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The Essential New York Times Cookbook
Winner of the 2011 James Beard Foundation Award in General Cooking: All the best recipes from 150 years of distinguished food journalism-a volume to take its place in America's kitchens alongside Mastering the Art of French Cooking and How to Cook Everything.
Amanda Hesser, the well-known New York Times food columnist, brings her signature voice and expertise to this compendium of influential and delicious recipes from chefs, home cooks, and food writers. Devoted Times subscribers will find the many treasured recipes they have cooked for years—Plum Torte, David Eyre's Pancake, Pamela Sherrid's Summer Pasta—as well as favorites from the early Craig Claiborne New York Times Cookbook and a host of other classics—from 1940s Caesar salad and 1960s flourless chocolate cake to today's fava bean salad and no-knead bread.
Hesser has cooked and updated every one of the 1,000-plus recipes here. Her chapter introductions showcase the history of American cooking, and her witty and fascinating headnotes share what makes each recipe special. The Essential New York Times Cookbook is for people who grew up in the kitchen with Claiborne, for curious cooks who want to serve a nineteenth-century raspberry granita to their friends, and for the new cook who needs a book that explains everything from how to roll out dough to how to slow-roast fish—a volume that will serve as a lifelong companion.
965 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2010
682 people are currently reading
4343 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Hesser
30 books88 followersAmanda Hesser has been a food columnist and editor at the New York Times for more than a decade. She is the author of the award-winning Cooking for Mr. Latte and The Cook and the Gardener and edited the essay collection Eat, Memory. Hesser is also the co-founder of food52.com. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Tad Friend, and their two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
Want to read
January 15, 2012I was complaining earlier today that I did not know how to categorize this book on Goodreads. You have to call a book "to-read", "read", or "currently-reading", and I don't just sit down and read cookbooks. Well, today, I opened the book up, intending to look for ideas for recipes to cook this weekend. And wouldn't you know it, I wound up reading just about the entire fish and seafood section. Why fish and seafood? I don't know. It's just about smack dab in the middle of the book. I think I opened it up looking for chicken and got caught. I now have about 26 post it tabs on recipes that I'd like to try someday, from the ones I think I can accomplish fairly easily, to the ones that will take some bravery at the fish counter. Then I nearly started in on the soups. (A chapter that's nowhere near the fish chapter by the way.)
Within each chapter, the recipes are arranged chronologically by year of publication in the Times. I'm finding it fascinating to see what was popular when. For example, curries were showing up in the Times in the 1880's. Who knew? Not me. (Although I probably should have guessed given that a Sherlock Holmes story features a curry. But that was in the UK. And I digress.)
Within each chapter, the recipes are arranged chronologically by year of publication in the Times. I'm finding it fascinating to see what was popular when. For example, curries were showing up in the Times in the 1880's. Who knew? Not me. (Although I probably should have guessed given that a Sherlock Holmes story features a curry. But that was in the UK. And I digress.)
December 30, 2023
It’s not an exaggeration to say this is the book that most influenced me the last decade. It’s more like a roommate than a book. I’ve read every word several times over, made 550 of the 1,104 recipes in it—some of them dozens of times—and wore out my first copy so thoroughly that I also got a replacement (though I still use my original copy with my precious notes).
Now that I received the 10th anniversary edition for Christmas, I guess I’m “finished reading” this one. I’ve already gone through each page comparing the editions side-by-side, and I feel like a smug little insider every time I find a typo that persists in both editions (my fave Tuna Salad recipe calls for “1/4 black pepper” in both editions, for example).
Wish I could upload a pic of my copy because it looks like it was excavated from a tomb, it is so worn and loved-to-death. Thank you, Amanda Hesser, my kitchen North Star.
Now that I received the 10th anniversary edition for Christmas, I guess I’m “finished reading” this one. I’ve already gone through each page comparing the editions side-by-side, and I feel like a smug little insider every time I find a typo that persists in both editions (my fave Tuna Salad recipe calls for “1/4 black pepper” in both editions, for example).
Wish I could upload a pic of my copy because it looks like it was excavated from a tomb, it is so worn and loved-to-death. Thank you, Amanda Hesser, my kitchen North Star.
January 12, 2011
I loved this book! What a massive tome of wonderful recipes covering all of the past New York Times all the way back to the 1800s. I read an article about the author and she made all of the recipes to make sure they would work in today's kitchens. I tried three from the book, one from the 1940s and two from the 1970s and they were delicious. This book should be right on your shelf next to The Joy of Cooking.
October 30, 2020
Finally finished! A must read cookbook. So delightful. Witty, historic - just perfect. Great recipes, too. Brava, Ms. Hesser!
January 14, 2021
This book is so fun! It represents an interesting slice of American history, and the recipes are delicious. I would highly recommend the salted caramels from the candies section. Some of the notes struck me as a little bit elitist. Her constant exhortations to only use "good" meat, or to get "the best you can afford" of a certain ingredient got old. That said, this is a fascinating and delicious lens to view American history through.
February 23, 2020
This is a heckuva compilation, made up of recipes featured in the New York Times from the latter 1800s to the early 2000s. Just the overviews of historical ebbs and flows of food preferences and fads alone are insightful and fascinating. I'm dying to make "German Toast", as in French Toast's cousin, submitted by a reader circa 1875. It also provides new reminders that seemingly contemporary phenomena are not in fact all that new or unique. Baked Alaska, which I assumed was a 1960s-80s era indulgence, was invented in 1867. Americans were making curries in the 1880s (and recommending them in the New York Times). A recipe that first appeared in 1908 became popularized in the sixties, and a polenta that appeared in the 1870s submitted by "Bob the Sea Cook" resurfaces in a column in 1993. Hesser has some snarky footnotes about misguided tangents and short-lived trends that more or less flamed out ("1993: Pan-Asian cooking is attempted at home and pretty much fails") and other asides about discovering lost treasures (like German Toast). It's deeply rewarding to feel the depth of historical context this collection provides; the ability to cook from 150 year old recipes without feeling like historical reenactment is kind of extraordinary.
My biggest disappointment with the book is that the editors exercised fairly actively biased selections; for instance, very few recipes from the first half of the 20th century made the cut (she calls it the dark ages), and she makes a point of mentioning that while quiches were popular in the 1970s, none appear in this book, which sounds a bit like personal snobbery against underappreciated deliciousness. However, it's not possible for anyone to be truly objective in picking the worthwhile recipes to include, and her chosen barometer of "would I make this again?" allows her to lean into her personal taste, which perhaps is how this thick volume manages to feel both authoritative and inspiring. I can google quiche recipes easily enough in exchange for that 😂.
My biggest disappointment with the book is that the editors exercised fairly actively biased selections; for instance, very few recipes from the first half of the 20th century made the cut (she calls it the dark ages), and she makes a point of mentioning that while quiches were popular in the 1970s, none appear in this book, which sounds a bit like personal snobbery against underappreciated deliciousness. However, it's not possible for anyone to be truly objective in picking the worthwhile recipes to include, and her chosen barometer of "would I make this again?" allows her to lean into her personal taste, which perhaps is how this thick volume manages to feel both authoritative and inspiring. I can google quiche recipes easily enough in exchange for that 😂.
September 21, 2022
Like yes this is a cookbook.....but it is *the* cookbook. Lots of cool history of food included, very witty, and just enjoyable to read as well as obviously use for recipes.
March 22, 2022
This cookbook has so many tasty recipes in many styles. The book belongs on any home cook’s bookshelf as a trusted and inspired companion.
June 5, 2012
If you are ever caught short and need a meat tenderising hammer in a hurry and it has disappeared, have no fear the Essential New York Times Cookbook is here. This book is such a size that you could use it instead of a hammer to bash (tenderise) the meat into submission.
This might be one of those cookbooks that you buy where you can justifiably not feel bad if you never ever go through it all. To many it might be the only book they need but it would be a little unfair to state that it should be the only book you will need. However if you were to be transported to a tropical island with limitless foodstuffs where only one cookbook was allowed... A very tough decision.
Where can one start? This is a compilation of over a thousand recipes compiled from everywhere and anywhere and collected from a 150 year-odd timeframe. Yet every recipe has been cooked and updated by the editor so you can be assured that it is practically feasible to try each and every one.
The book's title tends to do it a bit of a disservice as it is a lot more than a cookbook. The quality of the background, accompanying information is stunning and really hits the mark. Despite being The New York Times' cookbook this is not a parochial American offering, that much is clear from the inside cover where a mass of conversion tables to those "funny, foreign metric measures" are given. Thoughtfulness just runs through this book from cover to cover. Interestingly there is not one colour photograph throughout and this isn't even thought to be a niggle!
