Reddit mentions: The best professional high quality cooking books
We found 131 Reddit comments discussing the best professional high quality cooking books. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 34 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.
1. Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook: 1400 Best Slow Cooker Recipes!
- Tested in real-life setttings
- Collected from some of America's best home cooks
- convenient for those who are short on time
- Many of the soups and "light" Recipes provide nutritional information
- Selected from among thousands of tested recipes
Features:
Specs:
Height | 9 Inches |
Length | 8 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | October 2008 |
Weight | 3.0754485549 Pounds |
Width | 1.9 Inches |
2. The Professional Chef
- Hard cover
- Text book of the Culinary Institute of America
- 1036 Pages
Features:
Specs:
Height | 11.18108 Inches |
Length | 8.81888 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 6.6248909731 Pounds |
Width | 1.881886 Inches |
3. Knock Knock What to Eat Pad Meal Planning Pad, 6 x 9-inches (Yellow)
Color: YellowSize: 9" x 6"This menu planning tool organizes your dinner choices for the week.Great for families that have busy schedules or those following a diet.60 weeks worth of menu planning attached firmly to your refrigerator by 2 super powered magnets.
Specs:
Height | 9 Inches |
Length | 6 Inches |
Weight | 0.6172943336 Pounds |
Width | 0.5 Inches |
4. The Pleasures of Cooking for One: A Cookbook
- Knopf Publishing Group
- brand: Knopf
- manufacturer: Knopf
Features:
Specs:
Color | Multicolor |
Height | 8.6 Inches |
Length | 6.5 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | September 2009 |
Weight | 1.38009376012 Pounds |
Width | 0.8 Inches |
5. Cook Once, Eat All Week: 26 Weeks of Gluten-Free, Affordable Meal Prep to Preserve Your Time & Sanity
- Our gift set includes 6/10 ML amber glass bottles with tamper evident ring and euro style dropper. The dropper inserts a small amount of product to be dispensed.
- Barnhouse blue has spared no effort in maintaining the highest quality oil. Ensuring that our suppliers meet stringent quality standards.
- Our oils are perfected for many uses; Oil difussers, Skin & Hair care formulations ( unscented lotions & shampoo ) Soaps, Candles / Incense, Gel Candles, Potpourri, Aroma Diffussers. These are only a few additions.
- Fragrance oils are for external use only. This product should not be used undiluted. For any questions regarding proper usage in products please contact us.
Features:
Specs:
Color | White |
Height | 10.01 Inches |
Length | 8.04 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | April 2019 |
Weight | 2.77561987858 Pounds |
Width | 0.96 Inches |
6. Professional Cooking
Specs:
Height | 10.901553 Inches |
Length | 8.499983 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 6.15971560028 Pounds |
Width | 1.799209 Inches |
7. Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook
- Harvard Common Press
Features:
Specs:
Height | 9 Inches |
Length | 8 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 1.51898498518 Pounds |
Width | 1 Inches |
8. The Best Make-Ahead Recipe
Used Book in Good Condition
Specs:
Height | 11 inches |
Length | 8.5 inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 3.08 Pounds |
Width | 1.25 inches |
9. The New Professional Chef
Specs:
Height | 11.25 Inches |
Length | 1.75 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 2.44933573082 Pounds |
