Authors > Irma S. Rombauer

Irma S. Rombauer
Photograph © Rombauer Estate

Irma S. Rombauer

Irma Rombauer self-published the first Joy of Cooking in 1931 with the small insurance payout she received after her husband committed suicide during the Great Depression. Suddenly, society wives who used to enjoy a kitchen staff no longer had the money to employ them and began cooking for themselves. The instruction "stand facing the stove" was a bit more pragmatic than we realize. In 1936, the first commercial edition was published by Bobbs-Merrill. Marion Rombauer Becker, Irma's daughter, joined the Joy dynasty and revised and updated each subsequent edition until 1975. That edition was the first after Irma's death and was completely Marion's. Her son, Ethan... Read full bio

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Video

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    1. Joy of Cooking: Using A Slow Cooker
    02:43
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    2. Joy Of Cooking: Turkey
    02:09
    1906856238
  • 1635265513_1906866403_th-1635265513-vid1906865742-img0000
    3. Joy of Cooking: Quiz
    02:14
    1906795638
  • 1635265513_1906866412_th-1635265513-vid1906869702-img0000
    4. Joy of Cooking: Pie
    03:30
    1906856240
  • 1635265513_1906866424_th-1635265513-vid1906865744-img0000
    5. Joy of Cooking: Eggs
    02:56
    1906795639
  • 1635265513_1906866378_th-1635265513-vid1906869703-img0000
    6. Joy of Cooking: Cookies
    02:15
    1906856241

Audio

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  • 1635265513_27807549001_thumb-54f7d1c8-f6d7-4209-b72e-5ba1237020a5
    1. Ethan Becker: The Joy of Cooking
    09:44
    27808534001
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Jun 27, 2009
Brightcove:
Joy of Cooking: Pie
Jan 07, 2009
Jan 07, 2009
Brightcove:
Joy of Cooking: Eggs
Jan 07, 2009
Jan 07, 2009
Brightcove:
Joy of Cooking: Quiz
Jan 07, 2009
Jan 07, 2009
Joy of Cooking 2008 will be released on July 01, 2007 in AMP Page A Day Calendar
Jul 01, 2007
Joy of Cooking 2008 will be released on July 01, 2007 in AMP Page A Day Calendar
Jul 01, 2007
Joy of Cooking 2008 will be released on July 01, 2007 in AMP Page A Day Calendar
Jul 01, 2007
Joy of Cooking 2008 will be released on July 01, 2007 in AMP Page A Day Calendar
Jul 01, 2007
Joy of Cooking 2008 will be released on July 01, 2007 in AMP Page A Day Calendar
Jul 01, 2007
Joy of Cooking will be released on October 31, 2006 in Hardcover
Oct 31, 2006
Joy of Cooking is now available in Hardcover
Oct 31, 2006
Joy of Cooking will be released on October 31, 2006 in
Oct 31, 2006
Joy of Cooking is now available in
Oct 31, 2006
Joy Of Cooking 2007 will be released on July 01, 2006 in Calendar
Jul 01, 2006
Joy Of Cooking 2007 will be released on July 01, 2006 in Calendar
Jul 01, 2006
Joy Of Cooking 2007 will be released on July 01, 2006 in Calendar
Jul 01, 2006
Joy Of Cooking 2007 will be released on July 01, 2006 in Calendar
Jul 01, 2006
Joy Of Cooking 2007 will be released on July 01, 2006 in Calendar
Jul 01, 2006
Joy of Cooking 2006 Calendar will be released on July 01, 2005 in Calendar
Jul 01, 2005
Joy of Cooking 2006 Calendar will be released on July 01, 2005 in Calendar
Jul 01, 2005
Joy of Cooking 2006 Calendar will be released on July 01, 2005 in Calendar
Jul 01, 2005
Joy of Cooking 2006 Calendar will be released on July 01, 2005 in Calendar
Jul 01, 2005
Joy of Cooking 2006 Calendar will be released on July 01, 2005 in Calendar
Jul 01, 2005
Joy of Cooking: All About Cookies will be released on August 27, 2002 in Paper Over Board
Aug 27, 2002
Joy of Cooking: All About Cookies is now available in Paper Over Board
Aug 27, 2002
Joy of Cooking: All About Cookies will be released on August 27, 2002 in
Aug 27, 2002
Joy of Cooking: All About Cookies is now available in
Aug 27, 2002
Joy of Cooking: All About Breakfast and Brunch will be released on June 12, 2001 in Hardcover
Jun 12, 2001
Joy of Cooking: All About Breakfast and Brunch is now available in Hardcover
Jun 12, 2001
Joy of Cooking: All About Breakfast and Brunch will be released on June 12, 2001 in
Jun 12, 2001
Jun 12, 2001
Joy of Cooking: All About Chicken will be released on October 25, 2000 in Hardcover
Oct 25, 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Chicken is now available in Hardcover
Oct 25, 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Vegetarian will be released on October 25, 2000 in Hardcover
Oct 25, 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Vegetarian is now available in Hardcover
Oct 25, 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Pasta & Noodles will be released on October 25, 2000 in Hardcover
Oct 25, 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Pasta & Noodles is now available in Hardcover
Oct 25, 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Soups and Stews will be released on October 25, 2000 in Hardcover
Oct 25, 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Soups and Stews is now available in Hardcover
Oct 25, 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Vegetarian will be released on October 25, 2000 in
Oct 25, 2000
Oct 25, 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Soups and Stews will be released on October 25, 2000 in
Oct 25, 2000
Oct 25, 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Chicken will be released on October 25, 2000 in
Oct 25, 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Chicken is now available in
Oct 25, 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Pasta & Noodles will be released on October 25, 2000 in
Oct 25, 2000
Oct 25, 2000
Joy of Cooking 1931 Facsimile Edition will be released on April 29, 1998 in Hardcover
Apr 29, 1998
Joy of Cooking 1931 Facsimile Edition is now available in Hardcover
Apr 29, 1998
Joy of Cooking 1931 Facsimile Edition will be released on April 29, 1998 in
Apr 29, 1998
Apr 29, 1998
JOC All New Rev. - 1997 will be released on November 05, 1997 in Hardcover
Nov 05, 1997
JOC All New Rev. - 1997 is now available in Hardcover
Nov 05, 1997
JOC All New Rev. - 1997 will be released on November 05, 1997 in
Nov 05, 1997
JOC All New Rev. - 1997 is now available in
Nov 05, 1997
JOC - 1975 will be released on May 01, 1985 in Hardcover
May 01, 1985
JOC - 1975 is now available in Hardcover
May 01, 1985
JOC - 1975 will be released on May 01, 1985 in
May 01, 1985
JOC - 1975 is now available in
May 01, 1985
Excerpt:
Table of Contents from Joy of Cooking: All About Chicken
Prior to Dec 19, 2008
Excerpt:
Text Excerpt 1 from JOC All New Rev. - 1997
Prior to Dec 19, 2008
Excerpt:
Table of Contents from Joy of Cooking 1931 Facsimile Edition
Prior to Dec 19, 2008
Excerpt:
Table of Contents from Joy of Cooking: All About Cookies
Prior to Dec 19, 2008
Excerpt:
Table of Contents from Joy of Cooking: All About Vegetarian
Prior to Dec 19, 2008
Excerpt:
Table of Contents from Joy of Cooking: All About Pasta & Noodles
Prior to Dec 19, 2008
Excerpt:
Table of Contents from Joy of Cooking: All About Breakfast and Brunch
Prior to Dec 19, 2008
Excerpt:
Table of Contents from Joy of Cooking: All About Soups and Stews
Prior to Dec 19, 2008
Excerpt:
Table of Contents from JOC - 1975
Prior to Dec 19, 2008
Excerpt:
Recipe 1 from Joy of Cooking
Prior to Dec 19, 2008

