What makes a good cookbook? We’re sure the answer is different for everyone, but in our opinion, there are a few things that should always be included.
While we know cookbooks come in all shapes and sizes, we like them to be informative, easy to use and jam-packed full of delicious recipes. Read on to find out exactly what we think makes a good cookbook.
Step-by-step photographs
When you’re following a recipe that calls for a new technique, a description isn’t always enough to help you figure out exactly what to do. Step-by-step photographs are always a good addition to a recipe as they really help you to understand what you’re doing. Neven Maguire’s newest book Home Economics for Life makes great use of photographs to show the reader basic skills, right down to how you should chop an onion, which really helps to you to follow along with what you’re doing.
Measurements
Cookbooks, particularly American ones, often include a myriad of random measurements that we don’t understand here in Ireland, like a stick or cup of butter. While cup measurements can be handy enough to use with dry ingredients, they can vary from person to person, resulting in an inconsistent finished product. If cup measurements suit you, then go ahead and use them, but I’d much rather that cookbooks include metric measurements too so I can make everything as precise as possible.
Explain terms and don’t skip steps
Is there anything more annoying than a cookbook that assumes you know exactly what they’re talking about? Most people use cookbooks to try out a new recipe or technique, so it’s really important that each step is included in the method and properly described. Good cookbooks will also include easy-to-understand descriptions of unfamiliar terms, like sous vide or chiffonade, so that you don’t end up having to Google them to find out what you have to do!
Equipment lists
There is nothing more annoying than starting a recipe and realising halfway through that you actually need a random piece of equipment that you don’t have lying around your kitchen already, like a high-powered blender or a vacuum-sealer. If a recipe requires something specific, it should definitely be listed beside the ingredients so that you know exactly what you need to recreate the final product.
How to plate
There’s nothing like a photo of a perfectly plated dish to inspire you to get cooking, but sometimes recipes don’t include instructions on how to properly recreate the plating in the photograph. While you can definitely figure it out on your own sometimes, with more complicated dishes it’s good to have some guidelines to let you know what to do.
