In my former life, I was a librarian, information manager. I still love books and especially I love my collection of cookbooks, and books about cookery book writers, anything really to do with food. I am surrounded by my library of books at home in St Kilda, at On the Ridge, in Kureelpa, Sunshine Coast, and also on the Betty B barge in France, where my collection is of French cookbooks – an enormous help in my learning French! I enjoy the food stories and how these people run their businesses and operate their cooking schools. And of course, I love browsing through their recipes. I am always looking for unusual dishes and inspirations for new menus. My collection now must be nearly 2000.
Years ago, I remember attending some of Di Holuigue’s cookery classes and thinking how funny it was that she read cookbooks in bed! Exactly what I now do all the time.
In classes we often talk about our favourite cookbooks; many people share my interest. Here I will share some of their favourites. You may be starting a collection or have my passion for always hunting some new authors or books.
Please add your own favourites and let our collection here begin! I look forward to seeing them.
Here are a few of my all-time favourites include:
Julia Child and her Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Anne Willan – French Regional Cooking, La Varenne Pratique, From my Chateau window, Real Food, basically I love all her books..
Elizabeth David – French regional cooking and French Country cooking – all her books are classics
M.F.K. Fisher’s culinary writings
Di Holuigue, Australia’s own special leader in French cooking and writing with her French Kitchen and many others
Stephanie Alexander – The Cook’s Companion is a masterpiece
Heston Blumenthal
Harold McGee, the food scientist; one of my long-time favourites. He was Heston’s inspiration and the reason he started cooking
Harold McGee is essential reading for anyone really interested in food. He writes about the chemistry, technique and history of food and cooking; his two excellent books on kitchen science are On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, published in 1984 and the greatly revised second edition published in 2004.
I look forward to you adding some of your favourites….
