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The Time Life Good Cook Series

Posted by Elise on Feb 17, 2004

Filed under Book Reviews

The Time Life Good Cook Series

A couple of years ago my friend Elizabeth Abbott turned me on to Time Life's cook book series from the late 70s, The Good Cook series. Elizabeth's mother Maria is a fabulous cook (see her lamb curry recipe). As I was constantly bugging both of them for cooking tips, Elizabeth remarked, "what you need is the Time Life Good Cook series!." This series was produced by Time Life books around 1978-1980. There is a separate book for poultry, beef & veal, lamb, pork, vegetables, fish, eggs & cheese, wine, breads, pasta, soups, salads, shellfish, sauces, cakes among many others. I have five of the books and pick them up whenever I see one at a used book sale. They've been out of print for ages, and many of the recipes are clearly artery cloggers (no holding back on the fat here!) but they have detailed instructions that are hard to find in more recent cookbooks. Here's an illustration from the Poultry book:

hanging_fowl.jpg

View closeup of book page of hanging fowl.

Have you ever seen anything like that in cookbook sold these days?

The books are out of print but can be found on ebay or at thrift stores usually for just a few dollars each, a bargain considering the instructional content.

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51 Comments

Hi Elise,

I totally agree with you about how great The Time Life Good Cook book series is.

Like you, I've picked up these books in second hand bookshops, usually in the Oxfam Charity Shops, which sell stuff that people have donated.

The series editor is Richard Olney, so that speaks volumes about the quality of the books.

I picked up the Pork one by accident, and was impressed by the way that it described cooking techniques, instead of just giving you recipes.

I just picked up another 8 books in the series.

If I find any more, I'll get them.

For anybody interested in cooking, I think they give you a depth of knowledge about food, that is definitely worth having.

Sure, in some of the recipes, you may need to tone down the saturated fat, but the underlying techiniques are the same, whether you cook with a lot of fat or not.

I'd recommend these books to anybody who's seriously interested in cooking.


Posted by: Emile Auld on July 7, 2004 5:40 AM

Does anyone know a list of all the titles in the series?

Posted by: Bob on September 5, 2004 8:07 AM

I bought the Good Cook series back in 1979 when they were first offered from Time-Life. These books and my Mom, made me the great cook I am today!!. Does anyone know how many books are in the complete series? What all the titles are? Thanks for the info.

Posted by: Denise Williams on November 12, 2004 7:31 AM

I have collected 24 in the series, some in UK and some in USA. There are two books I have, Snacks & Canapes (UK) and Snacks and Sandwiches (USA). They are different but they both have some parts the same. In addition I have Beef & Veal, Biscuits, Breads, Cakes & Pastries, Confectionary, Desserts, Eggs & Cheese, Fish & Shellfish, Fruits, Game, Grains,Pasta & Pulses, Hot Hor D'Ouvres, Lamb, Offal, Outdoor Cooking, Patisserie, Pork, Poultry, Salads, Sauces, Soups, Vegetables. I would like to know if there are any more printed in addition to those above. As an Englisman living in the heart of France I find them invaluable for the many different ingredients available here and in the UK.

Posted by: Peter Large on February 17, 2005 9:10 AM

I've also discovered a time life series on cuisines which have recipes in them. Also unfortunately out of print. Waiting for an uncle to pass it on to me when he goes up!

Posted by: Bikram on April 25, 2005 3:22 AM

I picked up my first book, Fish, at a used book store for a buck. I love fish and I think it was the first cook-book I ever bought too. I love this book. It's so nostalic looking & it has a lot of basics that a cook needs to know about the subject. I just picked up Beef the other day at a thrift store and now I'm scouring the internet for good deals on the other ones that I want. Sauces is expensive, it must be in demand!

Love this series.

Posted by: Jess on May 7, 2005 1:35 PM

Can someone with the Time Life Good Cook Series please post the recipe for Vanilla Cream Bread from the Bread book? My entire series is buried in the garage with dozens of other unmarked boxes from our move.

Thanks!

Posted by: V. Northington on June 26, 2005 7:58 AM

Here's your vanilla cream bread recipe!
to make one 9X5" loaf:
2 1/2 C. flour sifted with 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 larges eggs, the yolks separated from the whites
2/3 C. heavy cream
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 C. milk
1/4 tsp salt
In a large bowl, beat the the egg yolks with the cream, sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Beat the egg whites until very stiff. Sift the flour and salt into the egg-yolk mixture, add the beaten eggs whites and carefully fold all of the ingredients together until evenly mixed. Spoon the mixture into a buttered 9x5" loaf pan. Bake on the upper shelf of a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes, or until the loaf is well risen and firm to the touch. Serve hot.

Posted by: Jan on July 5, 2005 9:39 AM

They ran an article in the Oregonian last week.
The Good Cook Series has a total of 28 volumes.
I am still compiling a list of the titles as I find them.

Posted by: Mark on March 6, 2006 2:16 PM

i have the set -chicken it is a great set to get

Posted by: george fl on April 20, 2006 8:46 AM

Here are all the books in the series:

Beef and Veal
Beverages
Breads
Cakes
Candy
Classic Desserts
Cookies and Crakers
Dried Beans and Grains
Eggs and Cheese
Fish
Fruits
Hors d'Oeuveres
Lamb
Outdoor Cooking
Pasta
Pies and Pastries
Pork
Poultry
Preserving
Salads
Sauces
Shellfish
Snacks and Sandwhiches
Soups
Terrines, Pates, and Galantines
Variet meats
Vegetables
Wine

I know all of these cause I just bid on a set of them on E-bay.........

Posted by: Debbie on April 23, 2006 11:48 AM

How wonderful to see this after all these years. I am the illustrator who did the hanging poultry illustration as well as many of the other illustrations in this series.
I graduated from art school in 1977, and this series was the first major collection of illustrations I did as a professional. I stumbled across this post and am tickled to see that so many cooks found the books helpful, and even liked the artwork!

Hi Rick, Is the Internet cool or what? Thanks so much for stopping by and saying hello. These illustrations of yours are one of the things that make this series so charming. Thank you! ~Elise

Posted by: Rick Lovell on June 24, 2006 8:39 AM

Hi, I bought the full series of books in the early eighties (or to be more precise my hubby bought them for me). Since I gave up catering in 1999 they have just been in a box in the spare room. I am about to advertise them on e bay and stumbled across this site while researching before posting on e bay. I found the books useful when I worked in catering and am glad there still seems to be so much interest in them

Posted by: Yvonne Davis on October 4, 2006 5:16 PM

I first saw one of these books at a friends house several years ago. I since have managed to find and purchase 14 of them.

They are excellent especially if you want to try some new proceure...all the instructions and pictures are right there.

Great gift for a new cook or one who wants to have a little more adventure in their kitchen!

Posted by: lori lukenbill on January 9, 2007 3:27 PM

I was wondering if anyone knows what extra charts came with the books, as I have the herb and the wine charts.

Posted by: Tanya van Graas on February 15, 2007 5:26 PM

I think I have the complete set (28) so I checked and found no other charts. I didn't come across an herb chart and I found no book that contained a herb chart so maybe I am a book or two short. Does anyone know how many there were? I got one a month for over two years (1980-82) for about $15 each. Quite a collection. I wish I used them more but they seem to be more like a set of encyclopedias...look good on the shelf but rarely used. LOL Jim

Posted by: Jim Egeland on February 22, 2007 5:52 PM

I have now found out that there were only the two charts that came with the books.
The Herb Chart was only in the 1978 and 1979 Poultry book. I am not to sure as to what editions the wine chart was included in but I have a first edition 1979.
There are 28 English books and 27 US books they are similer but different series.

Posted by: Tanya van Graas on March 21, 2007 3:28 PM

My dear Aunt had 7-8 books from the series. When she moved to live nearby in late 1980s, I often borrowed her books, and before long, all her Good Cook Series were in my house. I loved the basic and simple recipes.

Unfortunately, she and her husband died on a plane crash in 1997. She was only 42.

Funny thing was, although we both loved to cook, we never tried any recipe from the books together. I always regret it.

I still have all her books, like inherited it. Now, every time I tried a recipe from one of the books, or just going through them for inspiration, I always think of her.

Posted by: Febs on April 7, 2007 3:39 AM

This series is one of my two favorites...I was lucky enough to get the full set from an estate sale about 4 years ago (My Dad happened upon them for $10. The biggest bargain ever.) I must admit I haven't cooked too many recipes from them, but I refer to the books constantly for technique, or just for good reading. If I were ever forced to cut my bookcase to one shelf, it would be these, an old Joy of Cooking, and Vincent Price's A Treasury of Great Recipes. I'm glad to see so many people out there who love the books as much as I do.

Posted by: Brenda on May 3, 2007 9:58 AM

I used to love to cook from those books! I've been lookng for certain recipes via the 'net, with no luck. I lost my set in a divorce -- sure would like to find another one! Anybody got a Vegetables book? I'd love to see if my favorite cauliflower recipe is in it. Can't really remember the titles of the recipes anymore (been over 7 years...)

E-mail me if you are willing to look something up for me -- andreaj13 AT cox [dot} net.

I'm really only interested in a couple of recipes out of it... one has fresh grated beets (Russian Beets?) and the other one had cauliflower and whole garlic cloves... and you fried it in olive oil or something (no breading!)

Any help would be appreciated! Maybe I'll find a set one day and buy it again!

Posted by: Andrea - Pensacola, FL on June 24, 2007 4:28 PM

Yes they are great cook books but alas where can I buy them from?

Posted by: Ctace on June 25, 2007 7:42 PM

I have this set and they are excellent for techniques as well as recipes. I also have and use "The Southern Heritage" cookbook set from Oxmoor House (Southern Living). Like the Time Life set they are out of print but can be found on ebay and other internet sites. I recommend this set for their recipes and nostalgic Illustrations.

Posted by: George on July 9, 2007 10:48 PM

This is my favorite series of cookbooks. I'm confused about the "Outdoor Cooking" book though....On e-bay I have seen the "Outdoor Cooking" cover with the turkey on it many times. But it looks like there is another "Outdoor Cooking" with a different cover (kebabs on the grill). Can someone out there help me....Are these two the same book but just with different covers? Thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this for me!

Posted by: Brenda on July 23, 2007 10:30 AM

I have the sets of Time-life books in my heap for sale. Mom left them in my care with instruction to sell them and raise enough to keep her in hair care and other sundries when she went into a nursing facility. I still have no clear idea of the price a complete set should get her so I am reluctant to sell the sets. Any ideas out there? I am not a true Web-head so E-Bay intimidates too much.

Posted by: Mike Knowlton on November 30, 2007 8:07 AM

You can find all of these books at Amazon Marketplace. I am re-collecting, as my original set was lost over the years, having moved many times. The Poultry book, pictured above, is my "Bird Bible", I absolutely cannot live without it. It was the first one I replaced.
They are all useful, relevant, and special. The series does pre-date the "Food Police" and the "Convenience Revoultion" If you're not into cooking for the joy of it, skip these.

Posted by: Susan Lewis on January 9, 2008 2:31 PM

I am so excited I found the whole set on ebay...all 28...so I bought them. I have been wanting this set for a long time. I can hardly wait to receive them and get cook'n

Posted by: Lisa Hopes on June 24, 2008 3:41 PM

My husband would be absolutely tickled if he could get the recipe for "beef vindaloo" featured in the beef & veal book. We moved to Mexico & had to part with our collection! Big mistake!

Posted by: Colleen on August 9, 2008 4:13 PM

I just stumbled across this site while looking for info on Time-Life books. Does anyone know if there's a complete list of the UK edition of The Good Cook? I'm missing only one of the US edition(Dried Beans and Grains) but am intrigued by the titles I've found(but not seen) of some of the UK volumes. I presume "Biscuits" would be "Cookies and Crackers" to us Americans. But what's Offal, or what is Pulses?(As in Grain, Pasta, Pulses)

And to reply to Colleen, I have the beef book, if I see you reply again here I'll type that recipe up for you.

And BTW, Elise, this place is great!

Posted by: Baker on August 13, 2008 4:52 PM

Hi Baker - yes I check in every week or so to see if anyone was able to locate the "beef vindaloo" recipe - I would love it if you could post the recipe - thanks so much in advance!

Posted by: Colleen on August 21, 2008 6:14 AM

Hi Baker, offal is the english word that describes stuff like liver, kidneys and heart.
Pulses are dried beans, peas and lentils(eg all dried legumes)
I have 26 of the titles and love the technique part of the books and I would love to know what all the English titles are.

Posted by: june ryan on September 13, 2008 2:28 PM

Hi, It's me again. Since I posted my last comment I recounted my collection and find that I have got 27 vols not 26. I have been doing some hunting on the web and discovered a further volume in the series called The Well Equipped Kitchen. However this volume is not uniform with the others as it only has 48 pages. I'm wondering if this the elusive title I'm searching for?
Here is a list of the 27 vols of the English edition that I have on my shelf. Note that Offal has the same cover as the US Various Meats book.
Beef and Veal
Beverages
Biscuits
Breads
Cakes and Pastries
Confectionery
Desserts
Eggs and Cheese
Fish and Shellfish
Fruits Game
Grains, Pasta and Pulses
Hot Hors d'Oeuveres
Lamb
Offal
Outdoor Cooking
Patisserie
Pork
Poultry
Preserving
Salads and Cold Hors d’Oeuveres
Sauces
Snacks and Canapés
Soups
Terrines, Pates, and Galantines
Vegetables
Wine

Posted by: june ryan on September 15, 2008 2:08 AM

I've just bought 13 volumes from eBay here (in Australia) and am now searching to complete the set - the technique information is fantastic. And I got the Beef one in my haul, so I hope you do keep checking back Colleen; I'll give the US measurements:

Beef Vindaloo

1 pound stewing beef cut in serving pieces
1/2 tbsp ground coriander (cilantro)
1/2 tsp each ground cumin, mustard seed, chili
1 tsp ground tumeric
1/4 tsp ground black pepper, ground ginger

wine vinegar (doesn't give a quantity; you'll need enough to make a thick paste with the spices)
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 fresh or picked green chili peppers, finely chopped
2 oz ghee or other fat
salt
lemon juice

Mix spices into a paste with vinegar. Lightly fry onion, garlic and chilies in ghee for 3 to 4 minutes. Add spice paste and cook for 3-4 minutes longer. Add meat, cover pan and cook for at least 2 1/2 hours. Add just enough water from time to time to form a thick rich gravy. Add salt and lemon juice to taste.

It's credited to EP Veerasawmy in "Indian Cookery". Hope you enjoy it!

Posted by: Zoe on September 15, 2008 9:12 PM

Thanks so much for posting the Beef Vindaloo recipe Zoe! I can hardly wait to make it again!

Posted by: Colleen on September 20, 2008 9:26 PM

I hunted used book sales to find a full set for my youngest son, he wants to be a chef.
And now I have extra copies of,
- Poultry
- Vegetables (2 copies)
- Sauces
- Soups
- Shellfish
- Salads
- Breads
- Outdoor Cooking
- Hors d'Oeuvre
- Beverages
- Pies & Pastries
- Dried Beans & Grains
- Variety Meats
- Fish
- Beef & Veal

If you are interested in these books, write me at rbargher AT yahoo.com

Posted by: Robert Bargher on September 23, 2008 4:24 PM

I lived in Berkeley up the hill from Cheze Pannise in the early 1970s. Very serious Richard Olney country back then. That's when I started my collection of the Good Cook.

Diferent versions were published in Europan countries and in America. The American series has 27 (I think) volumes and the British version has 28. At least as far as I have been able to figure out. Olney (and others such as Jeremiah Tower) prefer the European editions to the American editions.

Check out the London branch of Amazon for the European versions of the series.

There was also a one volume "condensation" published in England. The "first" volume also came with a 50 page "pamphlet" about cooking utensils.

Olney"s "autobiography" REMINISCES has many nice stories about the production of this series. It does not appear he had much control over the American edition. And he appears to have been a rather unpleasant when drunk alcoholic.

Good read none the less. Also check out Simple French Food and The French Menu Cookbook. I am not impressed by his other books.

Each of the 28 volumes is focused on a specific ingredient. The volumes are then structured around specific cooking techniques:
General introduction
Sauteing
Frying
Poaching
Braising
Compound
Followed by a recipe anthology.

The recipes appear to differ to a very minor degree depending on weather you have the American or European editions. The editions appear to be 90% the same regardless of publication location.

Shortly after beginning to buy the volumes in this series I cooked his version of cassoulet (this would have been 1979 or so).

What did I know I was getting myself into? Confit was impossible to find (even in the gourmet ghetto) and finding duck legs was a serious challenge.

If memory serves, I finally scored the duck legs through Bruce Aidells who was the line chef at Le Poulet in Berkeley at the time. Ah, the gourmet ghetto in the 70s.

That cassoulet turned out to be the best meal I have ever cooked. Cooking cassoulet has become my Thanksgiving ritual ever since.

A great serious of cookbooks.
Buy them.
Cook from them.
And don't look back.

Barry

Posted by: Barry michael Balch, Ph. D. on October 9, 2008 9:02 PM

Thanks, Robert, but I'm in Australia and collecting the UK versions. They are as good as everyone says.

Posted by: Zoe on October 22, 2008 8:21 PM

Hi...My friend stumbled upon the Classic Dessert book in this series and I've just been looking around on the internet to find a copy to buy for her.

I've found books with "Classic Desserts" and "Desserts" title on Amazon UK and I'm not sure whether their contents are the same. Would appreciate it if anyone could shed some light on this matter.

Thank you!

Posted by: Nath on November 25, 2008 9:43 AM

I'm from the Philippines and have found the Good Cook series really amazing. I have about 6 books and am ever on the look out of the other titles from book sales here in Manila.

I'm into organic vegetable trading in manila and found the series very helpful, the illustrations and photography are really amazing.

Posted by: rt gonzales on December 26, 2008 2:36 AM

We got rid of our set of these cookbooks when we had to move and I have regretted it ever since. Our library does not carry copies. We had a favorite spinach and mushroom pasta recipe that I made all the time. If someone could post this, I would be eternally grateful! Thanks.

Posted by: Terry on January 6, 2009 4:45 AM

I would love to have the set of these books! I have searched everywhere! If anyone knows of anyone who will sell their set..I am interested.. I love cookbooks and this is the one set that I really do want!

I suggest keeping your eye out on eBay. Full sets come up occasionally. ~Elise

Posted by: Lois on January 14, 2009 3:55 PM

Hi Terry
I have tried to find your mushrooom and spinach pasta recipe but without success. It was not in the pasta book or the vegetable book. Can you remember which volume it was in?

Posted by: June Ryan on January 30, 2009 11:44 PM

Thanks, June. I ended up looking online and bought a used copy of the Pasta book. The recipe is Spaghetti with spinach, mushrooms and cream, p. 98, although I use less butter and cream to make it a little healthier. It's delicious.

Posted by: Terry on February 21, 2009 2:58 PM

Hi Terry, Thanks for your reply. I'm glad you were able to get a copy of the book. The English edition is called Grains, Pasta & Pulses so our pages 98 are not the same. Happy cooking.

Posted by: June Ryan on March 5, 2009 11:42 PM

Hi, I bought the entire set of cookbooks (28) from Time-Life (one a month) during 1982-83 and the set differs dramatically from June Ryan's stated collection (Sept 13, 2008). I have about 8 different volumes than she has. Time-Life must have varied the collection over the years. I never really got into cooking and have never really used my set so I am going to sell them to someone who is really serious about cooking with these wonderful recipes.

Posted by: Jim Egeland on April 6, 2009 5:16 PM

I have acquired 23 Time Life Books and they are the Foods of the World from 1968 - 1970 books.
Are these the same books everyone is talking about? I would be interested in knowning if anyone has ever used any of the recipes from these books. These books are in very good condition.

Thank You

Carolyn

Posted by: Carolyn Kopp on June 23, 2009 10:23 AM

Carolyn, that is a separate series. I've posted about it at my blog here, including a link to my list of the UK and US versions of the Good Cook Series.

/cookbook nerd

Posted by: Zoe on August 6, 2009 11:21 PM

G'day Elise
Thank you for a wonderful thread - I'm delighted to find a group of on-line devotees like myself! And I thought it was just me being obsessive....

I've been searching for the series over years, and am about 8 books short. I've located some in a bookshop, and have been a bit confused by the UK/USA differences, so would appreciate some help, please.

I assume that 'Candy' equals 'Confectionery', and 'Cookies and Crackers' equals 'Biscuits'. But what does 'Patisserie' equal - 'Pies and Pastries' or 'Cakes and Pastries' or 'Cakes'?

Is there a US equivalent to 'Game'?

Also, how helpful do you think the wine book might prove, 20+ years on? From memory, it was fairly Euro-centric - and I think we have some pretty good wines here in Oz these days!
Thanks again
Ursula

Great question on Patisserie, no idea which one it corresponds to. And game? In the US it's still game. ~Elise

Posted by: Ursula O'Brien on December 14, 2009 2:57 PM

My wife and I purchased the Time Life Good Cooks series when it was offerred in the late 70's. One of our favorite recipes was for a three-tiered vegetable terrine, with the base of the three layers being spinach, carrots and cauliflower. It makes a very festive and tasty holiday vegetable dish.

To make a long story short, we downsized last year and one of things we downsized was the Time Life series. Now, we are lookng for one of our favorite recipes, and it is nowhere to be found!

Can anyone help me find this recipe? I believe it is in the TL Good Cook seies, but my wife believes (as strongly if not a little more so!) that it is from the Vegetable Volume of the TL Fresh Ways series. We still have the Fresh Ways series, but are missing the Vegetable volume.

Any thoughts or suggestions as to where I can find this recipe would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you and Regards,

Michael McShane

Posted by: Michael McShane on December 21, 2009 7:33 AM

A question was posed to me tonight by my daughter while on the phone with her friend who had run into a problem with a recipe for cookies out of the TL Good Cook Series, Cookies.
She had started one of the recipes but ran into a problem when all the ingredients were added. It didn't look the way it was suggested in the book and wouldn't hold together.
I'm trying to help too as her friend doesn't have a computer.
The name of the cookie in the book is 'Gevulde Speculaas' which apparently is Dutch for Spiced Stuffed.
Does anyone have this series with the Cookie book who could look up that recipe and see what the amounts are as stated in that recipe? It says to add 9 cups of flour but after all the other ingredients were added, it is too dry and will not hold together. This is all being done long distance ... so I'm wondering if the recipe has a typo and should be 3 cups of flour.
Can anyone help me solve this little problem?
Thank you for your time.
Joy

Posted by: Joy Gerow on January 23, 2010 12:18 AM

Ursula, I think Patisserie is most like Pies & Pastries. Have tried to match things up here; and while the Game volume may be available in the US, I'm pretty sure it wasn't issued as part of the US series.

Michael, your wife wins the argument. It's at page 104 of the Fresh Ways with Vegetables book. It's very long, and my camera is busted, otherwise I'd post it for you.

Joy, the Speculaas recipe calls for 1 kg = 2 1/4 pound flour, so the 9 cups is right. The dough needs to rest for a few hours before it can be rolled.

Posted by: Zoe on February 5, 2010 3:10 AM

Having moved to France in 1995 and having many dinner parties, I have even impressed the French using recipes from some of my Time Life Good Cook tecniques and recipe series. I collected them in England in the early 80's. BUT... last winter the water tank burst and all the water came through into a cupboard in my kitchen ruining most of my recipe books including all my precious Good Cook books.
I need to replace them.... Mine were well used and well loved. is there anyone out there that could sell me the series or the odd volume.

Hi Jennifer, you can find books and whole sets of this series on eBay. ~Elise

Posted by: JENNIFER E. KNIGHT on March 6, 2010 5:24 AM

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