Authors on the Web

San Francisco Chronicle, November 19, 2009
..."Top Chef" cookbook will outsell the noncelebrity tomes by four times, says LeBlond. It makes you wonder if Irma Rombauer's classic "Joy of Cooking" would be turned away today in favor of one of Sandra Lee's "Semi-Homemade" cookbooks. Not only do these...
Malaysian Insider, October 30, 2009
...as other children of my generation toyed with chemistry sets or electric trains,” he writes. “I remember reading Irma Rombauer when I was 10 or so with the same curiosity that I read Kipling and Jules Verne.” His deepest food memories attach to...
Bradenton Herald, October 5, 2009
...would pore over recipes while she played on the floor. The woman? Fenton believes it had to be Irma Rombauer, the author of 'The Joy of Cooking.' The timing is right. Fenton was a toddler at the time, so the gatherings likely took place in the late...
OReilly Network, September 7, 2009
...look up a recipe to make pancakes, and some refresher instructions on using the VLookup function in Excel. Irma Rombauer's 'The Joy of Cooking' made my pancake project painless and delicious. Office 2004 for Macintosh: The Missing Manual got my workbook...
Spectator Leader, August 21, 2009
...Beck (Linda Emond) and Louisette Bertholle (Helen Carey) invite her collaboration. They?re planning a French variant of Irma Rombauer?s ?The Joy of Cooking,? but for Americans. Oh joy, indeed. The rest is history, entertainingly served up via...
IBerkshires.com, August 13, 2009
...Beck (Linda Emond) and Louisette Bertholle (Helen Carey) invite her collaboration. They're planning a French variant of Irma Rombauer's 'The Joy of Cooking,' but for Americans. Oh joy, indeed. The rest is history, entertainingly served up via Streep's...
FLiXER: Entertainment Industry News, September 9, 2009
...Phila McWilliams Pamela Holden Stewart  - Instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Jeff Brooks  - Minister Frances Sternhagen  - Irma Rombauer Brooks Ashmanskas  - Mr. Misher Eric Sheffer Stevens  - Tim Brian Avers  - Garth Kacie Sheik  - Annette Megan Byrne...
Out & About, August 26, 2009
...I) inaugurated monthly feasts that I discovered what I called “the Founding Cookbookers.” I had grown up with Irma Rombauer ’s American recipes, but now I depended on Marcella Hazan (pictured) for Italian, Claudia Rodin for Middle Eastern, Julia...
Arthur Thinks (He Thinks), August 23, 2009
...buys her food.  I don’t remember her books back then.  I know my mother had Irma Rombauer’s Joy of Cooking as a main source (but didn’t everyone in St. Louis?), but I don’t think French cuisine ever entered our house. We do now...
CiteULike: Everyone's library, June 12, 2009
...(31 October 2006)The much anticipated 75th anniversary edition of Irma Rombauer's kitchen classic _Joy of Cooking_ promises to be as indispensable as past editions of this generational favorite. In addition to hundreds of brand-new recipes, this _Joy_ is...