10 Classic Cookbooks That Will Take You Into a Delicious History 🍽

Hi, I am Chef Zara. In this post, I will guide you through Classic Cookbooks.

I love discovering new food and cooking with friends and family. One of the most common questions that I often get is for cookbook recommendations. I have created this guide for friends, family, and new friends alike. I hope that you enjoy our site.

Classic Cookbooks that never get old! 💃

This might sound nostalgic, but there is a reason why they say that “Mother knows best”. Before there was a gadget for every job in the kitchen, cooks had to get inventive in order to preserve food and get the most flavor out of the ingredients on hand. Many practices were developed by our Mother and Grandmother generations, and they are still available today and can be a real time-saver in the kitchen. 

Raised by Victorian mothers themselves, these strong ladies saw the days of women’s suffrage which started in the mid-19th century, the lean days of the Great Depression, and the outbreak of two World Wars. They weren’t totally liberated, but their homes were clean and cozy, their children always ate healthy meals, they had the time to participate in various community and church events, and they always had home-baked cookies in old-fashioned tins in their cupboards, with great tasty recipes perfect for any time of the year, you will be cooking your way through these beautiful cookbooks all year long!

You can’t miss our selected list of 10 Classic Cookbooks! 👩‍🍳

1. Vintage Recipes 

Why We Love It ❤️

All recipes come with colorful images, cooking and prep times, a detailed list of ingredients, and easy-to-follow instructions. This classic cookbook is a delight to read and is a must-have for all who want to bring back homemade meals that are perfect for serving to one’s friends and family. 

When it comes to kitchen shortcuts and tricks, the best ideas always seem to come from those who have been at them for a while. Here is a list of handy vintage cooking tips and great recipes that are just as helpful today as they were back then. Many of us are curious to explore the decades of the 1900s.

Review 📖

Inside this Vintage cookbook, you will find breakfast in your favorite recipes like German Pancakes, Yankee Mush, Potato Pancakes, and even 1950s Overnight Breakfast Bake; delicious appetizers like Party Meatballs and Speakeasy Crab Dip; filling poultry recipes such as the Kentucky Hot Brown and Chicken a la King; pork, lamb, venison and beef recipes as the Sausage Stovies and the Smothered Swiss Steak; seafood recipes such as the Normandy Trout and Tuna Casserole; Vegetarian and side recipes such as the Colcannon and Creamed Peas on Toast; heart-warming soups like the Partridge Soup and New England Clam Chowder and decadent desserts such as the Strawberry Chiffon Pie and the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. 

About the Author ✍️

Louise Davidson is a passionate cook who loves easy-to-make meals and simple flavors. She has written and published more than 100 exciting titles on good cooking. 

2. 101 Classic Cookbooks: 501 Classic Recipes

Why We Love It ❤️

This classic cookbook is a kind of “greatest hit” from an extraordinary cache built into the largest collection of its kind in the United States. It is a tasty sampling from the cookery side of things that has turned into a delicious and amusing cookbook all on its own. It is a super reference guide for chefs, food historians, food writers, and cookbook collectors. It is a must-have for everyone who is passionate about food and its history – a food lover’s dream collection and a fascinating read. This is one of the best classic cookbooks you didn’t know you needed.

Review 📖

“101 Classic Cookbooks“ brings together some of the most important cookbooks that shaped American eating in the past century. The selection advisory committee includes top food writers, historians, journalists, academics, and chefs working in food studies today. They have suggested a canon of some of the most influential cookbooks that explain who we are, why we eat what we do, and why we should advocate for the best possible foods and diets for everyone. Includes 501 signature recipes that have been selected from 101 best cookbooks of the 20th century. It features books written by gastronomy giants like Julia Child, Mollie Katzen, Madhur Jeffrey, Betty Crocker, Jacques Pepin, and M.F.K Fisher, just to name a few. It is a fascinating library of culinary classics in one volume. 

It covers Drinks, Hors d’Oeuvre, and Nibbles; Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches; Stews, Casseroles, and One-Pot Dishes; Vegetables and Legumes; Condiments, Pickles, and Jams; Pasta, Noodles, and Rice; Eggs, Breakfast, and Brunch; Fish and Seafood; Fowl; Stocks and Sauces; Meats; and Baked Goods and Desserts. 

