Books

Best Cookbooks Everyone Should Have.

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” – Benjamin Franklin

Best Cookbooks Every Should Have

Here you will find a list of the best cookbooks everyone should have that I personally own in my collection or which I have read and highly recommend.  When every I need inspiration when creating a dish I always rely on these books to guide me.

I have a great passion for books and in particular cooking books which teach me the beauty and creativity of people within the food industry.  It’s this passion that drives me to be as creative as I can when creating meals.

I don’t in particular read many ‘celebrity’ cook books often as I feel these books are created just to sell.  Instead I choose books which are created out of passion for food and the ingredients used.

Some of these books are general interest while others are more specialised books.  They have all helped me build on the knowledge and understanding I have about food and keep me returning to them time and time again.

I hope you too will enjoy this list what I believe to be the Best Cookbooks Everyone Should Have.

Recommended Cookery Books

Here you will find a list of cookery books taken straight from my shelf. Each one of these books I use regularly for inspiration or just some recipes to create new dishes. View the list and Click on the links if you fancy grabbing a copy for yourself.

best cookbooks
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    Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn.

    I love this book not only for its recipes but the stories behind the recipes.

    Michael a highly renowned food writer and Brian teaches butchery and charcuterie and is also Chef/owner of Five Lakes Grill and has a deep passion for cured meats.  Both deliver a book  packed full of stories, tips and recipes that really gives you an in depth look into the world of cured meats.

    This is a must have for any budding cook or chef who want to try basic curing from cured bacon to Italian cured meats.

    I just love this book and find myself taking it down off the shelf every now and then just to have a read.

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best cookbooks
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    The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit

    As a creative and passionate chef this book has become invaluable to me when creating various flavour combinations.

    This book is fantastic when looking to make a meal where each flavour enhances the other.  It categorizes each flavour and gives pairing that really compliment each other.  Flavours such as Cheesy, Earthy, Floral Fruity and even Green and Grassy allow home cooks and professional chefs get the most from their ingredients.  This is the book you go to for inspiration and just to try out the huge amount of flavour combinations.

    A must have book for any budding cook or chef.

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mastering the art of chocolate
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    Rococo: Mastering The Art of The Chocolate by Chantal Coady

    This book was bought for me by my wife as a very nice Christmas present.  This book tends to be more of a specialist book on chocolate but it does contain some recipe that someone just getting into working with chocolate can try.

    Chantal Coady begins the book with some background information on how she first set up her chocolate business many years ago and how it has grown through the years.

    In this book she shares many of the recipes that she has used in her shop, Rococo Chocolates which allows others to create the very best chocolates at home.

    This book is great for someone starting out with an interest in chocolate who wants to really up their game and create high end chocolates.  It has plenty of recipes and tips on how to temper chocolate. A great book to develop your chocolate skills.

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cooking books - great sausage recipes and meat curing
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    Great Sausage Recipes And Met Curing by Rytek Kutas

    What can be said about this book, if you are going to buy one book on making sausages this is the one you need to have.

    This book has everything in it including the kitchen sink, literally, Rytek goes into so much detail in this book he even writes about what sink you would need if you set up a sausage kitchen.

    This book is jam packed with every type of sausage recipe you could think of and more.

    The book goes into huge amounts of information on equipment, procedures, ingredients, processing techniques and more.  It is a complete book for any novice to expert and is an exceptional read.

    All the recipes are given in bulk quantities for mass production but also broken down into smaller, more manageable recipes for home use.  This is a book that you will revert to time and time again regardless of skill level.

    Just a fantastic book.

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cooking books - wild food
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    Wild Food By Biddy White Lennon & Evan Doyle

    This is a great introduction to foraging for free food in the Irish countryside.  Biddy White Lennon a food writer, Slow Food member and Judge on The Great Irish Bake Off with the help of Evan Doyle a fellow Slow Food member and owner of The Strawberry Tree bring together a fantastic book everyone should read.

    This book is packed full of information on wild foods that grow throughout the Irish country as well as giving a number of recipes that are used regularly in Evan’s restaurants.

    It contains some basic information on drying, smoking and making jams and vinegars that will have ever home cook stocking up their larder year round.

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cooking books - food for free
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    Food For Free by Richard Mabey

    This is my handy little pocket book I bring out with my when ever I go for a walk.  It has a great little section in the front of the book that shows what wild food is in season each month.

    The book is packed full of illustrations and pictures of wild food with plenty of information for those who have an interest in what is edible around the country side.

    This book contains a small section on basic mushrooms but it has enough to give people a greater understanding of what grows around them. It also contains a small section on seaweed and shellfish to get you started on your seashore foraging.

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cooking books - edible seashore
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    Edible Seashore by John Wright

    I just the passion and knowledge John Wright has and how he gets this across to the reader in his book, Edible Seashore.

    This book is part f the River Cottage range of Handbooks and is jam packed with information, tips, recipes and little stories John has gathered over his years of foraging along the coastline.

    John’s book gives you an introduction to foraging and the conservation of our shorelines so that they can be constantly enjoyed by all.  He shows the used equipment that can make foraging for various seafood and even gives advice on how to build some of them. 

    This book contains a wealth of knowledge on seashore plants, seaweeds, various shell fish along with a number of classic recipes.  It is a fantastic read just for the stories that John brings from his years of experience.

    A fantastic book and a really interesting read.

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Recommended Irish Cooking Books

Here you will find a list of great Irish Cookery books filled with a huge amount of traditional recipes and advice.  There is nothing better than a traditional Irish Cookery book that passes on the traditions of Irish Families and the recipes they have used through the years.  I hope you enjoy these books and create fantastic meals of your own.

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Irish Traditional Cooking
Irish Country cookbook
Farmette Cookbook

Visit My Irish Food Blog For Some Of My Recipe And Tips.