The editor's introduction is not so much an introduction but a full-blown essay in its own right, explaining the thoughts that went behind the book, its workflow, its development, portraits of the author and contributors and on and on. When it is time to finally see some recipes one notes that they are split into many chapters: Drinks, cocktails, punches and glögg; Hors d'Oeuvres, snacks and small dishes; soups; salads; vegetables; potatoes, corn and legumes; pasta, rice, grains and stuffings; sandwiches, pizza and savoury pies; fish and shellfish; poultry and game; beef, veal, lamb and pork; sauces, dressings, condiments, rubs and preserves; breakfast and brunch; breads and baking; cookies and candy; frozen desserts; cake; pies, tarts and other desserts. If that is not enough then there are a few appendices with menus, information sources, credits and a gargantuan index to keep you busy.
As the recipes span a 150-plus year period it is great to see that a timeline is given within each section to show where a recipe first seemed to appear (when it has not been possibly to definitively determine its creation date). A small thing but a fascinating little thing to see the development of foods and food fashion. Each individual recipe (which fails to give an approximated prep/cook time) is prefaced by a scene-setter or background read and followed by a detailed ingredients list and comprehensive instructions about how to make the dish. At the end of each recipe is a portion guideline, some cooking notes as relevant, serving suggestions and even a little historical vignette and a recipe source/credit.
This book will not be an aspirational, inspirational cookbook as some of its smaller, colourful bedfellows might be, but it sits squarely as a dependable fount of all knowledge, an instant resource, a sturdy companion in your culinary hour of need. For the Britons a sort of a Mrs Beeton but from a colonial cousin.
For what you get, both in a physical and knowledge sense, this is a book worthy of serious consideration. The relative low prices makes it a steal, but do make sure you have paid for it!
The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Century, edited by Amanda Hesser and published by W. W. Norton Co. ISBN 9780393061031, 1056 pages. Typical price: GBP24. YYYYY.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
This might be one of those cookbooks that you buy where you can justifiably not feel bad if you never ever go through it all. To many it might be the only book they need but it would be a little unfair to state that it should be the only book you will need. However if you were to be transported to a tropical island with limitless foodstuffs where only one cookbook was allowed... A very tough decision.
Where can one start? This is a compilation of over a thousand recipes compiled from everywhere and anywhere and collected from a 150 year-odd timeframe. Yet every recipe has been cooked and updated by the editor so you can be assured that it is practically feasible to try each and every one.
The book's title tends to do it a bit of a disservice as it is a lot more than a cookbook. The quality of the background, accompanying information is stunning and really hits the mark. Despite being The New York Times' cookbook this is not a parochial American offering, that much is clear from the inside cover where a mass of conversion tables to those "funny, foreign metric measures" are given. Thoughtfulness just runs through this book from cover to cover. Interestingly there is not one colour photograph throughout and this isn't even thought to be a niggle!
The editor's introduction is not so much an introduction but a full-blown essay in its own right, explaining the thoughts that went behind the book, its workflow, its development, portraits of the author and contributors and on and on. When it is time to finally see some recipes one notes that they are split into many chapters: Drinks, cocktails, punches and glögg; Hors d'Oeuvres, snacks and small dishes; soups; salads; vegetables; potatoes, corn and legumes; pasta, rice, grains and stuffings; sandwiches, pizza and savoury pies; fish and shellfish; poultry and game; beef, veal, lamb and pork; sauces, dressings, condiments, rubs and preserves; breakfast and brunch; breads and baking; cookies and candy; frozen desserts; cake; pies, tarts and other desserts. If that is not enough then there are a few appendices with menus, information sources, credits and a gargantuan index to keep you busy.
As the recipes span a 150-plus year period it is great to see that a timeline is given within each section to show where a recipe first seemed to appear (when it has not been possibly to definitively determine its creation date). A small thing but a fascinating little thing to see the development of foods and food fashion. Each individual recipe (which fails to give an approximated prep/cook time) is prefaced by a scene-setter or background read and followed by a detailed ingredients list and comprehensive instructions about how to make the dish. At the end of each recipe is a portion guideline, some cooking notes as relevant, serving suggestions and even a little historical vignette and a recipe source/credit.
This book will not be an aspirational, inspirational cookbook as some of its smaller, colourful bedfellows might be, but it sits squarely as a dependable fount of all knowledge, an instant resource, a sturdy companion in your culinary hour of need. For the Britons a sort of a Mrs Beeton but from a colonial cousin.
For what you get, both in a physical and knowledge sense, this is a book worthy of serious consideration. The relative low prices makes it a steal, but do make sure you have paid for it!
The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Century, edited by Amanda Hesser and published by W. W. Norton Co. ISBN 9780393061031, 1056 pages. Typical price: GBP24. YYYYY.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
August 6, 2015
Love at first sight. I put off picking up a copy of this for so long because I just knew I would have to have one of my own the second my sticky fingers cracked the binding. I was right. I renewed this from the library, keeping it for a full six weeks before returning it. . . only to check it out again before anyone else did.