About the Author ✍️

“101 Classic Cookbooks: 501 Classic Recipes” has been written and compiled by the Fales Library (New York University). The list of masterworks is selected by an advisory committee consisting of 22 prominent food experts and leaders in the culinary industry. 

3. Lost Recipes

Why We Love It ❤️

Why do we just love classic and retro recipes? There are many reasons for that. They give us a see into the past and they are comforting. They can take us into any era. Opening an old cookbook is like stepping into a time capsule. They give us a chance to try something new and are a treasure trove waiting to be explored. 

“Betty Crocker Lost Recipes” is truly an enchanting collection that celebrates old vintage recipes from Betty Crocker archives in a package that appeals to modern cooks. These preserved treasures will make you grateful for a glimpse into the celebrations of times gone by. While you might not be willing to give up your modern-day marvels anytime soon, you can rest assured that a vintage throwback is only a cookbook away. 

Review 📖

“Betty Crocker Lost Recipes” is the ultimate treasure for all devoted Betty Crocker fans and for those who are interested in recipes with a nostalgic twist. Some recipes like Anadama Bread, the most popular bread of New England, Welsh Rarebit (a dish consisting of a hot cheese-based sauce served over the slices of toasted bread), or Cherry Berries on a Cloud (an elegant dessert with a meringue base, a cream cheese, and marshmallow filling and a cherry and strawberry topping) will evoke cherished memories for some food lovers. To others, it will be an introduction to some very old recipes. This vintage collection has been lovingly adapted to today’s ingredients and tastes. You will also find the dish’s history and other interesting information. A section on the best old get-togethers will make you a party legend: Retro Tiki Party, Merry Kitschmas Party, and Time for Tea Party – festive and delicious favorites with a nostalgic twist. There are also interesting facts, figures, and anecdotes on how our eating habits and choices have changed from the 1910s to the 2010s. 

This charming cookbook covers Appetizers and Snacks, Main Dishes; Bread and Coffee Cakes; Salads and Sides; and Desserts. The following recipes will be a crowd-pleaser and a blast from the past! Impress your guests with Olive-Cheese Balls, Deluxe Deviled Eggs, Classic Shrimp Cocktail, Savory Stuffed Mushrooms, Frosty Citrus Punch, Frosted Liverwurst Pate, Eggnog, Crown Roast of Pork, Baked Chicken, Mandarin Salad with Sugared Almonds, Waldorf Salad and decadent Chocolate Cake Roll. It will be a celebration your guests will never forget!

About the Author ✍️

Betty Crocker is a brand and a fictional character used in advertising campaigns for food and recipes, which was originally created in 1921 by the Washburn-Crosby company. The Betty Crocker name symbolizes General Mills’s continuing tradition of quality service to consumers and customers alike. 

4. Depression-Era Recipes

Why We Love It ❤️

This wonderful cookbook shares with us homemade recipes when the times were hard. These are good old classics that teach us how to cook with basics. Simple, hearty, delicious, and a bit nostalgic. 

The Great Depression in the 1930s was a time of struggle and hardship, but it was also a time of culinary creativity. Faced with government-imposed food rationing and limited funds, the Depression-era cook learned to work magic in the kitchen. Homemakers became proficient in making classic cakes without butter, eggs, and pie crusts from crackers. They made do with what was in the cupboard and used groceries they could buy in innovative and clever ways. 

Review 📖

“Depression Era Recipes” classic cookbook has over 450 evocative recipes, which will remind you of how your Grandmother used to cook, sometimes with limited choices and resources. Our modern society, with its “throw away” attitude, is challenged by older generations of frugal cooks with “don’t throw it away – it’s still good” and “clean your plate” pronouncements because times were tough back then. Considering the tremendous changes these folks have experienced over the past 50 and 60 years, it is no surprise that they cling to the ways of the past, which are actually beautiful and quite charming. It is about simple, hearty, and basic cooking and no “bells or whistles” involved. In other words: no luxury. We can learn a lot from these wonderful people. 

