get that basic stuff. Julia Child can tell you how to cook wonderful foods, but she doesn't tell you how to store the leftovers. Craig Claiborne (in his 'Menu cookbok', for example) gives wonderful menus and recipes for all the subtle items, but what about the routine ones? If he calls for fresh cranberry sauce, how do you make it? (You look in TJOC and use the recipe there, with half the sugar). Start collecting, by all means, but begin by going to a second-hand bookstore and getting the oldest copy of the joy that you can find. -jfh