My favorite cookbook

Readers share their picks.

from the May 14, 2008 edition

Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert. I bought it when I started gardening and needed inspiration for what to do with collard greens and zucchini. Easy to use and beautifully illustrated, it is my all-season favorite. –Patty Friesen, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

The Ex-Boyfriend Cookbook: They Came, They Cooked, They Left (But We Ended Up with Some Great Recipes) by Thisbe Nissen and Erin Ergenbright. The recipes are yummy and very easy to make! I stumbled onto this cookbook at my university's bookstore. Filled with colorful collages and funny back stories, it's a funny read and an enjoyable culinary experience.– Ellen Hammond, Brighton, Mass.

I purchased my first cookbook while taking a cooking class for men only in Chicago, The New Antionette Pope School Cook Book by Antionette Pope. I use it all the time. It is gravy-stained with much love and affection. I have since accumulated many cookbooks, but I have kept and still use the Pope book. – Laurence Dufour, Winnetka, Ill.

The Settlement Cook Book by Mrs. Simon Kander and Mrs. Henry Schoenfeld is my comfort and "home base." Published originally in 1903, it features recipes derived from European traditions of immigrants in the Midwest. Cooking students in a Milwaukee, Wisc., settlement house collected favorite recipes from their families and friends and printed a 174-page version in 1901 to teach new immigrants to cook. The first edition was titled, "The Way to a Man's Heart: The Settlement Cookbook." It has been reissued many times over the years and sold nearly 2 million copies. – Dianne Aisenbrey, Red Wing, Minn.

366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans, and Grains by Andrea Chesman has been an invaluable aid in my quest to add meatless main dishes to our weekly menu planning. The recipes are easy for beginners to follow and are quite healthy. My only suggestion would be to add a little hot sauce here and there. – Rich Hines, Portland, Ore.

Tell us about your favorite cookbook. E-mail food@csmonitor.com.