The breakfast Chapter starts with a lovely poem: “Dinner may be pleasant, so may social tea; but yet I think the breakfast is good enough for me”. To whip up a classic old Spanish Omelete, you only need a bit of butter, onions, garlic, tomatoes, chilies, salt, and eggs. Quick Breakfast Puffs only require a few eggs, milk, shortening, flour, baking powder, and salt, which everyone has in their Pantry. Breakfast Muffins only need milk, salt, flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and baking powder. So you can improvise by having these basic ingredients. Making Dropped Eggs, Cheese Omelete, Cheese Souffle, Scrambled Eggs, French Toast, Ham Muffins, Swiss Eggs, Homestead Breakfast, and Ham and Potato Patties might only need an addition of a few extra ingredients like ham, cheese, and potatoes; you are pretty much sorted for a hearty breakfast. There are plenty of Dinner ideas to choose from: Stuffed Shoulder of Mutton, Southern Baked Ham, Rabbit Stew, Country Pork Sausage, Lamb with Macaroni and Cheese, Candied Sweet Potatoes, Italian Cauliflower, and other tasty dishes that have earned their own space and place in this classic cookbook. 

About the Author ✍️

Patricia R. Wagner is the author of “Depression Era Recipes”. She has put a tremendous amount of research into creating this cookbook, obtaining old and traditional recipes composed by relatives and friends.  Keep reading about another great food writer.

5. Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Why We Love It ❤️

We all know that classic French cuisine is renowned for its simplicity and finesse. By working from an established list of essential ingredients and time-honored techniques built for both efficiency and flair, an iconic gastronomic identity was born. 

“Mastering the Art of French Cooking” has been the definitive, essential cookbook on French recipes for American readers for sixty years. It features 524 delicious and sumptuous recipes and more than 100 illustrations to guide cooks every step of the way. It offers something for everyone, from beginners to experts who love food and good cooking. Many French techniques are now an indispensable and naturally understood way of cooking. You don’t need to live near a bistro in France to enjoy French cooking. With a little practice, any home good cook can utilize classic French cooking methods. 

Review 📖

Readers and cooks will learn about the kitchen equipment, ingredients, measures, temperatures, and cutting techniques. Chapter One is dedicated to Soups. Chapter Two teaches us about the art of sauce making, which is essential to French cooking: from white, brown, and tomato sauces to hot butter sauces and more. Chapter Three speaks of eggs only and we learn about shirred, scrambled, poached eggs, and omelets. Chapter Four introduces us to entrees and luncheon dishes: quiches, tarts, crepes, souffles, gratins, and cocktail appetizers. 

Fish dishes are covered in Chapter Five, which presents us with a variety of fish dishes to choose from: from fish fillets poached in white wine to lobster and mussel dishes. All poultry dishes are covered in Chapter Six: chicken, goose, and duck. We learn about grilled meat and dishes in Chapter Seven, which covers beef, lamb, mutton, pork, ham, veal, kidneys, and brains for adventurous cooks. Chapter Eight is entirely dedicated to vegetables: potatoes, chestnuts, eggplants, leeks, celery, and more. We learn how to whip up cold buffet dishes in Chapter Nine: from cold vegetables to composed salads to molded mousses, pates, and terrines. And finally, Chapter Ten speaks of various desserts and cakes: from crepes and tarts to traditional French clafoutis and sweet souffles. 

“Mastering the Art of French Cooking” is a timeless classic: simple, refined, and perfected. This is a cookbook to discover, explore, experiment with, and master techniques of classic French cooking. A must-have for all cooks! 

About the Author ✍️

Julia Child, a native of California and a Smith College graduate; Simone Beck, French-born and educated and Louisette Bertholle, half-French and half-American, educated in both countries, represented an even blending of the two backgrounds and were singularly equipped to write about French cooking for Americans. 

6. Saveur: The New Classics Cookbook

Why We Love It ❤️

This cookbook on classics comes to us from the editors of Saveur, America’s favorite culinary magazine, and has more than 1000 simple recipes, expert advice, tips, and even tales. 

Over the years, the Saveur kitchen has seen thousands upon thousands of recipes pass through its ovens and over its stovetops. The editors of America’s favorite culinary magazine have created over 1000 well-curated global recipes to create an essential collection for home cooks everywhere. Each recipe has been vigorously tested multiple times using consistent methods. This is not just another cookbook – it’s a world on a plate. 

Review 📖

“Saveur: The New Classics Cookbook” begins with heavenly Appetizers, which include a variety of dips and spreads, snacks, and small dishes. The salad chapter includes salads and dressings. The soups and Stews section talks about hot and chilled soups, stews, seafood stews, and chowders. Irresistible sandwiches, pizzas, burgers, and calzones are also covered. The poultry chapter naturally has dishes made with turkey, duck, goose, and Slow Cooker Chicken. The meat and Game section presents us with wonderful dishes made of beef, veal, pork, lamb, goat, offal, and game. The seafood chapter covers fish, shrimp, scallops, lobster, crayfish, crab, oysters, clams, mussels, and squid. A section on Vegetables covers delicious vegetables such as artichokes, asparagus, brussels sprouts, leeks, mushrooms, escarole, okra, turnips, and more. The pasta, Noodle, and Dumplings chapter speaks of pasta and noodles, sauces and ragus, baked pasta, and couscous. There is a chapter on Beans, Grains, and Potatoes. A section on Bread and Rolls teaches us how to bake scones, buns, flatbreads, crepes, and crackers. There is a section on Breakfast and Brunch, Desserts, and Drinks. The authors didn’t forget what we should have in our Pantry: stocks, pickles, preserves, spices, rubs, and blends. Plus, there is a section on Holiday Entertaining. 

In 2014, then-editor-in-chief James Osland defined the dishes and techniques collected in the ambitious “Saveur: The New Classics Cookbook”. “A classic epitomizes – and helps us understand provenance”, he explained, “but it also goes beyond that: It’s a direct link to a culture, a location, an aesthetic, a moment”. 

About the Author ✍️

Weldon Owen is an imprint of Insight Editions, a publisher of illustrated books on food and drink, photography, music, and popular culture. Informative and elegant, their books showcase the best of photography, art, and stunning presentations of the bookmaking craft. 

7. Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook

Why We Love It ❤️

You will find hearty, delicious, and practical delicious recipes in this classic cookbook. A must-have if you are a Bourdain fan or a fan of good old classics. A cookbook and a memoir in one. 

Bustling and lively, Brasserie Les Halles is a typical Parisian brasserie in New York, serving fresh and simple dishes of everyday cuisine. Les Halles was the home base of Chef Anthony Bourdain – a chef and a brilliant food writer. 

With its down-to-earth and no-nonsense atmosphere, Les Halles matched Bourdain’s style perfectly well: a very informal restaurant that delivers really good food with a flair. Bourdain brought us his Les Halles cookbook: funny, charming, witty, bold, brave, and classic. The recipes in this cookbook are old standards and versions, which you can find in scores of other classic cookbooks. What is different about this volume is that the recipes are from Les Halles, the New York restaurant where Anthony Bourdain was an Executive Chef. These are actual recipes – scaled down from the rather larger-volume requirements of a very busy restaurant. 

Review 📖

Bourdain teaches us how to prepare classy French bistro fare. He guides us in simple steps through recipes like steak fries (steak paired with French fries), foie gras aux pruneaux (the liver of a fattened goose or duck prepared as food accompanied with plump prunes), escargots aux noix (traditional French dish made with a combination of snails, heavy cream, white wine, butter, and spices), Cassoulet (a rich, slow-cooked casserole containing meat, pork skin and white beans originating in Southern France) and Coq Au Vin (delicious dish of chicken braised with wine, lardons, and mushrooms). Bourdain reassures us that we don’t need to be geniuses to home-cook good, hearty French meals. All we need is desire, passion, curiosity, and determination. 

There are three important stages of wisdom in this cookbook: Deep Prep which refers to all the time-consuming tasks like peeling and chopping garlic, washing vegetables, making stocks, preparing sauces, basic boning, tying, chopping, and scrubbing, which need patience, time and attention to detail. 

The Preparation Part is all about chopping, blanching, and softening. Prep work should be elegant and cultivated – Bourdain tells us about transforming a big heap of raw ingredients into an organized array of extraordinarily delicious dishes. 

Final Assembly talks about the presentation and its importance. Food is about the ingredients and the world of flavors. It is intriguing, colorful, and captivating.

About the Author ✍️

Anthony Bourdain is the author of this cookbook. He was a celebrity, a chef, an author, and a travel documentarian.  

8. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

Why We Love It ❤️

As home cooks who have used the author’s classic cookbooks for years, there is no one more gifted at teaching us just what we need to know about the texture and taste of every single individual dish and how to achieve it. 

The author literally pours out her love, passion, and deep knowledge of authentic Italian food. She reveals the secrets and shares the wisdom of centuries and generations. If you are new to Italian cooking, this is exactly where you should begin.

Review 📖

“Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking” is meant to be used as a kitchen handbook, the basic manual for cooks of every level, from beginners to highly accomplished ones, who want an accessible yet comprehensive guide to the products, techniques, and dishes that constitute timeless Italian cooking. 

The introduction speaks of understanding Italian cooking: its origins, roots, history, and regions. The fundamentals section covers flavors, techniques, and ingredients as they are essential to Italian cooking. We learn about traditional uses and applications for basil, garlic, marjoram, capers, parsley, bay leaves, balsamic vinegar, anchovies, various Italian kinds of cheese, pasta types, dried mushrooms, rice, oregano, different meat types, olive oil, nutmeg, olives and many more. 

From Ricotta and Anchovy Canapes; Tomatoes Stuffed with Tuna; Crisp-Fried Whole Artichokes; Poached Tuna and Potato Roll to Mushroom, Parmesan Cheese, and White Truffle Salad; and Cold Trout in Orange Marinade – the recipes will satisfy even the pickiest connoisseurs of Italian food. Risotto, polenta, and gnocchi have their own chapters. There are also chapters for Appetizers, Sauces, Stews, Soups, Vegetables, Salads, Desserts, and Specialized Breads and Doughs. The final chapter of the book helps you to put menus together. Many of the recipes in this book take no longer than half an hour to prepare. And some, while needing several hours in the oven or on the stove, will allow you to leave the kitchen while they simmer lovingly. 

“Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking” is a culinary Bible for anyone who would like to master the art of classic Italian cooking! 

About the Author ✍️

Marcella Hazan is the acknowledged godmother of Italian cooking in America. She is also the author of “Marcella’s Italian Kitchen“, “Essentials of Italian Cooking“, “The Classic Italian Cookbook,” and “More Classic Italian Cooking”. 

9. The Taste of Country Cooking

Why We Love It ❤️

Anyone who grew up in the American South can attest to the region’s prowess with calories-be-damned comfort food. Nobody does fried chicken, barbeque, or biscuits better. Who hasn’t heard of gumbos, hush puppies, Lexington pulled pork, or the famous Hummingbird cake? While some traditional Southern food recipes persist from state to state, it’s not all about grits and pimento cheese!

In this classic Southern cookbook, the author shares seasonal recipes from her childhood in a small farming community settled by freed slaves. These recipes are beloved classics that have been passed down through generations. If any of these dishes aren’t already in your repertoire, bring out the blank recipe cards! 

Review 📖

The author speaks lovingly about enjoyable and leisurely breakfasts being the best part of the day: Crispy Fried White Potatoes, Fried Onions, Oven-Cooked Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, Batter Bread, Blackberry Jelly, delicious hot coffee, and cocoa for children. Rich milk was used to make Gravies, Custards, Creamed Minced Ham, Buttermilk Biscuits, Blanc Mange, and Sour-Milk Pancakes. Braised Forequarter of Mutton, Skillet Wild Asparagus, Salad of Tender Beet Tops, Lamb’s-Quarters, and Purslane and Yeast Rolls would be served for dinner depending on what’s in season. There are recipes for Sweet Potato Casserole, Chicken with Dumplings, Hot Buttered Beets, Pan-Braised Spareribs, Brandied Peaches, and an old favorite, Rhubarb Pie. 

All dishes are divided into more than 30 seasonal menus, such as A Late Spring Lunch After Wild-Mushroom Picking, A Midsummer Sunday Breakfast, A Christmas Eve Supper, and an Emancipation Day Dinner. Whether you are cooking for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion, these classic Southern dishes are bound to have a special place on the table and in your heart. 

In this influential work, Edna Lewis shows us how to recover the taste of fresh and distinctly American cooking that she grew up with in our modern and suburban kitchens. This is a masterpiece of Southern cuisine and an indispensable classic of a cookbook. 

