Christopher recently asked his Twitter followers to list their all-time favorite cookbooks. These are the top twenty-five from that list, organized by number of votes. We were surprised by the mixing of classics (especially Betty Crocker and The Joy of Cooking) with more modern works. We were heartened that Julia Child’s “Mastering The Art of French Cooking” came in at number three — that book certainly has stood the test of time. Kenji’s “The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science” was not a surprise although grabbing the top spot was impressive. And Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food” certainly deserves its top five showing. All in all, a slightly surprising list — old and new — but a solid one at that.

  1. The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science (2015) J. Kenji López-Alt (19 votes)
  2. The Joy of Cooking (1931) Irma S. Rombauer (16 votes)
  3. Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961) Julia Child, Simone Beck, Louisette Bertholle (12 votes)
  4. The Way to Cook (paperback) (1993) Julia Child (10 votes)
  5. How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food (2006) Mark Bittman (9 votes)
  6. Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book (Any Edition) Better Homes and Gardens (8 votes)
  7. Betty Crocker’s Cookbook (1987 edition) General Mills Inc. (8 votes)
  8. Good Eats series (2009-2011) Alton Brown (7 votes)
  9. The Settlement Cook Book (1903) Simon Kander, Henry Schoenfeld (6 votes)
  10. Jerusalem: A Cookbook (2012) Yotam Ottolenghi (6 votes)
  11. Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients (2008) Ina Garten (6 votes)
  12. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (1992) Marcella Hazan (6 votes)
  13. Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (1997) Deborah Madison (6 votes)
  14. Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking (2010) Michael Ruhlman (6 votes)
  15. 1896 Boston Cooking-School Cookbook (1941) Fannie Merritt Farmer (5 votes)
  16. The New Best Recipes (2004) Cook’s Illustrated (5 votes)
  17. Ad Hoc at Home (2009) Thomas Keller (4 votes)
  18. The New Basics Cookbook (1989) Sheila Lukins, Julee Rosso (4 votes)
  19. James Beard’s American Cookery (2010) James Beard (4 votes)
  20. The Essential James Beard Cookbook: 450 Recipes That Shaped the Tradition of American Cooking (2012) James Beard (4 votes)
  21. The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs (2008) Karen Page (4 votes)
  22. Ruhlman’s Twenty: 20 Techniques 100 Recipes A Cook's Manifesto (2011) Michael Ruhlman (4 votes)
  23. Pei Mei’s Chinese Cook Book (entire series) Pei Mei Fu (3 votes)
  24. Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling (2016) Meathead Goldwyn (3 votes)
  25. The Science of Good Cooking (2012) Cook’s Illustrated (3 votes)