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From: reiher@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: Re: cookbook suggestions...
Message-ID: <7302@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 29-Oct-85 03:22:14 EST
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.7302
Posted: Tue Oct 29 03:22:14 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Nov-85 05:07:10 EST
References: <1034@decwrl.UUCP>
Reply-To: reiher@ucla-cs.UUCP (Peter Reiher)
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 44
Summary: 

In article <1034@decwrl.UUCP> withrow@tonto.DEC (Robert Withrow) writes:
>
>>Probably the ultimate "safe" cookebook is the (in)famous "Joy
>>of Cooking".  
>
>I disagree!!!  I have a love-hate relationship with that cookbook, because
>while it has many excellent features (the `about' sections and the `foods
>we eat' and `foods we heat' sections) I've found that it has quite a few
>errors (both typographical and other) that can destroy a dish.  
>
>Not long ago, late one night after a long session of programming, I was making
>a pate brisee from the recipe in Joy, and (while it seems dumb now) I followed
>the instructions and added 3 cups water to 3 cups flour (look it up, it was
>still in the editions I saw in a book store recently).  

This one got fixed in the 1980 publication.  (And, presumably, in all later 
ones.)  Or perhaps it occurred after the 1980 publication.  The most recent
"error" I have run into deals with the amount of molasses and honey in the
recipe for gingerbread.  If I had reduced it by a third, maybe it wouldn't
have come out gooey.

At any rate, I find "The Joy of Cooking" valuable for its basic information 
and basic recipes.  It really does have a reasonably easy recipe for almost any
fundamental dish, and some exotic ones, that you might want.  The problem is
that the recipes are rarely excellent, and some of them are downright bad.
Definitely, don't cook one for an important occasion if you haven't tried it
first.  Also, one would do well to avoid the dishes that aren't standard
American or French, as the recipes given aren't near authentic (at least for
the ones I am familiar with) and aren't good substitutes, either.  For that
matter, the French dishes aren't authentic, either, but they're closer.

For Chinese cooking, I find Irene Chu's "The Key to Chinese Cooking" the
nearest thing to foolproof.  I can't remember ever being less than satisfied
with the results, the recipes are very well presented, the basic techniques
and ingredients are well covered, and there are a wide range of recipes,
running from easy to extremely ambitious.  The only times things haven't
worked out are when I scrimped on the ingredients.  (Soups just won't taste
as good with water or canned broth as they do with fresh stock.)  I highly
recommend her recipes for Hot and Sour Soup, Spicy Beef With Vegetables,
Pot Stickers, Tangerine Chicken, and many others.
-- 
        			Peter Reiher
				reiher@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU
        			{...ihnp4,ucbvax,sdcrdcf}!ucla-cs!reiher