Classic Cookbooks That Never Go Out of Style

Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1, by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck
This is the grand-mère of modern cookbooks: a culinary revolution, master class and reliable kitchen friend wrapped up into one text. The book promises “anyone can cook in the French manner anywhere, with the right instruction,” and while it obviously contains French recipes translated for American chefs, it’s about more than just fancy dishes: it’s about making food as most delicious as it can possibly be. If your mom likes to cook and she does not have this book, remedy that immediately.

Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition (B&N Exclusive Edition), by Irma Rombauer
If Mastering the Art of French Cooking is the grand-mère of American cookery, then the Joy of Cooking is its hilarious, pragmatic great-grandmother (it begins with “stand facing the stove”). First written 75 years ago (hence the anniversary edition), Joy retains its helpful, practical spirit by blending dinner party showpieces with 30-minutes-or-less weeknight meals, old dishes with new, and tutorial and advice sections with hundreds and hundreds of recipes. A workhorse of a cookbook that still manages to be fun.

Saveur: The New Classics Cookbook: More than 1,000 of the world’s best recipes for today’s kitchen, by the Editors of Saveur magazine
Compiled by the editors of the gorgeous culinary magazine Saveur, this cookbook is an enormous collection of recipes hailing from all around the world. The emphasis is on diversity: moving beyond the influences that have dominated American cooking for decades and opening our kitchens up to, as the title suggests, new classics. This means old favorites like veal piccata and corn dogs sit next to new-to-us recipes like a Tunisian tuna sandwich and dark chocolate matzo brittle. The New Classics is a great collection for anyone who wants to enlarge her culinary horizons.

The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Century, by Amanda Hesser
This cookbook spans over 150 years of recipes published by The New York Times, all the way back to the 1850s. This means in addition to recipes that have proven themselves over the long haul, The Essential New York Times Cookbook also provides a fascinating look at the development of American eating going all the way back to before the Civil War. Recipes include Tomato Soup from 1877, Mary Lincoln’s Horseradish Sauce from 1897, and Sour Cream Coffee Cake from 1968, as well as hundreds of more modern dishes. Perfect for the chef who’s also a history nut.

The America’s Test Kitchen NEW Family Cookbook: All-New Edition of the Best-Selling Classic with 1,000 New Recipes, by America’s Test Kitchen
There’s little that’s more soothing than the fussy precision of America’s Test Kitchen recipes. They come with a sort of guarantee: if you can follow these clearly written, nicely designed, medium ability instructions, you’ll get something delicious. And it will be delicious on the first try, with a minimum of swearing, and will impress your friends at dinner. The NEW Family Cookbook is a great compendium of over 1,000 ATK recipes, ranging from simple chicken breast fixes to stunning desserts, and it also contains the hints, tutorials, and product ratings that the Test Kitchen is famous for. Chefs of all levels will love it.
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