wife Megan Scott, were responsible for the updates. Reception The Joy of Cooking became a bestseller originally due to its readability for the middle classes and Rombauer's unique style. Her recipes were designed specifically for middle-class people doing most of their own cooking for their family. She specifically tested and practiced the recipes to ensure they could be produced easily in a relatively brief period of time without much complication. Once she combined her witty comments on the cooking and serving with the action method, her cookbook became readily readable by the average cook in America. Moreover, Rombauer paired the conversational style of the recipes with casual discussions of etiquette and hosting. Her methods were distinct from the other cookbooks of the time, which featured many complex recipes, while her style was simple and conversational. By providing an interesting and easy to read cookbook for the middle class, The Joy of Cooking became the main reference book for many mid-century American cooks. Legacy The Joy of Cooking is considered the most popular American cookbook. Julia Child learned to cook from The Joy of Cooking and Gourmet magazine. She enjoyed "Mrs. Joy's Book" and believed it taught her the basic principles of cooking. The book popularized the title formula "The Joy of..." used to indicate an accessible, popular overview of a topic, such as The Joy of Painting (1983), The Joy of Sex (1972), The Joy of Art (2020), The Joy of X: A Guided Tour of Mathematics (2012), The Joy of Living (2007), and even The Joy of Accounting'' (2020). See also Books in the United States References External links Official publication history Biography by author Irma Rombauer's daughter, part of a series of Notable American Unitarian biographies 1931 non-fiction books 1936 non-fiction books American cookbooks Self-published books Bobbs-Merrill Company books