How gratifying to see a few recipes I'd clipped years ago, still unmade and waiting for the perfect occasion. The favorite, Marian Burros' Purple Plum Torte, I distinctly recall reading over and over in Santa Fe in 2001, waiting for plum season so that I could bake two dozen cakes and store them in the freezer, just as in the anecdote to the recipe.
Here it is:
“A friend who loved the torte said that in exchange for two, she would let me store as many as I wanted in her freezer,” Burros wrote one year when she ran the recipe. “A week later, she went on vacation for two weeks and her mother stayed with her children. When she returned, my friend called and asked, ‘How many of those tortes did you leave in my freezer?’
“‘Twenty-four, but two of those were for you.’
“There was a long pause. ‘Well, I guess my mother either ate twelve of them or gave them away.’”
Preparing for my trip to Santa Fe in 2010, I wistfully returned the book to the library and swore I would buy a copy there so that I could cook from the book for dear friends. But I didn't. Comfort enough knowing that Hesser's friendly voice would still be there when I might find a gently used copy of my own.
Flash forward to 2014. I was lost in the stacks at a lovely little bookstore and bought myself a brand new copy. Must have been one of those "you deserve it" days. Suffice it to say, the value of the recipes far outweigh the price of the book; thus the well-chosen title. Those who have tasted the Purple Plum Torte have adored it. A boyfriend told me that eating it was a synesthetic experience, taking him back to his favorite pastry shop in Sicily. I think I may have to plant a purple plum tree in homage to (and more anticipation of) the cake.
But the Purple Plum Torte is only one of many decisively delicious recipes. My latest discovery: the Salted Caramel Ice Cream recipe. (Bonus recipe: the ice cream requires 6 egg yolks; the Angel Food Cake requires 6 egg whites. Make them both and serve together. You're welcome.) I'll make this ice cream again and again, If my friends and family fall for the talented pastry chef ruse, so be it.
How gratifying to see a few recipes I'd clipped years ago, still unmade and waiting for the perfect occasion. The favorite, Marian Burros' Purple Plum Torte, I distinctly recall reading over and over in Santa Fe in 2001, waiting for plum season so that I could bake two dozen cakes and store them in the freezer, just as in the anecdote to the recipe.
Here it is:
“A friend who loved the torte said that in exchange for two, she would let me store as many as I wanted in her freezer,” Burros wrote one year when she ran the recipe. “A week later, she went on vacation for two weeks and her mother stayed with her children. When she returned, my friend called and asked, ‘How many of those tortes did you leave in my freezer?’
“‘Twenty-four, but two of those were for you.’
“There was a long pause. ‘Well, I guess my mother either ate twelve of them or gave them away.’”
Preparing for my trip to Santa Fe in 2010, I wistfully returned the book to the library and swore I would buy a copy there so that I could cook from the book for dear friends. But I didn't. Comfort enough knowing that Hesser's friendly voice would still be there when I might find a gently used copy of my own.
Flash forward to 2014. I was lost in the stacks at a lovely little bookstore and bought myself a brand new copy. Must have been one of those "you deserve it" days. Suffice it to say, the value of the recipes far outweigh the price of the book; thus the well-chosen title. Those who have tasted the Purple Plum Torte have adored it. A boyfriend told me that eating it was a synesthetic experience, taking him back to his favorite pastry shop in Sicily. I think I may have to plant a purple plum tree in homage to (and more anticipation of) the cake.
But the Purple Plum Torte is only one of many decisively delicious recipes. My latest discovery: the Salted Caramel Ice Cream recipe. (Bonus recipe: the ice cream requires 6 egg yolks; the Angel Food Cake requires 6 egg whites. Make them both and serve together. You're welcome.) I'll make this ice cream again and again, If my friends and family fall for the talented pastry chef ruse, so be it.
December 6, 2016
Oh, my stars! This is one hefty, no-photo cookbook! Amanda Hesser took a look at all the recipes published by the New York Times. Yes. All. 150 years worth. She tried a bunch, had others taste-test and included the best in this cookbook. She includes a timeline for each section. There is a brief, but fascinating history (to me, anyway) of food trends in the Times. I set out to peruse the recipes and didn't even make it out the cocktails before I knew I would be buying this book. This is a treasure.
December 1, 2018
This was a Christmas gift to me by my husband last year. It is a compilation of recipes that have been published in the New York Times and, if you're a foodie, is a must read.
