Most cookbooks are useless

a reply to: WeRpeons

My girlfriend would not allow that to hang in the kitchen. She's loves electronics to be hidden.

Do you use any blogs to find recipes?

a reply to: kurthall

I grew up in SoCal but haven't lived there for many years. I love me some bound soups. Are you bisque fan? You should look up a recipe for sauce Americaine and use that as your base. It's outstanding

a reply to: kurthall

24 large clams
2 Tbl butter unsalted
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced leeks (whites only)
2 garlic cloves chopped fine
1/2 cup peeled, chopped, seeded plum tomatoes
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock
(Chix stock - either make your own or buy frozen stock from a butchers or specialty shop. It's stoopid easy)
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 lb potatoes, peeled washed small dice
1 dash Tabasco
Kosher Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Finish with chopped parsley

Wash and open the clams. Reserve liquid. Rough chop the clam meat and set aside.

In a large pot melt the butter. Add onions, carrots, celery, leeks and sweat for five minutes or so. No color! Add the garlic tomato, bay leaf thyme, stock and liquid from the clams. Bring to boil, and cook gently for 15 min. Add the potatoes and cook another 15.

Add the chopped clams, cream, Tabasco. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring quickly to a boil and kill the heat.

Alton Brown...

a reply to: FyreByrd

What about Alton brown?

Are you a front row fan?

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

It depends on how I'm cooking. If I'm roasting a full duck I'll go as high as 170 to make sure the thighs get cooked through. However, I prefer sauteing the breast and putting the thighs and drums in confit. When I saute the breast I just go by touch and don't use a thermometer. I prefer medium rare for the breast.

a reply to: TobyFlenderson

I confit quite a lot. What recipe do you use? Do you ever make rillette?

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

No, we just Google say like "Great tasting chicken dinner recipes" or if we want to find a particular recipe like a "chicken and biscuits recipes." I'll always look at the highest number of reviews and the best ratings. Sometimes if the ingredients sound good for a particular recipe we'll sometimes take a shot at it.

I've still got my CIA & leCordonBleu textbooks for reference, as well as my favorite 1930s Womans Home Companion.
I also use Prudhome for his spice rub recipes (predates the packaged goods now sold on store shelves) AND
my Trader Vics drink recipe book is my personal bar staple

You are right about most "home cook" cook books, as they don't seem to concentrate on methods and technique, just a plethora of recipes.

ganjoa

My favorite is- The Good House Keeping Cookbook copyright 1942-1944-1949. Over 900 pages very informative on just about anything to do with cooking, canning etc. a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

a reply to: ganjoa

Are you a working cook?

WeRpeons:

I hate googling recipes. Most of the recipes are kinda crappy. That's why I have a few cookbooks that I like that I can reference to as a guide.

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

Check the junior league chapters of coastal towns for regional cookbooks.
I got a great one on Cuban cooking from a chapter in south Miami beach and another from the low country of north Carolina but I don't remember which towns.
To be honest I find good recipes online these days. My cookbooks, except for my homemade one of family favorites are largely colorful dust collectors now. Though I do enjoy thumbing through them.
I also have a small collection of Gourmet magazines from the eighties and early nineties which are nostalgic because of the advertising. Cigarette ads but no ads with websites, big hair and big cars. And some really good recipes from around the globe.
I got a recipe for golden creamed onions from one Thanksgiving issue that has become a regular at our table evey year.

I live on the coast and have access to great fresh local seafood. If you need an oyster recipe my fried oysters are crisp and juicy at the same time and incredibly easy. I mean two steps easy unless you count adding salt when they're done as a step. Lol

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

Your favorite chefs probably offer recipes online.

a reply to: Sillyolme

I have the junior league of Lafayette cookbooks 1 & 2.

I have the yankee church supper cookbook but I never thumb through it.

Sure, but I cook professionally so I like to collect books. Certain books like the charcuterie ones I listed can't be found online

I do like the recipes from garden and gun. I get a kick out of that magazine.

.

I cook almost every night and I am a pretty good cook I think too.

My dirty little secret.

I never use a cook book, its either youtube (no joke) or just a quick google search but I think most of the time its just my own intuition about what can go with what, put a bit of this in that and a bit of that in this type of stuff.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

What's for dinner tonight?

Where can I find a recipe to make a great roux? Or do you perhaps have one?

a reply to: tinner07

What are you making? Gumbo or mac & cheese?

a reply to: tinner07

Roux:

Equal parts (by weight) fat and flour...I typically use a cup of oil/butter/bacon grease/lard to a cup of flour

Heat the fat first...then add the flour, a bit at a time, STIRRING CONSTANTLY!!! until in becomes your desired color.

"Blond" to "Dark" depending on what you're making. I make a potato and shrimp stew that calls for blond...The jambalaya I make call for dark...

Just DONT BURN IT!!!!!