Joy of Cooking Hardcover – Illustrated, January 1, 1979

This book can teach you to cook - the recipes are well written and explanations are available if you want more info on ingredients etc. Everyone should have this book.

Do not buy any edition other than 1973. This is probably the most complete cookbook ever published. It not only includes recipes and instructions for just about any recipe you can think that exists in Western culture, but it is a joy to read. One recipe says to pound a chicken breast until it looks like a Salvador Dali watch. Chock full of not only WHAT goes into making something, but WHY. Do not buy any other editions. This book was destroyed through subsequent editions, and those editions are useless; the entire reasons the cookbook has such value and joy was edited right out of it. I have been a gourmet cook for decades, but out of all the cookbooks in my collection, this one the one that is so stained and dog eared and written in, it's obvious it has had the most use. Highly recommended for beginners who want to learn how to cook, and for pros who want to get some of the history as well as the methods behind preparation of delicious food.

When you need cooking instructions, this book has them all.

This book, though not practical in today's instant gratification world, is necessary to teach those of us our grandmother's knowledge that is dying out with our grandmother's and mothers. Who knows how to test an oven temperature? An oven that isn't modern, has no thermometer or setting dial? Who knows the proper procedure for canning? The supplies you might need? Think you'll never need that information? When Irma Rombauer wrote this cookbook she didn't think she had a need for the knowledge being a wealthy woman with kitchen help. Then an economic collapse. Then her husband committed suicide. She was 54. Good thing she did have this knowledge and decided to pass it on. This cookbook does more than teach recipes. It teaches etiquette and dinner party directions? Do you know which fork goes where? What is the difference in dinner settings for formal and informal eating? Wedding cakes? The information in this cookbook is invaluable. Every mother, daughter, daughter in law, etc. Should have this on their shelf. I am so glad I found a 1964 edition as the 1972 edition was revised and doesn't have all the information I wanted. I don't cook in a microwave and I don't want my Joy of Cooking to reflect microwave cooking. I found and purchased a 1942 edition as wel, which includes wartime ration recipes. Get yourself a copy, if for no other reason, to learn.

I love the recipes but be ready to convert cake yeast to dry, and the change of items who's availability may require substitution. Great book but not for a first cookbook!

The cookbook, (Joy of Cooking) was in excellent condition for being the 1964 edition. I would purchase from this vendor again.

Very caring seller...item arrived super-fast, which I appreciate and this super cookbook is in great shape. Thank you so much!

I would order from this seller again.

The price was good for this edition of 1946.The book is pretty old and there is a hole in one of the pages. But I am glad of my purchase

This is an upload - someone took the free version available from the internet archive and is charging for it. The table of contents is not linked to actual pages... It's fine if you want to read it cover to cover, but I suggest you just get the free version.