Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Cookbooks – How Many Do You Own? (Part 2)


JAZ

Recommended Posts

Oh oh - please look if you haven't yet. I can't really add this to the tally (though there are a few new purchases, once I figure out which were and which weren't tallied when I ordered them), since I guess it should be counted as one of the estimated 80-odd inherited from my mother; but it's such a marvelous thing that you should see it anyway: the Time Life Picture Cook Book as shown in several pictures in the antepenultimate post of my Glob.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Forgive me, father, it's been only two days since my last confession...

Ruth, I snorted half a martini onto my screen. You are indeed a bad, bad girl. :raz:

65, 0889.

(Lisa...lovely!)

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Went to a few garage sales on Saturday and have to 'fess up to 12 more! (We need a shame-faced smilie.)

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now I'm reading this thread again, and realized I've once again forgotten to order Lisa's book. Is ordering books three days in a row something like chain smoking? I'm refraining for a few days, but "Lobscouse" is definitely at the top of my next order. And perhaps I should order a few of those Patrick O'Brian novels also. Ya think?

Anyway, I just wanted to say that there's another Life cookbook that was a great inspiration in the 70s: "Great Dinners from Life" pub. 1969. I patterned my Salade Nicoise and Cannelloni with Two Sauces after their recipes. In fact, the recipes for these dishes in my cookbook slightly, um, OK, mostly resemble them.

Ruth Dondanville aka "ruthcooks"

“Are you making a statement, or are you making dinner?” Mario Batali

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now I'm reading this thread again, and realized I've once again forgotten to order Lisa's book. Is ordering books three days in a row something like chain smoking? I'm refraining for a few days, but "Lobscouse" is definitely at the top of my next order. And perhaps I should order a few of those Patrick O'Brian novels also. Ya think?

Well... Patrick O'Brian is kind of an all-or-nothing thing. You can love the books or hate them, or you can be utterly indifferent to them, but I've never known anyone to have a lukewarm response. For those who come to him through the food, rather than vice versa, the advantage (if such it be) is that L&SD is pretty heavily larded with passages from the novels, probably enough to give you a flavor of his writing, based on which you can judge whether or not you want to invest in the whole dish. And I use that word "invest" advisedly; it isn't merely a matter of buying 20 books, but one of committing a great deal of time and energy to living in their world. Curiously enough, I stubbornly resisted this last for quite a while when everyone I knew was pressing me to read PO'B; having just come out of a full Trollope-re-read cycle I was wary of another black hole for my time and my mental faculties! Little did I know how right I was about that - which is not in any way to say I regret it for a second.

There is in the O'Brian cult-- er, world, I mean... a whole series of arguments and counter-arguments over whether or not it is better to begin the series at #1. Oy, such an argument! But this is the one venue in which I feel entirely justified, as well as self-serving, in saying: begin with the cookbook. And then you can decide what to read next. :wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Heh. I still can't believe it. I thought the MSE was a steal, for $1- and then as I was leaving, they said, "Oh, we're giving all this away free." I walk over and there is the Time-Life series, all in a crate. I tried to pay them $20 for it but they wouldn't take it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyway, I just wanted to say that there's another Life cookbook that was a great  inspiration in the 70s:  "Great Dinners from Life" pub. 1969.  I patterned my Salade Nicoise and Cannelloni  with Two Sauces after their recipes.  In fact, the recipes for these dishes in my cookbook slightly, um, OK, mostly resemble them.

I have that book in my collection! I have it packed away right now, but I still use some of the recipes, and ideas.

I grew enamoured of it when the meal plans came out in LIFE every month. When they became available in book form, I quickly snatched up the book. That was in the early days of my cookbook collecting.

If I remember correctly, this was the same time frame that Time-Life was still putting out the Foods of The World series. I could be dead wrong about this though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Somebody stop me.

I purchased:

Bread Alone, Daniel Leader

The Village Baker, Joe Ortiz

Classic Sourdoughs, Ed Wood

The Baker's Dozen Cookbook

The Splendid Table, Lynne Rossetto Kasper

and The Whole Beast, Fergus Henderson.

All of 'em used except for Classic Sourdoughs.

"I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast;

but we like hot butter on our breakfast toast!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Somebody stop me.

