Eccentricity Rocks: My Favorite Chefs and Their Cookbooks

Giada De Laurentiis, Rachel Khoo (titles herself a food creative), Ina Garten and Tyler Florence are some of my favorite chefs. Some of my friends don't like to cook or feel intimidated by such endeavors. They want to know how I became proficient at it. Growing up I assisted my mother in the kitchen and she taught me a lot of things. My family has always been big foodies for generations. My mother used to make homemade breads, cakes, pies and pastries weekly. She made her own gravies and sauces. Back then they didn't have jarred sauces.

As an adult I watch the chefs featured on the Food Network or the Cooking channel. I print the recipe from the Internet and give it a go! I have family dinners after I've already done a trial run on the recipe. It is like a free cooking lesson without attending a formal school. After successful outcomes with recipes I end up purchasing the cookbook. I have accumulated 30 thusfar. I have several books by Giada (one autographed), Rachel's and two of Ina's. I laid out a few for you to check out.

Their programs are Barefoot Contessa, (Ina Garten), Little Paris Kitchen (Rachel Khoo), Tyler's Ultimate (Tyler Florence), Everyday Italian, Giada at Home (Giada De Laurentiis)