rebecca's pocket

So the writer says Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything is what Joy wants to be. Probably so. I got '97 Joy and Bittman at about the same time, and find that I use Bittman more.

But there's a big caveat. While I like Bittmans' approach, and I own another of his cookbooks, the sad truth is that sometimes the recipes in Everything don't work out. I thought it was just me... but other people have noticed, too. Maybe he just needed more editing, or another edition?

It's really a problem though. Luckily I can sometimes tell when I read through a recipe that it has an issue. But I want to be able to follow the recipe as written, and not have to adapt or punt.

HOwever many of his recipes are standards for me, and I recommend the book over Joy of Cooking every time. I really like how he offers variations and lists of ideas, i.e. ten salads made with meat, or eight things to put on home-made pizza.

Also - his bread-making technique in the food processor is a cinch. You can make really great French bread with almost no trouble if you use a good bread flour and follow his instructions.

Funny, how much controversy there has been surrounding the revisions of this cooking classic. I remember the well-thumbed copy that sat on the kitchen shelf when I was a kid.