We asked chefs, other food professionals and people who cook at home in the Tristate to name three cookbooks “they could not live without.” A few struggled to limit their selection to only three, but here are their responses. And by the way, if you're keeping score, the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (Meredith Books; $26.95) received the most votes (3).

Allen Stickell, chef, Jump Cafe, Over-the-Rhine:

        Ducasse Flavors of France by Alain Ducasse (Artisan; $60)

        Jean-Louis: Cooking with the Seasons by Fred Maroon and Jean-Louis Palladin (Lickle Publishing; $60)

        Great American Food by Charlie Palmer (Random House; $55)

Jimmy Gibson, executive chef, Jeff Ruby Restaurants:

        Dictionary of Classical Cooking by Richard Hering (French & European Publications; $150)

        La Technique by Jacques Pepin (out-of-print)

        The Escoffier Cookbook: A Guide to the Fine Art of Cookery (Crown; $20)

Zell Schulman, author and American Israelite columnist, who lives in Amberley Village:

        Let My People Eat!by Zell Schulman (Hungry Minds; $27.50)

        The Way to Cook by Julia Child (Knopf; $64)

        The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne (HarperCollins; $34)

Mary Swortwood, chef-owner, Brown Dog Cafe, Blue Ash and Tink's Cafe, Clifton:

        Food Lover's Companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst (Barron's; $14.95)

        Larousse Gastronomique by Jenifer Harvey Lang, editor (Clarkson-Potter; $75)

        Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker (Scribner; $30)

David Hildebrandt, who lives in Mason:

        Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker (Scribner; $30)

        Better Homes and Garden All Time Favorite Recipes (out-of-print)

        Betty Crocker's Cookbook (Hungry Minds; $27.50)

Kay Young, flavor manager, Gold Medal Products, Evendale:

        Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook Ruth Berolzheimer, editor (Perigee; $18.95)

        Gourmet Food by the Rotary Club of Santa Fe Springs, Calif. (out-of-print)

        Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook Jennifer Darling, editor (Meredith Books; $26.95)

Molly Talbot, director, Community Health Education for Mercy Health Partners in Mount Airy:

        I'll Cook When Pigs Fly by Junior League of Cincinnati (Wimmer; $19.97)

        Don't Eat Your Heart Out Cookbook by Joseph C. Piscatella (Workman; $17.95)

        The Joslin Diabetes Gourmet Cookbook: Heart-Healthy, Everyday Recipes for Family and Friends by Bonnie Sanders Polin, Frances Towner Giedt and Edward Horton (Bantam-Doubleday; $29.95)

Mina Busch, who lives in Mason:

        Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book Jennifer Darling, editor (Meredith Books; $26.95),

        Great American Favorite Brand Name Cookbook (out of print)

        The Pampered Chef's Kids in the Kitchen Cookbook (Pampered Chef Publishing;)

Mary Pat Patterson, who lives in Mount Washington:

        The New Professional Chef Mary Deirdre Donovan, editor (Wiley & Sons; $64.95)

        Better Homes & Gardens Complete Book of Baking (Better Homes & Gardens Books; $29.95).

        James Beard's Theory and Practice of Good Cooking by James Beard (Random House; $10.95)

Val Zackery, chemist who works in quality assurance for Proctor & Gamble:

        Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook Ruth Berolzheimer, editor (Perigee; $18.95)

        The Pressured Cook by Lorna Sass (Morrow; $22)

        Cook's Illustrated 2000 Collector's Edition by the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine (Boston Common Press; $26.95)

Marieva Sciumbato, Union Township (Clermont County):

        Quick From Scratch: Pasta (American Express: $19.95)

        Sunset Recipe Annual 1998 Edition (out of print)

        Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book, Jennifer Darling, editor (Meredith Books; $26.95)

Rose Grace, cooking teacher, who lives in Pierce Township:

        Rick Bayless Mexico: One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless(Scribner; $35).

        The Rice Bible by Christian Teubner, Eckart Witzigmann and Tony Khoo (Penguin; $34.95)

        Savoring Mexico: Recipes and Reflections on Mexican Cooking by Marilyn Tausend, Chuck Williams and Marlene McLoughlin (Time-Life; $34.95)

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