About the Author ✍️

Edna Regina Lewis is known as the Grande Dame of Southern Cooking. She was a renowned American chef, teacher, and author who helped refine the American view of Southern cooking. 

10. The Moosewood Cookbook

Why We Love It ❤️

We were just discovering how to be vegetarians more than a decade ago. Soybeans and brown rice were a challenge. The yogurt was a little exotic. Since then, we have found a world full of foods and flavors to taste and savor. “The Moosewood Cookbook” is divided into the following chapters: Soups; Salads; Sauces and Dips; A Few Baked Things and Sandwiches; Entrees; and Desserts. You will find a few Pantry Notes, Some Useful Tools, and a Table of Conversions. 

Eating something tasty between two pieces of bread is an old-age custom; this is where different sandwiches come in. Sometimes a sandwich is just what we want and all that we want, even when we are not in a hurry and not on the move. Many of Moosewood’s salads, dressings, and even main dishes make suitable sandwich fillings. 

Entree’s recipes are quite traditional, while others are eclectic and rather unorthodox blends of techniques and ingredients. 

Review 📖

“The Moosewood Cookbook” has inspired generations to cook fresh, plant-based, seasonal, and healthy vegetarian dishes. Welcome to the cuisine of the unique restaurant established in Ithaca (NYC) in 1973, whose artful approach to cooking has grown over the last decades embracing delightful flavors of many cultures. Recipes compiled in this classic cookbook celebrate the varieties of new vegetarian cooking and offer an array of creative combinations. It is a warm, entertaining, and practical book. It is very American in the way it dips into various exotic influences, cheerfully mixes them up, scales them to an everyday kitchen, and comes out with delicious food. Every page of this cookbook contains the real pleasure of cooking and eating. 

Soup has many nostalgic associations for us – cultural, historical, and literary. We think of Grandma’s kitchen, Old World peasants’ harvest, and all those fairy-tale cottages in the woods with a cauldron of soup on the fire. The soup section has a variety of satisfying and delicious soups such as Cream of Asparagus, Spicy Tomato, Vegetable Chowder, Cream of Broccoli, Lentil Soup, Light Cream of Celery, Miso Soup, Gazpacho, Chilled Berry, and Chilled Cucumber-Yoghurt soup to name just a few. 

Salads are much more than a healthy appetizer for “real food”. They may serve as a first course, the meal itself, and a side dish. Good salads directly reflect the reasons since they rely on the availability of fruits and vegetables. Some of the delicious salads in this book include Blue Moon Waldorf, Coleslaw, Balkan Cucumber Salad, Thai Salad, Tofu Salad, Lentil-Bulgur Salad, and more. 

Sauces and Dips have many options: Asparagus-Mushroom Sauce, Caramelized Onion Sauce, Chinese Peanut Sauce, Mexican Red Sauce, Chinese Duck Sauce, Feta-Walnut Dip, Baba Ghanouj, and Wicked Garlic Dip. Whether you feel like something fiery or subtle – the choice is yours. 

The entrees section is quite extensive and has a variety of international and traditional dishes to choose from: Indian, Indonesian, Hungarian, Mexican, Italian-American, French, Chilean, Chinese, Greek, Russian, and Swiss. Time is a consideration in choosing Entrees. If you are pressed for time, a pasta dish or Chinese-style sauté is a good choice. But if you have a free afternoon and are glad to be in the kitchen, try hearty dishes such as stews and curries. 

Many of the Desserts in this cookbook are light and fruity. Yet the appeal of some desserts is not that they are healthful but simply that they indulge the senses so lavishly. Try Peach Custard Pie, Apple Strudel, or Ginger-Brandy Cheesecake to finish off your main meal, and cooking will not be a routine necessity but rather a daily ritual in celebration of the good things in life!  

“The Moosewood Cookbook” is one of the most influential and beloved cookbooks of all time. This commemorative edition is a cornerstone for any cookbook collection and a treasure to keep for years. 

About the Author ✍️

Mollie Katzen is a cookbook author, an award-winning illustrator, and a designer best known for her bestselling classics: “Moosewood Cookbook”, “The Enchanted Broccoli Forest“, “Still Life with Menu” and “Vegetable Heaven”.