Joy of Cooking

“As much as it’s an essential reference, it’s also an important work of domestic anthropology… each entry serves as the starting point for endless kitchen discovery.” —The New York Times“Cooking shouldn’t just be about making a delicious dish — owning the process and enjoying the experience ought to be just as important as the meal itself. The new Joy of Cooking is a reminder that nothing can compare to gathering around the table for a home cooked meal with the people who matter most.” —Joanna Gaines, author of The Magnolia Table“Through its many editions, Joy of Cooking has long been an essential guide to the eclectic and always evolving American kitchen. With this latest update and its embrace of more than a decade’s worth of newly arrived ingredients, dishes, tools, and understanding, Joy remains an unsurpassed resource for beginners and experienced cooks alike.” —Harold McGee, author of On Food & Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen“The first new edition in over a decade reflects 21st-century values—and the traditions we’re determined to preserve…. The 2019 “Joy” is designed to be a first stop for cooks who grew up eating kimchi jjigae, pozole and palak paneer, whether at home or in restaurants, and see them as classic American dishes, too.” –The Wall Street Journal“Generation after generation, Joy has been a warm, encouraging presence in American kitchens, teaching us to cook with grace and humor. This luminous new edition continues on that important tradition while seamlessly weaving in modern touches, making it all the more indispensable for generations to come.” —Samin Nosrat, author of Salt Fat Acid Heat“This new edition of the Joy of Cooking is a masterwork. It’s also an affectionate nod to the spirit of Joy’s mother, Irma Rombauer. Her legacy of encouraging and empowering cooks lives on in this respectful and exciting new edition. It will delight you and will become your go-to resource.” —Robin Mather, Chicago Tribune“This new edition is a virtual necessity in any kitchen…and an astonishing value at its list price.” —Booklist, starred review“Impressive, timely… Becker and Scott have improved upon a classic without bending it so sharply that it will feel dated in a decade—quite an achievement indeed.” —Publisher’s Weekly, starred review“Joy of Cooking has been in print since the Great Depression, but…it’s definitely no longer your grandmother’s cookbook. Consider it a must-have for every budding home cook.” -Eater

Irma Rombauer self-published the first Joy of Cooking in 1931. In 1936, the first commercial edition was published by Bobbs-Merrill. Marion Rombauer Becker, Irma’s daughter, helped revise and update each subsequent edition until 1951. The 1963 edition was the first after Irma’s death and was completely Marion’s. Her son, Ethan Becker, helped Marion revise the 1975 edition, and then oversaw the 1997 and 75th Anniversary editions. Ethan’s son, John Becker and his wife, Megan Scott are the first of the family to be solely responsible for testing, revising, and updating the book since 1975, ensuring the latest edition is given the same love and attention to detail that made this culinary resource an American classic.

Ethan Becker is the son of Marion Rombauer Becker and the grandson of Irma S. Rombauer, the original author of The Joy of Cooking. He attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, but learned how to cook from his mom. An outdoors-man, he is a master of the grill and at cooking game. His outdoor gear and survival and combat knives are sold internationally under the brand Becker Knife and Tool. Ethan and his wife, Susan, a writer, editor, and artist, live in East Tennessee at their home, Half Moon Ridge.

John Becker, great-grandson of Irma Rombauer, grew up surrounded by the natural splendor of the Pacific Northwest. Spending his childhood between Portland, Oregon and the Becker family home in Cincinnati, John learned to appreciate a range of approaches to cooking. Influenced by his father Ethan’s improvisational style, and his mother’s love of international foods and spices, John has an insatiable curiosity when it comes to food and cooking. After earning an English degree, he helped publish seventeen collections of literary essays before dedicating himself to the family business and updating Joy for a new generation. John currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Megan.

Megan Scott started worked for the Joy of Cooking in 2010, when she and John Becker met and immediately bonded over a shared love of blue cheese. Megan’s culinary education began in North Carolina, where she learned to cook from a long line of matriarchs. She grew up in a farming family, shucking corn and snapping green beans as far back as she can remember. She has been a cheesemaker’s apprentice, a baker, and an assistant pastry chef, and in addition to her work for Joy she is the culinary director for a marketing agency that specializes in food. Megan lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband John and their two cats, Loki and Kishu.