. . . The Whole Beast, Fergus Henderson.

All of 'em used except for Classic Sourdoughs.

Was that the new U.S. version, or the old U.K.? If the former, how quickly some people give up. :sad: If the latter, that's really a find! (But I warn you, there are a few errors in it. :unsure: )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just received:

From Julia Child's Kitchen

Baking with Julia

Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

Mostly, I want people to be as happy eating my food as I am cooking it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Somebody stop me.

. . .  The Whole Beast, Fergus Henderson.

All of 'em used except for Classic Sourdoughs.

Was that the new U.S. version, or the old U.K.? If the former, how quickly some people give up. :sad: If the latter, that's really a find! (But I warn you, there are a few errors in it. :unsure: )

It's the US edition. A review copy found at the Strand (main store).

"I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast;

but we like hot butter on our breakfast toast!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just received:

From Julia Child's Kitchen

Baking with Julia

Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child

Do we detect a theme here? :biggrin:

I think I'm the only person in the world that didn't own any of Julia's books :blink:

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

Mostly, I want people to be as happy eating my food as I am cooking it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i have about 375 cookbooks. i love to score local ones (c of c or jr league) when i am travelling.

xo

"Animal crackers and cocoa to drink

That is the finest of suppers, I think

When I'm grown up and can have what I please,

I think I shall always insist upon these"

*Christopher Morley

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have 47 cookbooks. I do have a long wishlist of new ones I want to collect...I don't have any Julia Child. :unsure: I know, I know, its embarrassing...but I'm still young and haven't built up my collection yet. I'm also trying to get my MIL to quit thinking that giving me cookbooks is NOT a sign that she thinks I'm not a good cook. (I don't know where she gets this stuff. :wacko: ) That kitchen advertisement with all the bookshelves is actually my idea of the perfect kitchen. :biggrin:

it just makes me want to sit down and eat a bag of sugar chased down by a bag of flour.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Friends of the Napa Library Sale started this weekend. I WILL have more to post by the end of the week.

Dave Valentin

Retired Explosive Detection K9 Handler

"So, what if we've got it all backwards?" asks my son.

"Got what backwards?" I ask.

"What if chicken tastes like rattlesnake?" My son, the Einstein of the family.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That kitchen advertisement with all the bookshelves is actually my idea of the perfect kitchen. :biggrin:

Me too. And dumplin, this thread isn't a contest; if it were, I would be nowhere near the front of the pack! (Keep working on the MIL.)

65,553.

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just received:

From Julia Child's Kitchen

Baking with Julia

Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child

Do we detect a theme here? :biggrin:

I think I'm the only person in the world that didn't own any of Julia's books :blink:

Good heavens, then replace that :blink: with a :biggrin: ! How wonderful to be able to look forward to reading all those for the first time! Or even if you've read them or dipped into them before, owning them is a whole different gig. When they're yours you can gloat and savor whenever you feel like it. You'll usually feel like it. I don't have the newer ones of those, but I can't remember a time when I didn't have Mastering the Art and when it wasn't my primary bible for any question of technique or appropriateness. (I also have one of the "French Chef" collections, and that is sheer fun reading.)

This is an occasion for rejoicing. Put on your party hat! :biggrin:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just got home from the first trip to the Napa Friends of the Library sale.

I scored pretty big (in my book, pun intended)

Amy Vanderbilts's Complete Cookbook, first edition, published 1961

James Beard's Menus for Entertaining, first edition, 1965 EXCELLENT condition

Craig Claiborne's Cooking with Herbs and Spices, 2nd edition

Julia's The French Chef, 1968 edition, also in EXCELLENT conditon

A leather bound 1950 edition of The Gourmet Cookbook, 781 pages!

and the real find, located in the History section, not the cooking section:

Tante Marie's French Kitchen, which is the first english translation of La Veritable Cuisine de Famille par Tante Marie, 1949.

I meant to say, first trip THIS sale for the Friends of the Library. There are normally 3 or 4 of these sales a year, about a week in duration.

Edited by Bombdog (log)

Dave Valentin

Retired Explosive Detection K9 Handler

"So, what if we've got it all backwards?" asks my son.

"Got what backwards?" I ask.

"What if chicken tastes like rattlesnake?" My son, the Einstein of the family.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...