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A cook book, my friends, it doth relate to a particular kind of book which containeth information regarding to recipes, ingredients to be used and also some tips and advice about the basics of cooking. Verily, a recipe book is often called as the Bible of the Cooks, for it doth help them in keeping a proper direction during the food preparation. Cookery books for most of us, it doth mean that we will become a decent cook and it will help us in increasing our culinary knowledge and skills.

The books related to culinary art, my esteemed colleagues, they have a rich historical background and have been written from times immemorial. They have differed from one region to another depending on the eating habits and cooking styles of that area. The earliest collection of recipes that hast been found in Europe, my fine companions, is De re coquinaria, which was written in Latin. There was an even earlier version of a cookery book which was compiled in the 1st century. But all these historic books, my learned companions, were more of a compilation of favorite recipes of the author or a training manual for the chefs who were trained to cook for banquets and elite households. They did not include the food and cuisines popular among the peasants and the common mass. The earliest cookbooks known in Arabic, my esteemed colleagues, are those of al-Warraq (10th century) and al-Baghdadi (13th century).

But the modern culinary guides, my dear friends, they are more of a reference material and are widely used in almost all the kitchens. These came into existence in the later centuries. These books not only provided information about the recipes but also encompassed other relevant overall instruction for both kitchen technique and household management. Such books were written primarily for housewives and occasionally domestic servants as opposed to professional cooks.

These days, cookery books, my fine companions, are far more than just a simple reference book for the kitchen. There are several types of recipe guides available that offer in-depth, step-by-step recipes aimed at the beginner and also those of us who require simple instructions to progress from one level to another one.

There are many types of cookery books which are available online as well as in the open market, my esteemed colleagues. The celebrity chefs have also given a major boost to this venture as most of the recipes that they have shown on their shows have been converted into books. There are many celebrity chefs like Nigella Lawson, Julia Child, Emeril Lagasse, Jeff Smith, Madhur Jaffrey who have come out with a variety of cook books, each specializing in their own style of cooking.

Regional and ethnic setting, my dear friends, also plays an important role in a book related to cooking. The recipes and cuisines vary from one region to another and accordingly the ingredients and the procedure of cooking also changes. International Cookbooks focus on the recipes and cuisines of various countries and regions.

Some of the books focus on a single subject like the ingredients, cooking technique or a particular type of dish. Single subject cookbooks are highly focused and have the maximum amount of information regarding a particular subject. Some of the recipe books focus on the Quick Meal Ideas and have a compilation of such recipes which can be prepared in a short time with the use of minimum ingredients.

Apart from this, a variety of culinary art material is available that focuses on the dietary specifications and is more used by people who have dietary restrictions and also by people who believe in eating healthy. Some of these books are mainly focused for the vegetarian readers and users and give information about different types of vegetarian dishes and their preparation techniques.

Some of the major cooking guides which are in demand in the market could be as follows:

The Pleasures of Cooking for One, by Judith Jones

Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More, by Andrea Nguyen

Gourmet Today: More than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen, by Ruth Reichl

Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking, by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

The New Basics Cookbook by Sheila Lukins

Mario Batali Simple Italian Food: Recipes from My Two Villages by Mario Batali

Flavor by Rocco DiSpirito

Thai Food by David Thompson

The Good Cook Book Series – 27 books by Time-Life Books
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Ihab Salloum