(Y)OUR ARSENAL

Morrissey ref's aside, when you go to battle in the kitchen you usually have a few allies. Here, a list of our gang's favorite and long standing advisers in culinary pursuits. Thanks guys, and I will add more as I get 'em. (Edited when we had repeats).

Nicole (I'm way outdated!!!)
1. Martha Stewart Baking Book (you're shocked, I know)
2. Joy of Cooking I.S. Rombauer
3. The Cake Bible Rose Levy Bernabaum
4.Homesick Texan
5. FINALLY, (just launched) GOURMET
*just got 1080 recipes Simone and Ines Ortega ( thanks Kat!!!) soon to be a favorite and trying to decide between Veganomicon and Mark Bittman How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
* I am a SEVERE Gourmet mag junkie, my dad used to subscribed for years, got hooked at a young age.

Kat
1. A Taste of Persia- by Najmieh Batmanglij
2. The Silver Spoon- Italy's Best-selling Cookbook for 50 Years
3. America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
4. Michael Rhulman
5. Smitten Kitchen (esp for the food porn pictures)


Richard
The first 4 are easy:
1. Mes Confitures, Christine Ferber (my bible - probably the single
best book on artisinal jams and preserves I've ever come across)
2. Joy of Cooking, I.S. Rombauer (totally agree with you)
3. Essentials of Baking, Chuck Williams (Williams Sonoma...but it's
really good, actually)
4. Stop and Smell the Rosemary, Junior League of Houston (this book
is gorgeous, and awesome)

I'd probably have to list this as #5 just because I'm blown away by
it, although I've not made my way through it as much as I'd like:

5. Hartstone Inn cookbook, Michael Salmon (a guy who's the chef/half
owner of a B&B in Maine published his own cookbook, and it's also
gorgeous and awesome)

Technically, I've gotten more mileage out of this one, though:

5. Longrain Modern Thai Food, Martin Boetz (when you're up for
spending a weekend making your own curry paste, this is the book for
you)


Molly N.
I love a list.
From Julia Child's Kitchen, Julia Child
The New Laurel's Kitchen, Laurel Robertson +
1080 Recipes Simone + Ines Ortega
Millennium Cookbook (from Millennium Restaurant SF)
How To Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman
go to sites: Food Network
Epicurious (so dumb I know, but they usually have what I want.)


Hey! Christophile here.
Well here are my top 5, but I have to confess that I have no cookbook library in comparison to the ones you guys have:
1. Great FOOD Fast (Martha Stewart Living); great quick meals! like a globe, you could flip blindly to any page and have an adventure ( a quick & easy adventure)
2. The Perfect Scoop (David Leibovitz); seriously every ice cream recipe in this book is a sure thing.
3. 1080 Recipes (Simone & Ines Ortega); so I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book for purely aesthetic reasons, but I'm also totally intimidated by some of the recipes. I have made a pact with myself that I have to make something out of this book THIS week.
4.TasteSpotting. Awesome user uploaded food photography and links to recipes and food blogs that I would never find otherwise, LOVE it.
5.AT: The Kichen I like that every Wednesday they give a roundup on the NYTimes Food section and they have all kinds of kitchen related goodies (not just Buckeyes ;)
Honorable Mentions:
-Cooks Illustrated
-101 Cookbooks
-Simply Recipes



Jodi VB's list:
1. Prudence Penny Cookbook
An anniversary gift given to my grandmother in 1939. These were not decadent times and there's a lot about food preparation and preserving that is fascinating. I can adapt any of the baking to my eating preferences. This summer I hope to make some of the pickle recipes. OK, there's a recipe for aspic with braised tongue but I avoid that page.
2. Martha Stewart
Search for any recipe and you'll find it. I'm a tart when it comes to web recipe treasure hunting. I'll go to anyone or anyblog that will help me make what I have in mind.
3. Chuck Williams Simple Italian Cooking
Especially for the soups and deserts.
4. Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pritchford
A bible. The congee recipes helped me survive the summer... literally.
5. Millenium Cookbook, Tucker, Westerdahl, & Weiss
I'm not surprised I share an entry with Miss Molly!
The recipes are flamboyantly delicious and the basics are the result of innovation and a very scientific test kitchen.
Speaking of test kitchens, I submit this Cooks Illustrated recipe as extra credit:
(V) Chocolate Cake With Creamy Chocolate Frosting
I love the science behind it and it's one of my favorites.


Agatha
1. Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen
Every recipe I make from this book is incredible. perfect for entertaining.
2. Tartine (Bakery Cookbook)
3. Desserts by Pierre Herme
4. Baking: From My Home Home To Yours (Dorie Greenspan)
5. Fields of Greens: New Vegetarian Recipes
my vegeterian favorite
blogs I incessantly return to:
La Tartine Gourmande
Scent of Green Bananas