Which Cookbooks Sell?

What are the current best-selling cookbooks? It depends on whom you ask. We asked some L.A. booksellers and this is what they had to say:

Dutton’s, North Hollywood

* “Joy of Cooking,” by Irma S. Rombauer & Marion R. Becker (Macmillan; $19.95).

* “La France Gastronomique,” by Anne Willan (Arcade; $35).

* Any of the MFK Fisher books, “even though they really aren’t cookbooks.”

Book Nook, Santa Monica

* “Entertaining Light,” by Martha Rose Shulman (Bantam; $25).

* “Verdura,” by Viana La Place (William Morrow; $22.95).

* “The Italian Baker,” by Carol Field (HarperCollins; $29.95).

Walden Books, Pasadena

* “Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book,” (Meredith Books; $19.95).

* “The Frugal Gourmet Celebrates Christmas,” by Jeff Smith (William Morrow; $25).

* “Martha Stewart’s Christmas,” (Crown; $21.95).

Brentano’s, Century City

* “Adventures in the Kitchen,” by Wolfgang Puck (Random House; $30).

* “Bel Air Cookbook,” by Norman Kolpas with George Mahaffery (Crown; $50).

* “Mexico the Beautiful Cookbook,” recipes by Susanna Palazuelos, text by Marilyn Tausend, photographs by Ignacio Urquiza (HarperCollins; $45).

Williams Sonoma, Beverly Center

* “The New Basics Cookbook” by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins (Workman; $18.95).

* “Cucina Fresca,” by Viana La Place & Evan Kleiman (HarperCollins; $12.95).

* “Chicken,” by James McNair (Chronicle; $19.95). “The pictures are great and the recipes work.”

Cook’s Library, Los Angeles

* “Cucina Rustica,” by Viana La Place & Evan Kleiman (William Morrow; $19.95).

* “Simply French: Patricia Wells Presents the Cuisine of Joel Robuchon,” (William Morrow; $30).

* “Verdura.”

* “Adventures in the Kitchen.”

Chevalier’s Books, Larchmont

* “The New Basics Cookbook.”

* “Anything with Wolfgang Puck’s name goes.”

* “The Cucinas (“Cucina Rustica,” “Cucina Fresca”) do real good.”

Super Crown, Glendale

* “Joy of Cooking.”

* “Adventures in the Kitchen.”

* “Mexico the Beautiful.”

* “Rose’s Christmas Cookies,” by Rose L. Beranbaum (William Morrow; $19.95).

* “Ciao Italia: Traditional Italian Recipes From Family Kitchens,” by Mary A. Esposito (Hearst Books; $20).

* “Sweet Miniatures: The Art of Making Bite-Size Pastries,” by Flo Braker (William Morrow; $25). “A surprise seller.”

BookStar, Beverly Center

* “The Frugal Gourmet Celebrates Christmas.”

* “Betty Crocker’s 40th Anniversary Cookbook” (Prentice Hall; $22).

* “Pioneer Lady’s Country Christmas,” by Jane W. Hopping (Random House; $19.95). “People love it because it’s old-fashioned.”