I received the unexpected (as if having a baby weren’t enough) news lately that the Matt and I may be moving to Spain. He had, on a whim, applied to business school there and expected that he would not get in.
Among the things we are currently investigating (visas, insurance, living expenses, apartments, bringing dogs, etc) comes the expected mental cataloging. If I will be leaving everything behind, storing it, or trying to get rid of it, what do I really need?
I have a small collection of cookbooks. I’ll plan on bringing just a few to Spain. Among the items it pains me to leave are my 8 years worth of Saveur magazine – but they’ve done such a fantastic job archiving all their old recipes online that I really don’t need the paper copies.
So what should I bring? Below are my cookbooks. Or is there a far superior one you’d recommend?
The Joy of Cooking – This is absolutely coming with me. Tested, fail safe recipes for classic American dishes.
Dinner at Home – My first Martha Stewart book, I finally succumbed and decided she indeed knows how to put together a meal. It features 52 meals for throughout the year, each with a main, two sides, and dessert, and all seasonal and quick to prepare.
The Professional Chef – The usefulness of this book varies. It has some good tips and techniques for preparation, but the bulk of the volume seems to need a lecturer to supplement explanations. It’s also hard to remember what recipes are specifically featured as it encompasses neither all the basics nor a predictable number of them or their variations.
The River Cottage Family Cookbook – I realized when I got home with this book that it had been specifically written with children in mind, featuring instructions such as “mind the boiling water!” “ask your mum and dad.” Still, for basic information and easy, concise recipes, it works well.
On Food and Cooking – Not a cookbook per se, this textbook on food science occupies a place on my shelf for those moments when I don’t remember what leavening is in self rising flour, how liquids gel, or the best temperature to brew coffee. A cookbook, however, it’s not.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking – The essential Julia Child tome. Shamefully, I’ve never used it for anything but the French Onion Soup recipe.
The Babbo Cookbook – Here’s where I look for the best lamb ragu recipe ever… and lots of pasta that I’ve never had a chance to master.
Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook – I admit, I bought this because I was too cheap to buy the Chez Panisse cookbook. It’s a lovely volume, with disarmingly simple recipes that are arranged by season and occasion.
Central Market Cooks – A nice but narrow selection of recipes.
The New York Times Menu Cookbook – I snagged this from my parents’ bookshelf and it’s so old Amazon doesn’t have a listing for it. Oh, the days of Craig Claiborne!
Small Bites – This is one of those little cookbooks that goes a long way. A diverse selection of hors d’oeuvres, most disarmingly simple to make, as well as drink and snack suggestions.
Courtney said:
For any of the cookbooks that you only use for a few recipes, why not copy or scan those recipes? Also, if you are going to bring US cookbooks to Europe, make sure to pack a set of US measuring cups & spoons and a US liquid measuring cup with you. I would definitely leave The Professional Chef at home.
Good luck!
treelight said:
I’ll be bringing my measuring equipment (including digital scale!) as well as a nifty measuring cup from my mother in law that has all kinds of conversions on it. Great idea on copying the recipes; I hope I get a chance to do it!
AynSavoy said:
Courtney’s suggestion about copying recipes you use is good. I have a notebook filled with my favorite baking recipes from a variety of sources; it’s nice to have them all in one place PLUS not have tons of books I only use for a couple things.
I too have only used the Art of French Cooking for onion soup! But I’ve only had it since Christmas…
My go-to is Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything. Large volume, but it covers so much ground and I think it’s a good complement to Joy of Cooking.
Looking at the ones you already own, I’d probably bring Chez Panisse Menu, NYT Menu (if only b/c out-of-print), and Small Bites if you plan on entertaining.
treelight said:
I get into these fits of organization where I do things like buy index cards, recipe sleeves, etc. then leave them to lounge in my closet for years. Thankfully, in the course of cleaning out the house I’ve found quite of few of these so now I get to put them to use!
I don’t have Bittman but will check it out next time I go to the store. I do like his NYT recipes – do you know if there’s overlap?
AynSavoy said:
There’s only a slight overlap. HTCE is, broadly speaking, comprised of three parts: technique/general overview, recipes, and variations on those recipes (it’s this last part I love–take one recipe and then come up with 5-10 ways to mix it up!).
The only overlap I’ve noticed, then, is that sometimes the NYT recipes are variations on basics in the cookbook. But there are also plenty of novel things.
Analog Girl said:
Bookmark pages of those with few recipes you use now, leave book with friend who’ll copy & mail for you, and safe-keep the book ’til you return (or mail book rate to family/relatives). I’m not a good one for culling books so can’t rec on that (over 2 bkcases cookbooks here). Take Joy of Cooking & Bittman, especially since you use them a lot, Small Bites to have something different for tapas when you have new friends over.
treelight said:
Ooh yes, I’m going to be that annoying friend who thinks they brought everything they needed but really didn’t! We’ve managed to whittle the boxes of books to bring down but I am still cringing at potential shipping costs. I’m surprised how many people suggest Small Bites but I guess I did give it a very positive blurb!
Tom Byron said:
On Cooking (1st edition) is my all-time favorite
CindyScotia said:
Scan, .pdf and store your favorite recipes on the cloud (Google). No need to take all that paper with you.
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