Amanda Hesser's stories give a history of the food scene in New York and she is just a great storyteller. Alice Waters, Thomas Keller and Ina Garten give praises for the book - for the recipes as well as the sense of history these recipes cover. I've made only a handful of dishes from this cookbook and they've all been delicious.
Amanda Hesser's stories give a history of the food scene in New York and she is just a great storyteller. Alice Waters, Thomas Keller and Ina Garten give praises for the book - for the recipes as well as the sense of history these recipes cover. I've made only a handful of dishes from this cookbook and they've all been delicious.
March 23, 2014
Great book that sheds light on American food history. It is a bit overwhelming, however, and is reminiscent of a dictionary. I'm not too fond of how the recipes are categorized in the beginning of each section (I'd rather have it by what order the recipes show up in the book), but I think that's me being persnickety.
November 9, 2018
This is worth reading just for the notes about the recipes. The author provides all kinds of interesting information about American food history, readers of the Times from previous generations, and more. I definitely wouldn't make all of these, but there are some really intriguing recipes that sound delicious and don't require specialty ingredients.
July 18, 2015
Reading and cooking my way through this book. All the stories of the recipes are intriguing-- not just a cookbook, and archive of culinary history.
March 5, 2020
I love this book. Amanda feels like an old, quirky friend from the first page and her commentary on the recipes and contributors is a delight to read- so much so that I can actually sit down and read through this book for serious lengths of time and not come up for air. The recipes are arranged chronologically, with a timeline at the beginning of each section with lines like: 1990s "We get much more excited by risotto" and 2000s "Exhausted with risotto..." The recipes are also intriguing and different from other NYT cookbooks. There is a wide variety to choose from and the first thing I made from it - cabbage and potato gratin with mustard bread crumbs- was fantastic and completely surprised my dinner guests who were expecting it to be bland- HA! Will return to this book again and again when needing inspiration or entertainment.
December 12, 2023
Wonderful collection of recipes, and excellent narrative on the vast majority of them. It’s clear that Hesser knows these recipes intimately and has tested them first-hand (and that’s no small feat, considering that in almost 900 pages, there is not a single photograph of completed dishes, except on the chapter title pages). Most of these recipes use accessible ingredients, and many include some tips on substitutions or alternative measurements. This is a great book for anyone who likes to play with flavor in the kitchen. I’m highly selective about the cookbooks I purchase, preferring to check out from the library instead, but I’m hoping to add this one to my personal collection soon. Hesser also came out with a revised edition that features recipes with more diverse cultural influences, and I’m eager to read that as well.
April 4, 2024
"GEORGE: Why do I get pesto? Why do I think I'll like it? I keep trying to like it, like I have to like it.
JERRY: Who said you have to like it?
GEORGE: Everybody likes pesto. You walk into a restaurant, that's all you hear - pesto, pesto, pesto.
JERRY: I don't like pesto.
GEORGE: Where was pesto 10 years ago?"
This is essentially how I felt about this book. Pesto on the other hand is great.
JERRY: Who said you have to like it?
GEORGE: Everybody likes pesto. You walk into a restaurant, that's all you hear - pesto, pesto, pesto.
JERRY: I don't like pesto.
GEORGE: Where was pesto 10 years ago?"
This is essentially how I felt about this book. Pesto on the other hand is great.
January 29, 2020
I expected this to be the “best if the best” recipes and it was all of them...1,400...TMI and not a single photograph of a recipe item in the 900+ pages. This is a great cookbook for the serious cook, I’m just not that serious.
February 27, 2020
This is a cookbook that you actually read. It's very interesting to go through the recipes and get the back story. I love thumbing through this book. It gets me excited about cooking and I learn new things every time I sit down to look through it.
December 6, 2018
This was a lot of fun to read. I particularly enjoyed all the historical notes, and I have a list of recipes to try now.
September 29, 2019
Must have
This one is a “must have” book. I am so happy I have bought it. So many variety of recipes
This one is a “must have” book. I am so happy I have bought it. So many variety of recipes
Read
October 9, 2019My joy of cooking
March 7, 2020
Wide variety of recipes that have been featured in the NYT
July 15, 2022
A very interesting book with a variety of recipes that I can't wait to try!
December 20, 2022
Masterful new classic to place alongside my old NYT Cookbook classic by Claiborne
December 6, 2024
A history and reference guide as much as an instructional cookbook. I've been using this for years. If you only had one cookbook, you'd live a happy life with this one.
August 3, 2025
Huge book with many old and more recent recipes. It would make a great gift for a new cook.
December 8, 2017
The commentary on the recipes is fantastic and super informative about both the recipe itself and its history. Hadn't even finished the book before ordering it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews