I especially like to read the cookbooks by Nigella Lawson. She is one of my favourite British cooks. The photography in her books is beautiful and many of the photos could hang on one's wall as art. However, her books are also entertaining to read as well. She writes her recipes in a conversational, flowing style which make them interesting to read when one is not cooking. In fact, I may have done more reading than cooking out of her cookbooks! In part, this is due to the British convention of using weight to measure flour and other baking ingredients, whereas in North America we tend to use cups. And I don't own a kitchen scale. (Yet.)
Of Nigella's books I own Forever Summer, How to Eat, Feast, How to be a Domestic Goddess, and Nigella Christmas. I think my favourite is How to be a Domestic Goddess as I enjoy baking. Nigella Christmas is also interesting because of all the extra baking and cooking that gets done at Christmas. I enjoy reading about all her ideas for various Christmas dinners and her interesting use of spices. I like using lots of spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg at holidays. There is something very medieval about using all those spices - they were very expensive to come by and so were only used at special occasions. Now, of course, cinnamon is fairly cheap on the spice rack, but it is still fun to use a lot of spices at Christmas for that festive feeling. I also enjoy Nigella's books for the look into British cooking. She uses a lot more fish and seafood than I think we do here (or at least in my landlocked province!) and some different ingredients. Her temperatures are all in Celsius or "gas marks" which I have no idea what those are. Further, she has access to some different fruits that I am not sure I could find in a supermarket here, such as gooseberries, currants (fresh, not dried) and quinces. I would love to actually cook in England out of her cookbooks when I have the ingredients!
Another British cook whose books I enjoy is Jamie Oliver. Yes, I like his shows too, but we have two of his cookbooks. The one, Jamie at Home, we have not cooked out of much (nor have I read it much either), but we cook out of Jamie's Food Revolution all of the time. In fact, it is sitting open to Mini Shell Pasta with a Creamy Smoked Bacon and Pea Sauce (pg. 52) in my kitchen at this moment. You know a cookbook is well loved when the pages are beginning to stick together! The recipes in this book are great - quick, simple, and delicious. I've loved almost everything I've tried. Many of the recipes are for two which is handy when cooking for two or for one - good portion sizes. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. One my favourites and kitchen essentials. (Note: in the above recipe, since creme fraiche is so expensive to get here [another British ingredient that doesn't translate into North American kitchens] we just use sour cream. Still yummy!)
One of my favourite Food Network personalities is Alton Brown and my husband is a fanatical devotee of his show, Good Eats. We have a few of his cookbooks which demonstrate the same scientific tenacity to figuring out a fool-proof recipe that works. Both I'm Just Here for the Food and I'm Just Here for More Food are excellent teaching cookbooks for anyone interested in the science of food. His book Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run is more of a book about food than a cookbook. Alton Brown did two motorcycle trips which he filmed for Food Network: one trip across America and the other along the Mississippi River. This particular book is from the Mississippi trip and is more of a travelogue of food and some recipes. Good reading.
Of course, my survey of cookbooks is not complete without a mention of the grandmother of all cookbooks, the indispensable reference that has graced many a kitchen: the Joy of Cooking. Currently, it is beside the bed where I was looking up recipes for pie last evening. (Don't ask.) While I may not cook many recipes from it, Joy is the first book I turn to when I have a question about food. It discusses every ingredient in detail, gives you basic ways to cook it, and then goes into the recipes. It is my right-hand man in the kitchen.
And finally, just to show that my nerdiness extends even to cookbooks:
Yes, it's The Star Wars Cookbook: Wookiee Cookies and other Galactic Recipes. The real treat is the photos inside which have Star Wars models posed in action scenes with the various finished dishes one makes from the book. I think the book is actually for kids, but it's fun to have. A little whimsy is part of any fully stocked kitchen. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go learn how to make Boba Fett-uccine (pg.41).
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