Width | 9 Inches |
10. Looneyspoons: Low-Fat Food Made Fun!
- Perfect for surface access boxes and other tight spaces
- State of the art flexibility
- High speed up to 10.2 Gaps
- 30 AWG copper construction
- Low bend radius
Features:
Specs:
Height | 11 Inches |
Length | 8.75 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | September 1997 |
Weight | 1.2 Pounds |
Width | 0.5 Inches |
11. Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer: Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead
ISBN13: 9780800730550Condition: NewNotes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Specs:
Height | 9.25195 Inches |
Length | 7.51967 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | September 2005 |
Weight | 1.04 Pounds |
Width | 0.5094478 Inches |
12. Modern Batch Cookery
Specs:
Height | 10.901553 Inches |
Length | 8.598408 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 4.4974301448 pounds |
Width | 1.401572 Inches |
13. Fix-It and Forget-It Healthy 5-Ingredient Cookbook: 150 Easy and Nutritious Slow Cooker Recipes
Specs:
Height | 9 Inches |
Length | 7.5 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | January 2019 |
Weight | 1.8408598877 Pounds |
Width | 0.8 Inches |
15. Fix-It and Forget-It Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook: 150 Whole Food Recipes for Paleo, Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Diabetic-Friendly Diets
GOOD BKS
Specs:
Height | 9 Inches |
Length | 7.5 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | April 2017 |
Weight | 1.99959271634 Pounds |
Width | 1 Inches |
16. The Great American Slow Cooker Book: 500 Easy Recipes for Every Day and Every Size Machine: A Cookbook
- Clarkson Potter Publishers
Features:
Specs:
Color | Multicolor |
Height | 9.13 Inches |
Length | 7.44 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | January 2014 |
Weight | 2.20241799738 Pounds |
Width | 1.22 Inches |
17. Lipsmacking Backpacking: how to cook on your travels and cook as you camp
NewMint ConditionDispatch same day for order received before 12 noonGuaranteed packagingNo quibbles returns
Specs:
Height | 6.10235 Inches |
Length | 4.92125 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | May 2007 |
Weight | 90 Grams |
Width | 0.27559 Inches |
18. Fix-It and Forget-It 5-ingredient favorites: Comforting Slow-Cooker Recipes
Specs:
Release date | May 2022 |
19. Don't Panic: More Dinner's in the Freezer - A Second Helping of Tasty Meals You Can Make Ahead
Specs:
Height | 9 Inches |
Length | 7 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | April 2009 |
Weight | 1.19490546004 Pounds |
Width | 0.65 Inches |
20. Once-A-Month Cooking: A Proven System for Spending Less Time in the Kitchen and Enjoying Delicious, Homemade Meals Every Day
Specs:
Height | 9.25 Inches |
Length | 7.499985 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | February 2007 |
Weight | 0.88 Pounds |
Width | 0.44 Inches |
🎓 Reddit experts on professional high quality cooking books
The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where professional high quality cooking books are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
I think it's great that you are ready to start learning to cook for yourself so you eat healthier.
Do you have a Crock pot? they are about 25 dollars this one is a great size for 1 or 2 people.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Crock-Pot-Hinged-Lid-Programmable-Slow-Cooker-4-5-Quart-SCCPVP450H-B/124926979
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Here are a few crock pot recipes you can either throw something in the crock pot while you are at work, or... on the weekends, toss something in the crock pot in the morning. cook yourself something for dinner and put the crock pot meals in the fridge for later in the week. make sure that what you are cooking for weeknights/worknights are freezable so they will be safe to eat 4,5 and 6 days later.
Freezable
https://www.copymethat.com/r/4hlLTG0/campbells-creamy-chicken-and-wild-rice-r/
https://www.copymethat.com/r/JtEJCb9/chicken-taco-crock-pot-recipe/
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Not freezable
https://www.copymethat.com/r/wxM21qf/creamy-beef-potato-stew-better-homes-gar/
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I just bought this book from Sam's Club for my step daughter. she is Not a cook! and she was very excited about that book. it has a picture for every recipe and only 5 ingredients for each. It is a crock pot book so all crock pot meals. etc. breakfasts, dinners and desserts too.
https://www.amazon.com/Fix-Forget-Healthy-5-Ingredient-Cookbook/dp/1680994123/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=5+ingredient+fix+it+and+forget+it+slow+cooker+cookbook&qid=1554822234&s=gateway&sr=8-2
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this could be a really good resource for you. If you want to save these recipes to one location that you can reach on your pc, phone and tablet and also has a grocery list capability and menu planning capability for free... Use Copymethat
https://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/healthy-and-only-five-ingredients
and here is another one from Taste of home that has 100 5 ingredient or less recipes
https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/healthy-recipes-5-ingredients/
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Rotisserie chicken is a great source of precooked and seasoned protein. they are around 5 dollars here. you can get up to 5 to 8 meals from one chicken. you can make dinner 3 to 4 times, also make soup, a casserole or burritos chicken salad. the list goes on
for instance get it bring it home and make 2 side dishes such as steamed green beans, or microwave frozen, (or canned for now) and either mashed potatoes or mac and cheese. if you use instant mashed flavored potatoes. the package says use only water. YUCK! use half water and half milk. and add about 1 to 2 tablespoons butter or margarine to the mix. and follow the cooking instructions. then you have dinner. cut at least 2 more meals from the chicken, and using the remaining side dishes you create 2 more meals for your self. either dinner or lunch etc. then pick the remaining chicken from the bones. toss the bones. put the meat into a resealable plastic bag and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage. you can use the meat for casseroles, soups, chicken salad, etc. here are a couple of recipes for that meat.
https://www.copymethat.com/r/KjYpFms/foil-pack-chicken-enchiladas-kraft/
you could mix this stuff and leave it in the fridge and assemble the wrap when you are ready to eat. it will keep for up to 3 days. you could take a container with you to work, and dump it in the wrap and eat at work too.
https://www.copymethat.com/r/qOBhAzW/adobe-chicken-wraps-betty-crocker/
https://www.copymethat.com/r/oMxBZtR/caesar-chicken-pasta-casserole-land-o-la/
https://www.copymethat.com/r/US6M7TC/chicken-alfredo-casserole-i-dont-remembe/
for chicken salad you can look up recipes online. its basically chopped onion, celery, salt, pepper, mayo, maybe a little mustard (personal thing) and even sometimes you can add dried fruit such as currants, or craisins.
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Cooking in foil is quick and very little clean up.
this could be one of the meals you make while crock pot cooking
https://www.copymethat.com/r/nUiElJG/foil-pack-chicken-and-broccoli-dinner-bi/
this makes salmon very easy to cook. it doesn't over cook or burn.
https://www.copymethat.com/r/wlxV8aK/lemon-and-herb-salmon-packets/
https://www.copymethat.com/r/8AUp6f5/smoked-sausage-and-potato-foil-packs/
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Keep in mind it is only cooking it is not rocket science. We all had to start where you are right now. So hang in there and keep trying! you'll get it!
So I am in a similar place. I am overweight and come from an obese family. I have lost the weight a few times but it came back because I never really addressed my relationship with food. After getting pregnant and gaining a bunch of weight I really started to think about and have been slowly getting better about it. Some books that really helped me change my way of thinking were:
The Power of Habit
French Kids Eat Everything
An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler
The French kids eat everything book was mostly anecdotal but the overarching idea that I got out of it was that in the US (and Canada it seems) food is used as a reward for children and that builds bad habits. When I was growing up my family was pretty poor so it was cheaper I think to get a reward that was food (vs a toy) cause I needed to eat anyway, and that has definitely carried over into my adult life. It's a struggle every time I feel down to remind myself that no, a cookie isn't going to fix my problems.
For cooking I would highly recommend an everlasting meal. The author has some recipes in the book but mostly, her whole idea is that good, healthy cooking doesn't need to be complicated. Very often in today's world you'll see magazines with super complicated recipes and a laundry list of ingredients that you have no idea where to even buy and that discourages so many people from cooking because it looks hard.
My baby is all about being independent so I usually don't have trouble whipping up dinner now. When I go back to work next month though, I plan to ease into it by preparing a bunch of freezer meals and stockpiling our chest freezer. For everyday cooking I really like the blog budgetbytes and to help with meal planning I use this what to eat notepad to organize our family meals. I still have a bit of a problem with portion control though so I use my fitness pal to make sure I don't go over calories when I eat.
I picked up this cookbook at the dollarstore on impulse but honestly the recipes have been really good:
https://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crocker-Calorie-Comfort-Food-ebook/dp/B00E78IB20
I'm not sure if this is a book you can find outside of Canada but many many years ago (like the 90's) two 'diet' cookbooks came out that were insanely popular; Looney Spoons was the first, followed by Crazy Plates. The recipes are pretty good and have the nutritional information for each one. Also because they were so popular they are pretty easy to find at thrift stores.
OK found it on Amazon.com for under $20:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/096806311X/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_hdyACb8C87SR7
I saw Pizza Dough in B&N and it looks interesting. Shows how to make different pizzas from a few different dough recipes. Lots of pictures of pizza. Plays directly toward his desire for pizza. Also, even mediocre homemade pizza with Prego branded sauce is better than Pizza Hut, let alone Papa John's.
I find Rachel Ray terribly boring, but her Week in a Day book has a enormous quantity of recipes that can be pushed and modified in different directions and it's filled with a ton of pictures. I think her books are best for getting ideas on other recipes. I wouldn't make too many of her recipes straight, because she tends to add a ton of calories to her meals and I just couldn't eat that much.
Isa Chandra Moskowitz has a bunch of Vegan books. She has an irreverent style I like that doesn't resort to the multitudes of F-bombs that Thug Kitchen has to throw out there. It's vegan, so you'll have to be OK with that, but otherwise, she has plenty of good looking recipes. Her latest, Isa Does It looks like a good place to start.
First of all, I'm so sorry for your loss. I had no idea you'd lost someone so tragically. That's got to be hard. But it seems like your family member was a really amazing person, just like you. <3
I'd say my lists are pretty well prioritized. I'm sure I could waste days changing my mind and moving things around, but oh well. Since I have so many different things on there, I'm gonna link a couple different items that would enhance my life it very different ways.
This yoga mat would greatly improve my yoga sessions. Currently, I practice on hardwood floors with no mat, and my knees feel it quite a bit. Some padding would be so nice.
This book would be a major help when it comes to meals. I'm not a gifted cook by any stretch. I mean, I follow a recipe well, but I'm terrible at coming up with things on my own.
This gorgeous ocarina would be such a great addition to my life. Honestly any of them would probably make me happy enough to cry. This one is just so pretty. And it comes with a song book, so I could learn something new as well. ^Don't ^buy ^this ^ocarina ^it's ^way ^too ^expensive...
Thank you so much for such an interesting contest! And because I couldn't think of a clever way to squeeze this in, sort my priorities. Heh.
In my experience, encyclopaedic cookbooks like The Joy of Cooking and How to Cook Everything are generally quite mediocre - "jack of all trades, master of none." Frankly, Joy is hopelessly outdated in the age of the internet.
Of the ones on your list, I think The French Laundry and Ad Hoc books aren't very practical, as /u/cheery_cherry says.
Julia Child's book is probably your best bet. It was written with the American home cook circa 1961 in mind - not too many obscure ingredients or equipment, well-explained techniques, straightforward. It also helps that many of her recipes really stand the test of time (boef bourguignon in particular!)
One other suggestion is The Professional Chef, which serves as the Culinary Institute of America's textbook. It provides reliable recipes with detailed instructions and plenty of photos. Unlike Joy, it strives to teach you the fundamentals, in order to become a better chef over-all.
Edit: Forgot to add that any cookbook by America's Test Kitchen will be excellent, reliable, and well-written!
It's almost Christmas... I know it's not Halloween yet. But I think she needs some things to help her in the upcoming rush.
Wilton Cupcake Caddy For safe and secure holiday treat transportation. CDN 19.99
A Christmas Movie I love Christmas movies and this is a super cute one. CDN 15.00
Canadian Baking It goes with the cupcake carrier. CDN 21.91
Make- Ahead and Freeze Cookbook Because the weeks will be getting more hectic soon. CDN 14.41
Christmas Present for Her Brother $11.01
Christmas OR Halloween Present for her Mom CDN 9.98
That's my suggestion of gift selection! Everything was on Dani's Most Wanted or Gifts for others lists.
Edited to add the price of one item.
yeah I probably should write on the line, I like the look of it off the line, and I knew someone who could do that and it would look like she was writing on a nice straight line a little above the actual line. it was beautiful and meant that the descenders from her letters didn't interfere with the ascenders on the next line.
As for my meal planning notepad :) It's the Knock Knock What to Eat notepad, it's got a magnet on the back so you can mount it to the fridge, I also have their All out of one on my fridge so I can quickly mark things off when I run out of them and use that when creating my grocery list the next week
Food scale
Electric pressure cooker ($$, though I got mine used on FB marketplace) but as a second much more affordable choice is a slow cooker.
Cookbooks
The Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook: Easy and Wholesome Meals to Cook, Prep, Grab, and Go https://www.amazon.com/dp/162315944X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dGUeAbB8DZPFZ
Sheet Pan: Delicious Recipes for Hands-Off Meals https://www.amazon.com/dp/1681881373/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_sHUeAb5XA7288
Fix-It and Forget-It Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook: 150 Whole Food Recipes https://www.amazon.com/dp/1680992104/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_PIUeAb59505DQ
'The Professional Chef' is a great textbook for not only plating, but all basics of cooking. I would highly recommend for any novice like myself.
New hardcovers are a little pricey, but you can get a great deal on used copies.
Could not agree with you more!!
If you are just starting out I personally recommend purchasing the textbook used by many culinary institutes.
When I first became interested in preparing my own food, a friend lent me his copy. It contained a large amount of unnecessary information that was geared more towards running a professional kitchen (who would have guessed from its title?) but it also contained a vast amount of information regarding food preparation and most importantly, technique.
Damn, I feel like I just spammed your comment with an advertisement...Oh well, happy cooking!
http://smile.amazon.com/Pleasures-Cooking-One-Judith-Jones/dp/0307270726
I love love LOVE this book.
I definitely recommend a crock pot if you don't have one. Recipes can range from very healthy to very decadent, it all depends on what you toss in the pot! It's great because you can throw it all in before leaving for work and then BAM dinner is ready when you get home. I have this cookbook: Fix-It and Forget-It.
If you can find a copy of "The Professional Chef", snatch it up! It's the textbook used by the Culinary Institute of America. It has a ton of recipes, but also explains the different methods of cooking in detail. It's broken down into chapters like dairy, seafood, meat, grains and legumes, etc. I found an older edition at a garage sale for $1. It's a great resource to have. The only thing is that recipes are sometimes made for large-scale batches, so you'd have to do a little math to break it down into a reasonable amount. Nobody needs 40 poached eggs in their home at a time.
I have this one and this one. I like the first better, it's the one I used in my culinary school. The second is the one I got at the garage sale.
For what it’s worth my wife and I have been following a recipe book called Cook Once Eat All Week by Cassy Joy Garcia which involves creating a few different meals out of the same ingredients prepped over the weekend.
I’ve got friends who meal prep chicken and chicken with chicken and some chicken. By the end of the week I would hate that so much.
Anyway, it could be a resource worth looking into if you decide at some point to make a meal prep episode.
There’s still opportunities to enjoy you food when you do meal prep!
Cook's Illustrated has a make ahead cookbook with an excellent gravy recipe. My daughter thinks it's the best food I make.
You might be able to find it online. The site has a paywall or I'd link the recipe. Fwiw, the pecan pie in that book is great, too.
Edit to fix the link
It's not crockpot meals but I have been using this cookbook and it has been a lifesaver. I do my meal prepping early Sunday morning when I am not usually triggered to drink and then am set for the week. As we move I to more fall like weather I'm sure the crock pot will be getting its use but for now this works well for my family.
Cook Once, Eat All Week: 26 Weeks of Gluten-Free, Affordable Meal Prep to Preserve Your Time & Sanity https://www.amazon.com/dp/1628603437/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_aMONDbZP9GK0M
OK, I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but i would also suggest purchasing the book Professional Cooking. It's an professional-level culinary school textbook in which the bulk of the content are recipes that well put together, and I can personally vouch that they come out REALLY tasty! The advantage for you, in this case, is that you wouldn't have to carry this tome with you everywhere you go... it comes with something called the CulinarE-companion. This is a pice of software that you can download from the publisher's site when you purchase the book, and contains all the recipes from the book, which you can browse and search through, and other things, like change the number of servings of the recipe, or look at nutritional information.
I'm a big fan of Fix-It and Forget-It, but it has no pictures. Most of the recipes are easy enough you wouldn't need them how. I tend to just find recipes online, honestly. Let us know what you end up going with! =)
I've tried a lot of the other ones recommended here, but the Great American Slow Cooker Book is my favorite. It uses almost entirely fresh ingredients, not canned ones, and has an extremely wide variety of recipes. Some of my favorites include Chinese-style braised pork belly, Korean-style short ribs, Italian sunday gravy, apricot chicken, sesame chicken wings, pomegranate chicken wings, and many others.
When I go to the store I try to shop in the bulk section so I can buy exactly how much I need for a recipe instead of a box of something. Also, I am really good at eating leftovers.
