cookbooks tend to contain recipes. recipes are good when one has a plan. i however, am enough of an adventurer that i will start throwing together items with no coherent plan of action.

this had led to many a failed attempt at something or other. one thing that would be of use in my exploits would be a book containing information about what ingredients don't work together, and possibly footnoted suggestions as to what to make.

for example, when making some floury doughy substance, add something to make it lighter. things such as baking soda being a good start, and preventing the use of said doughy substance as a building material.

other useful items would be a list of phone numbers for poison control agencies around the world, and included templates for food taster contracts.
-- tcarson, Jul 25 2006

The New Best Recipe http://www.amazon.c...4?v=glance&n=283155
This cookbook is pretty good reading, even when you have no idea of what to cook. [jurist, Jul 26 2006]

eGullet: The Truth about Braising http://forums.egull...php?showtopic=61677
I came across this by accident, and was delighted to read the lengthy discussion of different braising techniques, containers, etc. This is part of an online culinary school. [jutta, Jul 26 2006]

Cooking for Engineers http://www.cookingforengineers.com/
Mostly just well explained, well-illustrated recipes; discussions about tools; but the overall angle is similar to "Cook's Illustrated". [jutta, Jul 26 2006]

step 5: extract glycerine.
step six: Call ambulance, rebuild kitchen.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jul 25 2006


I've been wanting to vote for this all day, but I feel like maybe it should be an Experimenters Notebook of Cooking. This way one could write down all their mistakes and successes to remember. I am somewhat a halfbaker of food, because I experiment a lot, also. After that being said, here is an experimental BuN. +
-- xandram, Jul 25 2006


are you suggesting cookbook annos? that sounds like a pretty good addition. maybe a section in back that's a three-ring binder that can keep all of the combinations that didn't work for future reference. a bakers book of shame or pain depending on the virulence of each.
-- tcarson, Jul 25 2006


A culinary Merck Index? +
-- 7ennyn, Jul 25 2006


You might be interested in looking at "The Best Recipe" (and "The New Best Recipe" -- see link), from the editors of "Cook's Illustrated" Magazine and the same people who do the print and television versions of "America's Test Kitchen". Many variations of each recipe are tested and the best recipe is printed, but what makes this series of books special is that they tell you specifically what works and doesn't work about each of the recipes, ingredient substitutions, and alternate preparation methods and why. The illustrations are charmingly 19th century and typically consist of black and white line art, but the food science, product and equipment recommendations, ingredients and menu suggestions are all comfortably 21st century. It automatically becomes the favorite go-to basic resource for every one of my male friends who cook, either regularly or only occasionally.
-- jurist, Jul 26 2006


I happen to have such a book under construction at the moment... but it's only for drink recipes.
-- ye_river_xiv, Jul 28 2006


I agree with [jurist] about Cook's. I really like the experimental aspect of it- tinkering with a recipie until it is right.
-- bungston, Jul 30 2006


To Serve Experimental Man.
-- hidden truths, Jul 30 2006


The ground beef in pancake concept has potential, I think. What was your old man's recipe, [BB]?
-- bungston, Jul 31 2006


You might try taking two pancakes and sandwiching a beef filling.
-- neelandan, Jul 31 2006



random, halfbakery