Everything there is to know about American Cooking
Among the best known cookbooks, Joy of Cooking has been published over and over again ever since it first came out in 1936, though it had earlier been privately published by Irma S. Rombauer in 1931. Many revisions have since taken place and in 1997 it even underwent a face lift when most of the matter was ghostwritten by professional chefs, a lot different to the original writings of Irma Rombauer. However, the first edition was written by the author as a means of self-support.
In 1931, Irma Rombauer recently widowed and 54 years old, having $3000 left by her late husband used these funds to self-publish the first edition of Joy of Cooking. In March, 1936 the first publication of Joy of Cooking ran 10,000 copies with a list price of $2.50. In 1962, she passed away and the sixth edition of Joy of Cooking comes out in print. Then, in 1975 the one and only edition of Joy of Cooking as written by Marion Rombauer Becker and this book comes out and in 2006 a new edition of the book, based on the 1975 edition comes out to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Irma Rombauer’s first self-published book.
The Joy of Cooking is loaded with food tips – about twenty interesting ones that cover a broad range of culinary delights. Take for instance, its tip on making ice for drinks which tells of how to use clear and filtered water instead of strong tasting water as the taste carries on in to the ice cubes. Also, the Joy of Cooking tells the reader that to prevent sandwiches from turning soggy, pack the ingredients like tomatoes, lettuce and pickle slices into a plastic bag and take them out to make the sandwich, only at the time of consumption.
The book contains just about everything there is to know about cooking be it breakfast and brunch, canning and preservations, chicken, cookies, grilling, party foods and drinks, pasta and noodles, pies and tarts, salads and dressings, soups and stews.
The Joy of Cooking has received a lot of praise, some of it from Julia Child, Paula Deen and Tyler Florence. From recommending the book to calling it one of the most important books on American Cooking to being the “ultimate reference guide” it has found praise from everyone who has read the book. The present hardcover edition is available for $30 and is well worth the price.
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