Dorie Greenspan’s ‘must read’ cookbooks

Other than Julia Child, probably no one has translated French cooking and baking better than Dorie Greenspan. Her cookbooks have legions of fans worldwide. This fall, she will be releasing Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook. We can’t wait to dive into the latest from Dorie, but until October, we’ll have to make do with her list of ‘must read’ books about French cooking, as told to Saveur Magazine. 

Starting off the list is French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David. What does Greenspan love most about this book? “The writing, the writing, the writing,” she says. Naturally, Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child is also on the list. While Greenspan did not learn to cook from this book, she appreciates the clear voice that Julia Child puts forth in the cookbook. 

A book by Child’s co-author, Simone Beck, also makes the cut. The recipes in Simca’s Cuisine may be best suited for a more advanced cook, but each “has something really interesting about it,” says Greenspan. That could be a technique or twist that you would not have thought about on your own. 

A more recent volume recommended by Greenspan is My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories by David Lebovitz. Lebovitz, she says, “is a meticulous recipe tester…[and] this gives an interesting view of food in Paris today-that mix of classic, bright, innovative, and a lot of ethnic food as well.” Visit the Saveur website to see which other books Greenspan recommends.