Bookshelf
I can’t stop buying cookbooks! Help!!
Currently enjoying…
Arabesque - Greg and Lucy Malouf
The Perfect Scoop – David Lebovitz
Secrets from the Red Lantern – Pauline Nguyen
Books on my shelf…
The Kitchen Diaries – Nigel Slater
Holiday – Bill Granger
Every Day- Bill Granger
Modern Classics 1 – Donna Hay
Modern Classics 2 – Donna Hay
Mix and Bake – Belinda Jeffrey
Jamie’s Dinners – Jamie Oliver
The Food I Love – Neil Perry
The Cook’s Companion – Stephanie Alexander
Bills – Bill Granger
Baking From My Home To Yours – Dorie Greenspan
Matt Moran – Matt Moran
How To Be A Domestic Goddess – Nigella Lawson
Simply Bill – Bill Granger
Two’s Cooking – Jane Strode & Jeremy Strode
Good Food – Neil Perry
Baking with Julia – Dorie Greenspan
Where The Heart Is – Karen Martini
Let It Simmer – Sean Moran
Marie Claire Flavours – Donna Hay
Marie Claire Food+Drink – Michele Cranston
Epicure Chocolate – Kylie Walker (editor)
Baking Handbook – Martha Stewart
Off the Shelf - Donna Hay
The Ice Cream Book – Joanna Farrow & Sara Lewis
Chocolate – Delia Smith
Delicious Let’s Entertain – Valli Little (editor)
More from Magnolia - Alyssa Torey
Marie Claire Kitchen – Michele Cranston
The Complete Book of Preserves and Pickles – Catherine Atkinson
Cakes, Biscuits and Slices – Australian Women’s Weekly
3 Ways With – Ross Dobson
500 Cupcakes – Fergal Connolly
Gorgeous Cakes – Annie Bell
Tempted – Murdoch Books
Homebaked – Australian Women’s Weekly
Foolproof Cakes – Mary Berry
500 Cookies – Phillippa Vanstone & Susannah Blake
Cookies – Australian Women’s Weekly
The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Book – Jennifer Graham
Cupcakes - Australian Women’s Weekly
Chocolate – Donna Hay
Marie Claire Breakfast – Jody Vassallo
Sweet Food – Murdoch Books
Fruit - Donna Hay
Pastries and Breads – Jane Price
Picnic Hamper - Jane Price
The Age Good Food Guide 2008 – John Lethlean & Necia Wilden (editors)
The Foodie’s Guide to Melbourne 2007 – Allan Campion & Michele Curtis
The Foodies’ Guide to Melbourne 2008 – Allan Campion & Michele Curtis
The Foodies Guide to Sydney 2008 - Helen Greenwood & John Newton
My wishlist (soon to be put on the credit card)…
Saha, Turquoise – Greg Malouf & Lucy Malouf
Appetite - Nigel Slater
Hi Linda!
I have the same proplem! I love cookbooks too!
I just bumped into your blog…a really nice one!
Ciao,
Ali
Wow! I envy your collection! I am just starting out and it’s not nearly enough for me. I was thinking of getting the Baking with Julia book you have, and then Alice Waters’ Art of Simple Food. I want to get a good basic cookbook, but I am not sure which one. Any advice or thoughts?
Ali, hello! Thanks for stopping by :)
Amanda – Great choice with ‘Baking with Julia’ as it’s an excellent baking book. As for a good, simple and basic cookbook, “The Cook’s Companion’ by Stephanie Alexander is excellent, but is an Australian book, so it may not be readily available. Anything by Alice Waters is a classic :) Jamie Oliver’s books are great basics too.
So I perused my book store and couldn’t find the book by Stephanie Alexander. But I picked up the new edition of Martha Stewart’s baking book and was thinking about buying it. But a lot of people don’t enjoy Martha and her recipes. Do you like the baking handbook you have?
Martha’s ‘Baking Handbook’ is pretty good and covers heaps of different baking areas. I like it, but sometimes I find it a bit tedious in converting the measurements into metric, being the Aussie that I am :) I think you should get it!
A piece of advice though, when I don’t know whether I should buy a specific book or not, I try to and see if I can borrow it from the local library or a friend first, trial a few recipes and peruse the book for a while before deciding to purchase it or not. Online reviews are also helpful in making a decision :)
Thanks so much for posting your list of cookbooks. Being a student, I can’t exactly buy all of the baking books that catch my fancy, so it helps to know what other bakers are using. I’m such a big fan of Dorie Greenspan’s blog, so I’ll have to check out her books as well.
No worries Cecilia! I was a student once (and might be again soon), so I know what it’s like to have limited funds to buy books :) Dorie’s ‘Baking From My Home To Yours’ is an excellent book to buy.
Hi Linda, that is an impressive collection :) Just wondering where you bought your Dorie Greenspan book? I’ve had my eye out in all the book shops I can think of in Sydney, I’m *this close* to just ordering it from Amazon.com!
Hey Lisa! Get it get it get it! It’s a great book and I must say, the best American baking book I own. I got it from Amazon quite a while back now and paid around $45 Australian (with postage). You’ll probably get it for even cheaper considering the excellent exchange rate now!
The only annoying thing about the book is that the recipes are in imperial measurements so a bit of converting must be done before baking. Online converters are quite handy for that :)
my dear, I have PLENTY of books to.
I live in Milan (italy), but actually buy english, french, american stuff to.. seems like bad drug to me :) dunno exactily how many books I’ve got, but I have collected at least 20 of them in the last two weeks.. I love cooking, but studying all these receipes is even better.. and thoght people generally loves my creations, I really do prefer reading my receipes and preparing stuff than eating and tasting..
it is pretty a relief to hear somebody else’s like me.. ^_^
so thanks!
if you wish to write me, you can use my email: artiefreccia@hotmail.com
diana
can I just ask, The cookbook “Delicious, Lets Entertain” does it have the recipe by Nigella Lawson for Chocolate Raspberry Pudding cake?
