Editing Joy of Cooking (section)

== Reception ==
''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, ''Joy of Cooking'' became the main reference book for many mid-century American cooks.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/23623/genius-joy-cooking|title=The Genius of the Joy of Cooking|website=Mental Floss|access-date=2016-03-30|date=2010-01-02|archive-date=2016-04-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410201039/http://mentalfloss.com/article/23623/genius-joy-cooking|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/biographies/irma-rombauer/|title=Irma Rombauer: The Joy of Cooking, 1877–1962|website=Harvard Square Library|language=en-US|access-date=2016-03-30|date=2012-07-28|archive-date=2016-03-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330170123/http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/biographies/irma-rombauer/|url-status=live}}</ref>