Questions About Joy of Cooking

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Answered Questions (6)

How does this compare with Better Homes & Gardens? I own 1959 & 1987 editions of those and am slowly taking teen twins thru recipies my mother taught (cream puffs are current fav); but, they are not enamoured of the 'old' style. Wanted to update and gift them both with cookbooks for high school graduation but am feeling data-dumped. Would this be a suitable replacement for teaching basics and solid basic recipies?

Catwalker I have the 1964 version of this book. It is one of three 'fat' cookbooks that I own. These are all reference books that I can go to for details on coo…moreI have the 1964 version of this book. It is one of three 'fat' cookbooks that I own. These are all reference books that I can go to for details on cooking techniques, preparation of ingredients, etc., and are sometimes not given in detail in other cookbooks. I don't normally browse these books looking for exciting dishes to prepare. For one thing, there are no photos (the preview of the new Joy of Cooking on Amazon looks like it doesn't, either).
If you decide that you'd like to give them a fat cookbook, you might want to check the index of the book you are considering to make sure that it is modern enough for your teens. For instance, quinoa does not appear in the index for the 1964 edition of Joy of Cooking, but it is included in Rosso and Lukins's The New Basics (1989).
On the other hand, these days, there are all kinds of tutorials available on Youtube, so maybe the fat cookbook isn't as necessary as it used to be. (less)

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can butter be substituted forward or shortening for pie crust?

Catwalker I think you mean can butter be used in place of lard or shortening. The answer is yes. The basic pie crust in Joy of Cooking uses 1/3 cup of lard and …moreI think you mean can butter be used in place of lard or shortening. The answer is yes. The basic pie crust in Joy of Cooking uses 1/3 cup of lard and 1/3 cup of butter OR 2/3 cup of lard (for 2 cups of flour). They don't specify, but I would suggest unsalted butter. If you want to use all butter, I would do a trial run before making it for an important occasion, because butter has more water in it than lard, so you might need to compensate by reducing the water slightly. See page 588 in Joy of Cooking, 'About basic pie dough.'. (less)

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how can i start to read this please?