Saturday, January 18, 2014

Because Cookbooks Rule, I Need Cookbook Rules :)

Sorry for the silly play on words, but I couldn't resist! When I wrote my previous Golden Rule of Book-Buying post, the one genre it really did not cover was cookbooks since they are not books I typically sit down and read cover to cover. I do enjoy reading them, but it's a different type of experience. I enjoy good food writing, but for me a cookbook is first and foremost a guide to help me prepare delicious food -- gorgeous photography or artwork never hurt, but the recipes need to be appealing. I don't write much about them here (though I'd like to read more food-related books this year), but suffice it to say I have plenty. I won't promise to buy no new cookbooks because there is almost no chance I would actually hold myself to such a declaration.


Since cookbooks don't add to my reading pile per se and are inherently useful, I think giving myself a yearly limit for this particular category is the best way to go. This probably sounds like a high limit to most people, but I've decided to set my absolute maximum at 10 for the year. I am afraid to tally up how many cookbooks I purchased in 2013, but I can guarantee the number is a lot higher than 10. (House-stress-induced-cookbook-buying is a real thing, just saying.) Even when I didn't have much time to cook, it was still nice to dream of all the delicious things I could make in my new kitchen. A bit crazy maybe, but nice nonetheless.

I will also be making a more conscious effort to sift though the cookbooks I have and donate, give away, trade-in, or sell the ones I am no longer interested in. As I've mentioned before, with so many of our house projects finally finished, I've re-committed to cooking and baking more regularly and trying more new recipes from all these fabulous books with the help of the awesome website I work for, Eat Your Books. Of course that makes me biased, but if anyone else is a cookbook nut like me, it really is worth checking out. (And in the interest of full disclosure, I was a paying member of the site long before I was hired, so I hope that counts for something when you consider my recommendation.) Want to take a peek at my cookbook shelves? I also added a widget linking to my collection on my sidebar (and for the record, the total number includes ebooks & magazines -- I don't actually have 321 physical cookbooks on my shelves...yet. Our house is essentially turning into a library. Not a bad thing, right?)

This now officially concludes all New Year/goal/resolution related posts -- now on to a year full of good reading, good books, and good food!

12 comments:

  1. Are you really over 300 cookbooks? Do they actually all fit in the kitchen bookshelves?!? And as someone who has known you for let's-not-tally-them-up years I can attest that if anyone I know would ever have "House-stress-induced-cookbook-buying" it would be you, lol.

    However, if you're looking to get rid of some cookbooks, you know who you can call to take some from you. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Physical books number around 290 -- the rest are ebooks and magazines -- and believe it or not, yes they do all fit on the kitchen shelves (minus a few that are memoirs with some recipes mixed in that I shelved in the living room with the other memoirs/nonfiction. Yes, there are sections in my house, just like a library -- do you think I should label them with Dewey Decimal numbers? LOL). Apparently I'm rubbing off on you after all these years!

      Delete
  2. I'm not huge on cookbooks since I'm not that adventurous when it comes to cooking however I have been piqued by Sally's Baking Addiction book (I love her blog!). I get what you mean by a cookbook not being like an actual book though. And no, your home turning in to a library is most definitely not a bad thing!
    :-)
    Bits & Bobs

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love her blog too! I probably bookmark more than half her recipes to try, so that's why I'm thinking I definitely need to add her new book to my collection :)

      I like to try all different new recipes, but am most adventurous with baking. That's probably because I started baking years before I ever even starting learning to cook and definitely have more confidence in that area. And besides, there is rarely a worry that a new sweet recipe won't be well received by friends & family because who doesn't like dessert?!

      Delete
  3. I really love cookbooks and need to start using mine more. It is tough, though, with Pinterest and so many blog easily on my laptop.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I find recipes online too and have binders full of print-outs -- everything just looks so good! The site I work for is really good for helping me make better use of my cookbooks because the simplest way to describe it is as search engine for your personal collection -- I type in ingredients or a kind of dish I want to make, and the results I get are for recipes in my own books. Of course, I'm a bit biased, but I really do think it is the best of both the print & digital worlds :)

      Delete
  4. I know you are a cookbook fan so I'm surprised you don't already have a set of rules when purchasing them. ;) I usually just get recipes from the internet, and will occasionally pick up a cookbook from the library, but I'm not that big on cooking. Those ones you have your eye on though look really good!

    p.s. I think it is totally fine if your house is turning into a library.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If I had rules before now, my collection probably wouldn't have grown quite so fast, LOL. But I love filling in the gaps in all the different areas of my cooking/baking interests and have gotten to the point where I really should be very selective about any more additions.

      Cookbooks from the library are awesome! Most of the time I borrow them for a test-run to see if they are books I would actually like to add to my collection which is very helpful. My library has a really excellent selection.

      Delete
  5. I love a good cookbook, but have nowhere near as many as you! I'm very fussy and loyal to certain chefs/brands.

    Love the look of the Fresh From the Farm book :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I definitely have my favorite authors as well -- if one of them comes out with a new book, even if I don't really *need* another book on that particular subject, I can't help myself from adding it to the collection. And the collection grew quite rapidly partly due to purchasing backlist books after discovering a new favorite -- I just can't beat the assurance I get from an author's recipes I've found to be reliable (& delicious) on a consistent basis :)

      Delete
  6. I have a few (not a lot) of cookbooks because I want to start making meals. (Work feeds me for free) but they just collect dust. I love your cookbook collection. I wish I had the time to make four course meals at home. That would be amazing. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't think I've ever made a four-course meal, but I do love to cook -- I wish I had more time for it myself :)

      Delete

I'd love to hear what you think :)