Diana – thank you! I have sent you an email :)
Belinda – it sure does! I’m more than happy to scan it and email it you!
Hi,
Nice collection of cookbooks but let me tell you about a few others.
First I have to say I totally agree with you about the baking for others and for your own pleasure. I love to bake and give it to people to see their facial reaction to said gift. It is the best. I was also going to go to school, the first time some family situation happened and I couldn’t go ( i really wanted to go), the second time I realized I didn’t, I wanted to enjoy the gift of baking and not hate it later.
Edna Lewis, if you haven’t heard of her you should look her up and read her recipes like a novel…
Lisa Yorkelson..Baking by Flavor….love her stuff too
I love the name of this cookbook, this ones for fun, Being Dead is no Excuse…it is the southern womans guide to hosting the perfect funeral dishes…
Ina Garten…any of them
Enjoy…and I like your blog….
Babs
I stumbled across your blog when I searched for a carrot cupcake recipe and I’m thrilled that I did! love your photos AND your recipes!!
Hi Linda-
I just found your blog and quite enjoy browsing it!
I think collecting cookbooks should be considered an addiction. I have well over 100 (closer to 200) cookbooks, not including subscriptions to Gourmet and Saveur magazines. Also, this is not counting the cookbooks I’ve tired of and donated to the local library.
I agree about Dorie Greenspan. I think she’s right up there when it comes to baking. Another great author is Flo Braker (baking). I also recommend Tyler Florence (his Hong Kong style salmon cakes are SO good!!) I’ve got his cookbooks but some of his recipes are available online. Here is the one for the salmon cakes:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/hong-kong-salmon-cakes-with-baby-bok-choy-recipe/index.html
I’ve never tried any of Nigella Lawson’s recipes, and would love to try the Chocolate Raspberry Pudding cake. Could you email it to me, too?
Thanks!
May I strongly, STRONGLY recommend Pure Desserts by Alice Medrich… I just made her Sherry Olive Oil Poundcake for a dinner party, and no one has been able to stop talking about it since.
Hi Linda,
Im from Thailand and just accidently (luckily) found your blog when i search for “Chocolate cookies” :p and just have to say what an impressive collection! keep up nice work, i’ll keep comin back to ur blog
:)
Kear
Linda!
Are we twins seperated at birth? Your cookbook selection is a mirror of mine! Just found your blog through A-M looks great. Cant wait to see more of it and have added you :)
Hi Linda,
I think I have met my spiritual sister! I love baking and also have a rather embarrassing collection of recipe books, some of which I have never used. Your blog is fantastic, as an Aussie living overseas I also love reading your stories about Melbourne, my favourite city in Australia (despite being a Brissie girl!). Your recipes and pictures are great. I can’t wait to try some of them…thanks!!!
Natalie
Hi Linda,
Just stumbled on your blog and it’s lovely. Love your photographs. I have the same cookbook problem. Can’t seem to stop buying them!
Hi Linda
I am so glad to find that there are other people with the same ‘cookbook problem’ – I have a collection of more than a 1000 books and still find that the cookbook section of shops (both new and second hand) are the ones that I cannot pass by … to say nothing of book stalls at markets… and I go nuts when I hear somebody is ‘giving away’ their cookbooks because they are ‘down sizing’ – gimme gimme gimme.
At one stage I did not own a book that I had not cooked from – but (I am ashamed to say) at the moment I have a number that I read often but have not tried out a single recipe yet – mainly because the kitchen in my tiny ‘new’ (older than 80 years) house has not been ‘just right’ for my type of cooking. Getting there slowly so I will catch up, I hope.
My current passion – fruit sorbets – new ice cream machine and summer coming up in South Africa!!
Keep up the good work with your blog.
Linda,
I just stumbled upon your blog as I googled “pear crumble” and it is absolutely fantastic! I live in Charleston, SC and just recently started a cooking blog of my own, just for fun. I am SO impressed with your photography and your web-design/layout. Any pointers as to how I could create a more “professional” looking site?? I’m on blogger.com currently…
Thanks and happy baking!
Maggie L
Linda, my friend, you are absolutely amazing! Where do you find the time? You are an inspiration to all of us. You’re recipes look amazing and your photos give them the justice they deserve. You need to be published!!!!!
I absolutely love your stuff and I’ve only browsed for a few minutes!
Lbxo
Linda,
I’m new to the food blogging world and the only thing I can say is that I’m flawed by your delicious images and recipes that look heavenly. I cannot wait to try out your Mocha Meringues. I’ve been collecting cookbooks for years and receive them for gifts. Thankfully to WWW its like a giant free cookbook oh and that the library for browsing before buying. heh
Your site looks awesome, its clean and easy to maneuver.
I see you’re reading Arabesque. I bought this book for my parents a year ago and they’ve made quite a few recipes from it. However, one standout, and I can’t remember the name, is a chicken roasted with raz al hanout and lemons. It’s, well… marvelous, and the raz al hanout actually becomes a fairly versatile spice mixture, perfect for blackening catfish, dusting potatoes, and just about anywhere that a little red kick is required. I actually keep a fairly large bottle of it mixed up in the cupboard now, ready to make anything a little bit more Middle Eastern at a moment’s notice.
Corey
Almondine Bakery, NYC
i don’t think you have a problem. i don’t have a problem with buying cookbooks and i have 397.. and counting.. i’m not addicted.. really.. :P