I have a nasty cookbook buying habit. Okay, it’s not just cookbooks, it’s food writing in general. Academic, popular, trade-oriented: I read whatever falls into my hands. To keep myself out of the poorhouse, used bookstores are my main book-shopping outlet, and I save my new-book cash for “important” hardcover expenditures….or I buy paperbacks. Michael Ruhlman’s Ratio was released in paperback this September, and I (finally) picked up a copy this week.
If you’re just learning to cook, or trying to develop improvisational skills in the kitchen, Ratio is an ideal read. Ruhlman provides basic formulae for doughs, batters, custards, sausages, pates, then suggests a variety of riffs, encouraging the cook to explore flavor and texture. He doesn’t get bogged down in the science, yet he manages to convey precisely the essential elements required to make an item work. His clear prose has me itching to make homemade ravioli filled with a seafood mousseline, or maybe a series of quiches or some breakfast sausage….
Ratio would make a great Christmas gift for the budding kitchen enthusiast, along with Joy of Cooking, Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food, and Peter Reinhart’s Bread Baker’s Apprentice. These four books are sure to fascinate and inspire anyone who enjoys spending time in the kitchen.
Tomorrow: more cookbooks….
Bouillie 
Hey HC,
I also have a cookbook/foodiebook fetish. However, I have a beef with Michael Ruhlman. It is over the Next Iron Chef with which he was a judge. This was the one with Michael Symon and John Besh. By writing a foreword in one of Symon’s books, Ruhlman shouldn’t have judged. Let’s just say, it stunk like Louisiana politics. I lost all respect for Ruhlman and Bobby Flay after the show. So I don’t buy or endorse anything from Ruhlman or Flay and probably never will. Just in case you are planning on sending me a Xmas gift, I love Alice Waters though. LOL
~koogie
Man, you have high standards for ethics in entertainment television. I’m not a huge fan of Bobby Flay, but I’ve been a fan of Ruhlman’s writing since the book on wooden boatbuilding.
I really enjoy your blog and the recipes you post. I represent Cajun Country Rice and we would like to send you a sample of our rice along with one of our Falcon family recipes for your holiday table.
Would you please e-mail me your mailing address?
Thank you,
Amber Harper
Does this offer apply to the general public? In other words, are samples available to anyone who writes to you?
I have been looking for a good introduction to bread, but a question for you: you appear to be the only food blogger I’ve seen who has a job outside of food that manages to bake bread regularly.
How much time do you have to spend on it? I have zero faith in my ability to keep a starter going; but I can make excellent pizza dough with yeast in a packet.
You pose a thoughtful question…I think I’ll post about this tomorrow.
Crown this book’s ass. Best general purpose cookbook since Bittman’s HTCE.
Y’know, How to Cook Everything isn’t a favorite….I find the attempts at ethnic flavors watered down & over-simplified, and it’s recipe-focused, rather than technique-focused. I prefer books that expand the reader’s understanding, rather than long collections of recipes. I posted about Bittman & his “Minimalist” column a while back: https://bouillie.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/the-minimalists-pad-thai/