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Your Guide To Everything Food

Writer's pictureChef Olson

The Five Essential Cookbooks Every Kitchen Needs

Updated: Jan 6, 2023


books, cook books, Gordon Ramsey, Escoffier, flavor bible, cooking, chef, food

So you want to become a better chef? That's all fine and wonderful, but you'll need the tools and knowledge before you can go from avid foodie to chef. In my last post, we discussed how you could become a more precise chef using a kitchen scale. But what can you do to learn to become a better, more experienced chef? How can you become more creative and learn classic cooking techniques?


There are a few cookbooks I recommend. Although I could recommend countless cookbooks to you, I narrowed this list down to five of my most important ones. The Wooden Spoon Blog is always a good place to start, and I will be adding more posts on becoming a better chef in the future.


You'll find that each cookbook has its purpose in the kitchen. Not all are focused on recipes that you must cook because they contain good food. This collection is focused on aiding you in your journey to becoming a better chef.


So let's jump right into the top five cookbooks every kitchen should have.


Looking to buy the cookbooks on this list? Click the links below!


1. Escoffier Le Guide Culinare


Escoffier, cook, chef, wooden spoon

This is my absolute favorite book and is only for the most serious cooks and foodies. Auguste Escoffier was truly the father of modern cuisine. A French chef who worked in many of the world's most renowned restaurants and changed how we eat, what we eat, and how a kitchen functions. His first book, published in 1903, contained thousands of recipes. And by the time his fourth edition came out in 1921, the book had more than 5,000 recipes for French dishes. This book contains French garnishes, soups, desserts, and everything in between. I'm particularly enthusiastic about the wealth of knowledge you can get from making these recipes. There is no room for pictures, and the instructions are simple; you'll learn all the crucial cooking techniques very quickly, and with the simplicity of the instructions, it's very easy to put your own spin on these dishes.


2. The Flavor Bible


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One of the most useful books in my kitchen is The Flavor Bible. Having won the 2009 James Beard book award for best book, this is an essential in every kitchen. Within the book, you'll find almost every ingredient and food one could imagine and pairings that go with each. For example, if you look up an apple, you'll find that cinnamon and sugar go with it. Of course, the book gets a little more in-depth than cinnamon and sugar with apples, but the point here is when you are making a recipe and want to add your spin on it, open up The Flavor Bible and experiment with new flavor combinations.


3. Larousse Patisserie and Baking


Larousse patisserie and baking, cookies, pastries, baker, chef

As an avid baker, I believe traditional techniques should be used every time. Using shortcuts can often lead to a disastrous failure later. So, what's the best way to learn these techniques? Well, by baking, of course! If you alter a recipe too much or add too much of one ingredient, your recipe may turn into something completely different. And so, baking truly lets us learn traditional and fundamental cooking techniques while instilling culinary discipline, which is why I highly recommend Larousse Patisserie and Baking. This book contains numerous recipes and a detailed step-by-step guide to basic and more skilled bakery items. Can't figure out how to make the perfect cake? Consult this book. You added fruit to your cake, and it keeps sinking to the bottom? Consult this book (hint, keep your cake in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking).


4. Le Repertoire De La Cuisine


le répertoire de la cuisine, chef, baker, cook, référence guide

Ah yes , Le Repertoire De La Cuisine is one of the most challenging books to cook from. If you ask any well-seasoned chef about this book, they should (hopefully) be able to tell you all about it. Again, Escoffier wrote in 1914, this book isn't the classic cookbook sitting on your shelf with detailed instructions and pictures. This book is a culinary reference book, meaning that it rarely gives you the amounts of ingredients and never gives detailed steps to be taken. It assumes that you know all the techniques of the day and can cook up a dish with that knowledge. So why do I want you to have this cookbook in your kitchen? I want this book to be your goal as a chef, to be able to look at this book on your mantel and say, "I will continue cooking until I can cook from that book." You won't be able to cook from it straight away, it's very challenging, but as you learn about traditional French techniques and dishes, you'll reference this book for your cooking. In some of the recipes on this site, I provide a "quick recipe," these are very similar to the recipes you'll find in Le Repertoire.



5. Gordan Ramsey Ultimate Cookery Course


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Yes, I had to include at least one Gordan Ramsey book. With seven Michelin stars and having held 16 throughout his career, he is one of the most decorated chefs of today. His book, Ultimate Guide to Cookery, contains numerous dishes that aren't all complicated. And that's why I want to include this book. It is a stepping stone, a beginning to getting your feet wet in cooking. In addition to his recipes, you'll find his input on cooking for small groups and crowds, guides to various meats and fish, etc. This book is a must-have if you're beginning to cook and want to learn the basics of cooking.


Alright, here is our list of five essential cookbooks every kitchen should have, from the best baking and cooking guides to books from the early 1900s and flavor reference books. Buy all five of these, and you'll be well on your way on becoming a better, more creative, and more experienced chef.


Cheers,

Chef Olson

“The Flying Chef”

planes, flight, trained chef, pastry chef, French cook, experienced, Owner, Founder

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