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Charlie Brown's avatar

As soon as I moved to Porto, I re-bought the Brindisa cookbook, scolding myself for giving it away during my big sell-off. This is one of the most definitive books on Spanish cuisine I've ever read. It covers it all from tapas to regional dishes like fabada. I even learned a great way to cut potatoes "cascada" style, which is to "snap" potatoes down their cellular walls so they don't fall apart when you boil them. If you're interested in Spanish food, I can't recommend the Brindisa cookbook enough.

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Ann Higgins's avatar

Looks as if Brindisa will have to be the next one I buy since you recommend it so highly and I love Spanish food.

As for my own favourites, I have not one but two copies of Delia’s classic, my old hardback from when I first got married and the paperback version we gave to our son when he went to uni. It was one of the things he brought back with him when he boomeranged back! My other stalwarts are the National Trust Jams and Preserves book, Rick Stein’s Taste of the Sea, and anything by Nigel Slater or Mary Berry.

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Charlie Brown's avatar

Yes to all of that! I have a very old copy of Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook I bought c. 1996 at my parent's house. I must bring it back over the next time I visit them. And agreed on Nigel Slater. Very nice choices :-)

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Zoë DeRose's avatar

I have a hand-me-down copy of The Joy of Cooking that I consult for almost all of my "classic" baking recipes (I am a bad memorizer, sue me). Also love all of the Bad Manners cookbooks for my forays into vegan life!

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Charlie Brown's avatar

Those classic recipe books are the best. I feel like the recipes were robustly tested. You can rely on them

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Sandi Shunkwiler's avatar

Probably get laughed off but my Grandmother’s Betty Crocker cookbook. The old red stand by. Dad’s favorite pancake and dumplings recipe to what temp that roast should be.

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Charlie Brown's avatar

Not laughable at all! These old school cookbooks can be so useful.

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Carol Craig's avatar

Anything from Southern Living (Oxmoor House). Great basic cooking - better than other general cookbooks, esp for beginner cooks. My personal fave: The Best of Southern Living.

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Charlie Brown's avatar

Looking that up now, thanks Carol!

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Lori Osterberg's avatar

I just got Six Seasons and am looking forward to diving in. The one I’ve been pulling off my shelf a lot lately is The First Mess by Laura Wright. Just love her flavors.

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Charlie Brown's avatar

I don't know that one but I am instantly Googling it

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Samuel Chapman's avatar

The original River Cottage cookbook. It's one of the best books of any type, a real pean to real food and the countryside and something that helped keep me sane living in a city

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Charlie Brown's avatar

I always loved the ethos of river cottage

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