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My wife has culinary chops. She's taken classes and she can make outstanding dishes by tossing together a little of this and a dash of that.
I, on the other hand, never really learned the basics. But my strong suit is following instructions — give me a recipe for a mouthwatering meal and I will produce delicious results. This is why I love cookbooks.
Cookbooks are entirely subjective, but they should still have recipes you're genuinely interested in cooking and the recipes should use ingredients that are readily available, which has become a lot easier thanks to online ordering. And if you're interested in learning more about what you're cooking rather than just following instructions, a book with an engaging writing style is also a must.
Many of the books we suggest have been around for decades and have several editions for these very reasons, though certain editions haven't been as well-received as others. For instance, the 1997 edition of the "Joy of Cooking" (which I own) upset lovers of past editions because of how much it modernized the recipes. However, for the most part, the newest edition is your best bet since it will feature today's popular dishes using ingredients that are readily available. If there is an older edition that's worth checking out, we make note of it.
Nothing beats being able to flip through a cookbook before you purchase it and most online retailers have preview pages you can "flip" through. I wouldn't pass up on a used cookbook as well, though you'd want to keep an eye on the listed book condition since cookbooks tend to experience a fair amount of wear and tear in the kitchen. If you can, we'd suggest visiting a brick-and-mortar bookstore so you can browse and see if the book is right for you.
Here are 11 great cookbooks for any type of home cook: