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Even after decades of creating and sharing recipes, Martha Stewart still consults the classic cookbooks. Her favorite? One of the best-selling cookbooks of all time, Joy of Cooking.
During a keynote at Magic, PROJECT and Sourcing Las Vegas, a bi-annual tradeshow for fashion insiders and buyers, Stewart was asked which cookbook she would choose if it was the only cookbook she could have in her kitchen. The entrepreneur and lifestyle maven quickly responded with Joy of Cooking, Irma Rombauer’s 1931 classic, which Stewart says she still goes back to while cooking and researching. Sometimes called the “kitchen bible,” Joy of Cooking teaches techniques and full recipes with a healthy sprinkling of humor.
Buy Joy of Cooking: 2019 Edition Fully… $21.99
The latest edition of Joy of Cooking was released in 2019 and features revisions and expansions by Irma Rombauer’s great-grandson, John Becker, and his wife, Megan Scott. Grab the hardcover on Amazon here to find out why Stewart can’t live without it.
There’s a good chance Stewart has gone back to Joy of Cooking in recent years: At her PROJECT and Magic panel, the author also spoke about putting the finishing touches on her 100th book. The new book, which is due out this fall, will feature Stewart’s 100 favorite recipes. Her most recent release was another cookbook, Martha Stewart’s Fruit Desserts, which was published in 2021 (grab it here).
Buy Martha Stewart’s Fruit Desserts $16.90
Of course, fans can always expect more from Stewart — even after she’s done with her 100th book. The lifestyle guru also spoke about an upcoming AI product that lets consumers “ask Martha” how to do anything around the house.
All this to say, the 82-year-old businesswoman is feeling as creative as ever: “I don’t think of reinvention as much as I think of evolution,” she said at the end of her talk. “I want to evolve and get better and not stay the same.”