I use One Pan, Two Plates by Carla Snyder for my husband and I. I think the recipes are really delicious and easy and (mostly) healthy. You could prepare one of the recipes and then have leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.
http://www.amazon.com/One-Pan-Two-Plates-Weeknight/dp/1452106703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1418833179&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=one+pan+two+plates
I have not used this book, but I've heard it's good (Cooking for One by Judith Jones): http://www.amazon.com/Pleasures-Cooking-One-Judith-Jones/dp/0307270726/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1418833055&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=cooking+for+one
Tom Harrison map, Tenacious tape, wool hiking socks, leather man multi-tool.
You could go a diffent route that's a bit more personal you could make a personal backing meal or go with some sort of premade backpacking meal like mountain house (a bit on the heavier side) or astronaut ice cream (a bit better), perhaps a dehydrator like an Excalibur model if you want a big luxury gift.
Books; some picks for foraging, all that the rains promises and more , Stalking the wild asparagus, the foragers harvest ,
This isn't a contest entry, I just wanted to share this book that might be of interest to you! 5 Ingredient or Less Slow Cooker Recipes! I got this one for myself and it's been a huge help for me!
I am a SAHP and I am terrible at budgeting. I've been trying to be better but it's just so damn hard! So here's what I've been doing:
All the grocery stores I frequent usually have an app for coupons and savings. I use whatever is on sale and try to incorporate that into my meal planning.
I use this meal planning pad mostly because it's cute but now it's out of habit.
We don't eat out as much anymore because not only is it expensive but my second child is A PAIN IN THE ASS to go out with cause she can't sit still. We've learned to make our favorite dishes at home.
When I first started to stay home we were really on a tight budget so all of my kid's activities were free classes at the library or play groups. Check your local Macaroni Kid calendar if you're in the US!
We also did a lot of hand me downs for clothes and toys because guess what! Baby don't care if they get new clothes or not, and they mess it up anyways.
ps Per my husband, out of housework/childcare, we need to focus on things that have a time limit. So hanging out and enriching the kid is a priority over getting the laundry done everyday. Because laundry is never going to end but baby is only going to learn how to roll over once in a lifetime! It's what I tell myself when the house is in shambles... like today... sob
I taught myself from this book:https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Chef-Culinary-Institute-America/dp/0442219822/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1498865504&amp;sr=1-8&amp;keywords=culinary+institute+of+america
Dunno if this is the latest edition (there are several), but I think it would be an excellent reference for anyone who wants to learn good technique.
Buy this book. A friend of mine recommended it to me, and between the two of us, we haven't found a recipe we didn't like. It also has good tips on how to store different foods in the freezer so they last the longest and taste the best, as well as how to make the most out of your money at the grocery store.
It's my favorite kitchen appliance, bar none! When you do get one (and after-Christmas sales are right around the corner), chow.com and (believe it or not) the food network website have some amazing slow cooker recipes. My go-to cookbooks are
Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook: 1400 Best Slow Cooker Recipes!
and
Slow Cooker Revolution for when I'm feeling fancier (some of the recipes require more prep and ingredients but are usually worth the effort)
For meal planning, I've got Knock Knock's EAT pad, and it makes my life way easier when I actually use it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1601061536/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1502483254&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;keywords=eat+knock+knock&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=41-z02dnMLL&amp;ref=plSrch
So I'd get this, show it to your mother, and suggest you guys just try it for a week. Since I try to use it regularly, I use the previous week to make a grocery list while I fill out the rest of it. In this case, I'd grin and bear fish sticks if that gets written in as the plan (get the planning down first, then work on improving the planned meals).
And, baked mac and cheese. America's Test Kitchen has a make ahead mac and cheese recipe in their book that is amazing. 2 square pans are perfect for making one for now and freezing one for later.
Buy this book: Herbs & Spices, The Cooks Reference.
It has huge pictures of all the herbs and spices you're likely to find in the spice section, a description of their flavors, and foods they can be paired with.
(While you're at it, pick up a used copy of The Professional Chef.
(and a calculator, because all of those recipes will be like "serves 20"))
Read through those, then go to a Penzey's store (if there's one nearby) and snort all their samples. Go hungry. Buy something that your nose says "this would taste good with [whatever]", and then pick up some [whatever] on your way home.
And don't forget that often, salt and/or sugar enhance spice flavors.
The New Professional Chef
There is a newer version called The Professional Chef that Paul Bocuse calls "The bible for all chefs".
I agree with u/mirepoixmatt, I like the older versions a bit better. You can get an older version of the New Professional Chef for 75 cents
My SO needs a new audiobook
Or this because I just got a crock pot last week and I'm still learning new recipes! :)
Ps. Thanks for this super awesome contest!
New favorite recipe book is ‘cook once eat all week’ by Cassie Joy Garcia. Three recipes are paired together each week with similar ingredients to help make the cost and prep time as minimal as possible. There are options for paleo, dairy free, gluten free if that’s your jam. The recipes are just so darn good and you don’t get to the end of the week dreading eating the same thing again. I’m not typically one who buys recipe books, but I would buy this again in a heartbeat.
Cook Once, Eat All Week: 26 Weeks of Gluten-Free, Affordable Meal Prep to Preserve Your Time & Sanity https://www.amazon.com/dp/1628603437/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MxPUDb2HZYY3H
It's an entire chicken leg, if they want it. No white meat, because the people throwing this event didn't want any.
The 1/2 rack of ribs average out to be a 5.5".
The entire corn cob average length is 10", and the half cob is to help manage on the plate.
I can up the salad amounts easily, as everything is coming off my farm: red/green lettuces, spinach and arugala.
Dessert is being taken care of by somebody else, and the booze is supplied by the event hosts.
I pulled most of my weights/serving sizes from Modern Batch Cookery.
Meal planning is so awesome! Good luck maintaining it - we use this to keep track of ours. I like to write things down and when last weeks is done, I use the back to write this weeks grocery list to take with me to the store.
If you're looking for more inspiration, I'm currently rereading "The Pleasures of Cooking for One" by Judith Jones. I love it because the recipes are all scaled to one serving and the book has a lot of information on cooking in small portions. I borrow a copy from my library every now and then, but I think I'll buy one soon.
Julia Child's old editor has some good advice in The Pleasures of Cooking for One
This is the best idea because it allows you to have food in your freezer on nights when you don't want to cook.
Once a Month Cooking has a lot of recipes that are suitable for freezing. It also has grocery lists and work schedules for making 1 month worth of food over a single weekend. You don't necessarily have to make a full month of dishes of course, just pick one or two meals.
This is a pretty cool book.
This could be the greatest cinematic epic of all time.
Cook several meal at once. More efficient use of time as well.
There's a book I use, Not Your Mother's Make Ahead and Freeze Cookbook. It has some problems. Like, the author lives in a coastal town and has a ton of recipes for fresh fish that aren't available in the Midwest; quite a few recipes are for marinades and once you get the idea, you got the idea and; the types of quantities aren't standardized so one recipe will call for a whole onion and the next will call for a cup and the next will call for three ounces (annoying). So check out the book from your library.
But, it teaches you how to design recipes that are freezable; which foods freeze well and which to avoid, how to blanch vegetables, how to properly cook and freeze your food so that it cooks well, etc.
So, it has some great pluses, but I wouldn't buy it.
I (male college student here) recently got my own crock pot and posted a similar thread, which you can view here and I also got this amazing book for Christmas.
/r/slowcooking?
here are some of the top voted recipes
Keep in mind that reddit works pretty much the same way as pinterest, and a poor recipe that either looks good in pictures or is presented well will receive more votes than a quality recipe with crappy pics and write up.
Or buy this book! Remember cookbooks?
I just did a bunch using this book and really liked it.
http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Cooking-Edition-Wayne-Gisslen/dp/0470197528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1404631685&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=gisslen+professional+cooking I used this one when i was in school, really helpful information.
This is true, for home cooking you have to convert recipes using the New/Old, and a lot of the time since they are designed for large batches, even with appropriate recipe conversion, they come out a little off.
I have new copy of Professional Cooking 7th edition, that I would let go of for cheap.
http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Cooking-Wayne-Gisslen/dp/0470197528/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1345406315&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=9780470197523
Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook: 1400 Best Slow Cooker Recipes!
All of the recipes you could ever want in 1 book. I have a copy in a storage building I could send you but I really don't want to go digging for it since the majority is furniture.
Brompton folding bike
Culinary Institute Textbook
*netbook
And giving the non-vego's: Candied Bacon Fudge
Check out a book called "Modern Batch Cookery" put out by CIA. It has professionally scaled recipes for about 50pax, scaled by weight. It would put you in the right direction for a lot of your menu planning and ordering.
I seem to have misplaced my own copy, so I can't confirm that is has alfredo for 50, but it likely did. It's a really solid base for what you're going for.
https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Cookery-Culinary-Institute-America/dp/047029048X/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=Batch+Cooking&qid=1569694919&sr=8-6
Professional Cooking is on par with the Pro Chef.
Be sure to distinguish the difference between French "cooking" and French food.
The techniques catalogued by Escoffier are still the same. The Pro Chef and Pro Cooking only rearrange them in a more modern and sometimes cohesive manner.
French food is a different thing entirely.
Fix It and Forget It seems to be the usual go-to for most slow cooker enthusiasts. They've been around for possibly 20 years or more. I bought a smaller paperback copy back in 2002 or 2003.
Another good one would have to be the America's Test Kitchen's Slow Cooker Revolution. America's Test Kitchen, produced by the publishers of Cooks Illustrated, tests hundreds or even thousands of recipes for a particular dish and then creates a recipe that is usually 100% foolproof. Not only does it work, but it will taste good. And if it doesn't, it's easy to see where you might have gone wrong, or where the recipe might have gone wrong. In some cases, it's even to tell if the recipe would be good before even trying to cook it. They list the ingredients in the order you'll use them, based on the instructions.
If you want to build your knowledge as you go, why not buy one of the textbooks used by a culinary school and work your way through it? This is the Culinary Institute of America's textbook:
https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Chef-Culinary-Institute-America/dp/0471382574/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1481746531&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=professional+chef
Also, don't worry about buying the newest one: the basics haven't changed much in the last...well...couple of hundred years.
I suggest you start with the simplest way to cook a complete meal and imo that is a crockpot. Buy a basic version for about $25 and a good crockpot cookbook (links below) for about $15.
Cooking in them amounts to dumping in ingredients, turning it on and walking away. Your one-pot meal or main dish is done in 4-8 hours.
https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCR200-B-Manual-Cooker-Quart/dp/B004P2LEE0/ref=sr_1_18?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1496058705&amp;sr=1-18&amp;keywords=crockpot
https://www.amazon.com/Fix-Forget-Big-Cookbook-Recipes/dp/156148640X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1496059170&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=crockpot+cookbooks
Once A Month Cooking had meal plans and a grocery list if I remember correctly, I couldn't tell from the Amazon preview.
http://www.amazon.com/Once-A-Month-Cooking-Spending-Enjoying-Delicious/dp/0312366256/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&amp;refRID=0PH0PENBFGCRM1W3DXYM
I NID DIS because when I don't plan my meals and I end up eating out much more than I want to and spending a ton of money buying lunch.
Holga 120N Medium Format Fixed Focus Camera with Lens
The Professional Chef [Hardcover]
KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer
The Many Varieties of Beer Poster
Dr. Steve Brule T-Shirt
If I got any of these things I would be happy as fuck.
EDIT: Forgot about the Volvo prancing Moose magnet I'd put on my 740.
Wayne Gisslen's Professional Cooking 7th Ed. is probably what you're after.
Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/156148640X/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?qid=1427475991&amp;sr=8-7&amp;pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&amp;keywords=slow+cooker+recipes&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=61bMVF7QluL&amp;ref=plSrch
^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?
I got a lot out of:
http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Cooking-7th-Wayne-Gisslen/dp/0470197528
http://www.amazon.com/Fix-It-Forget-It-Big-Cookbook-Recipes/dp/156148640X
Get this
Get this
Get this
Buy this book and a slow cooker.http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/156148640X/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?qid=1427475991&amp;sr=8-7&amp;pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&amp;keywords=slow+cooker+recipes&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=61bMVF7QluL&amp;ref=plSrch
Throw stuff into a pot, go to sleep and you have meals for 4 days when you wake up.