Favorite Cookbooks–since we’re all doing more cooking these days

As you might imagine, I have a lot of cookbooks, but there are just a handful that I reach for when I need a sure fire great dish. Here they are:

This is a petite book of nothing but cakes and just a few other sweets. These are old standbys that are generally easy to make and turn out great every time. Some of my favorites are any of the pound cake recipes, Gem Cake, Applesauce Cake, and Hummingbird Cake. When I have helped with bake sales for various causes, many of the items were made from recipes I found in this book.

Like many Americans, we are trying to reduce the amount of meat that we eat–both for health and environmental reasons. This is an absolutely fantastic cookbook, and I definitely never feel like I am making a sacrifice by not eating meat. Some of our favorites from this book are Saag Paneer, Mee Goreng, Asparagus and Shitake Stir Fry, Indonesian Fried Rice, Cauliflower Cakes, White Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk and Mustard Greens, Vegetarian Tamale Pie, Thai Red Curry with Cauliflower, Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup, and Sesame Noodles with Cucumbers and Radishes. The only recipe that we have tried that we just didn’t like was the Classic Tuscan White Bean Soup. I have about 20 more recipes marked that we are planning to try.

I have had this cookbook for years and have cooked extensively from it. This is a compilation of all the best recipes from Junior League cookbooks from all over the country. I have made a ton of their appetizers for parties–all fabulous. The desserts are great–especially the melting moments cookies and deluxe lemon bars. My cinnamon rolls are also from this cookbook. The very best recipe, in my opinion, is Forbidden City Chicken. I have to leave the house when it’s cooking because it smells so fabulous and makes me hungry.

Another one from America’s Test Kitchen that is sure to please. I have made a bunch of recipes from this book and they are all great. Our favorite is the Pot Luck Macaroni and Cheese, but I haven’t made anything from this book that we haven’t liked. As the cover says, these are beloved American recipes, much like your grandma used to make.

Probably the most important book of all! I use this book as a recipe index–especially for my Southern Living Cookbooks–so that I can find that recipe I need without having to look through every book I have. It has tabbed sections for the various categories of recipes and that’s where I note the recipe, book, and page number.

If you find that you are in a cooking rut–with the same 20 recipes in continual rotation–find a cookbook and pick out the menu for the ENTIRE week from that one book. This will force you to try recipes that you might not otherwise. We do this regularly and we have found some new favorites as a result.

I hope that these suggestions help as you continue to eat at home for the foreseeable future!