Cookbooks – How Many Do You Own? (Part 4)

[Rebecca263]

Add 7 'new' books to my already over stuffed cases and boxes: Jewish Cookery, Joy of Cooking(everyone talks about it!, Chinese Gastronomy, Foods From Harvest Festivals and Folk Fairs, Cooking Without a Kitchen,It's A Picnic! and1947 Nat'l Council of Jewish Women's cookbook (Spiral bound!). 10cents American each.

I bought a few hundred other books, but the other cookbooks are all doubles of things I've got.

[Megan Blocker]

Add one for me!

I bought the new Cooking of Southwest France today with a B&N card my friend Lisa gave me for Christmas. I am SO excited. I'm still reading the introduction - but like a kid on Christmas morning, I have to admit that I did skip ahead and peek at the pictures.

I can't wait to start cooking from this one.

[maggiethecat]

sadly, I am having to sell most of my cookbook collection because I can't take them all to Buenos Aires 

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That sounds like the first sentence of a novel I'd like to read.

103.329

[Priscilla]

Found a very nice copy of Richard Olney's Provence the Beautiful cookbook at a little used-book bookstore I'd not been in before, tucked in among the antique stores who were putting on their now-and-again outdoor flea market, which was what we were perambulating.

[heyjude]

Big week for me with both new and used. Please add 16 which includes All-American Desserts, Eat this book, a Claudia Roden Mediterranean Cookery, Asian Fusion with lots of color pix, A Craig Claiborne Herbs and Spices and even my first Emeril.

[Alex]

Just ordered: The Best Recipes in the World, by Mark Bittman -- an oddly compelling mish-mash, er, compendium of recipes from all over the world.

[BarbaraY]

Add 7 'new' books to my already over stuffed cases and boxes: Jewish Cookery, Joy of Cooking(everyone talks about it!, Chinese Gastronomy, Foods From Harvest Festivals and Folk Fairs, Cooking Without a Kitchen,It's A Picnic! and1947 Nat'l Council of Jewish Women's cookbook (Spiral bound!). 10cents American each.

I bought a few hundred other books, but the other cookbooks are all doubles of things I've got.

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Have you started reading Chinese Gastronomy yet? I bought it way before internet from some obscure mail order place. I find it absolutely fascinating and you can hear their voices as you read.

[Lana]

I just saw this thread.

You can add on my meager 52.

[gaines]

First Post. Wheee!

According to my Cookbook List (which hasn't been updated since 30 Sep 2005), I have 419. I would expect I'm closer to 450 now.

For magazines, I have a complete run of Saveur (I almost missed #89, but found it misfiled in a Borders last week - my guardian angel must be a cookbook lover), a complete run of Fine Cooking, and a complete run of the modern Cooks. Also a 25 year collection of Bon Appetit that's only missing a few. Missing a few Gastronomica, but that is readily fixable.

I just moved to larger digs, and will have everything unpacked soon. Upgrading to all Intermetro shelving. It has a clean look, doesn't collect much dust, and you can really load it up with books. My old shelves were warping from the load.

Someone mentioned "Chinese Gastronomy." Would that be the the one published in 1969 by Hastings House? A fascinating book.

I love cookbooks, and love cooking, but hate cleaning up. So I eat out, and the cookbooks are for mostly for reading.

Gotta go. I'm in SF, and have an 8PM at a place with the fascinating name of Medicine Eatstation.

[mrsadm]

First Post. Wheee!

According to my Cookbook List (which hasn't been updated since 30 Sep 2005), I have 419. I would expect I'm closer to 450 now.

For magazines, I have a complete run of Saveur (I almost missed #89, but found it misfiled in a Borders last week - my guardian angel must be a cookbook lover), a complete run of Fine Cooking, and a complete run of the modern Cooks. Also a 25 year collection of Bon Appetit that's only missing a few. Missing a few Gastronomica, but that is readily fixable.

I just moved to larger digs, and will have everything unpacked soon. Upgrading to all Intermetro shelving. It has a clean look, doesn't collect much dust, and you can really load it up with books. My old shelves were warping from the load.

Someone mentioned "Chinese Gastronomy." Would that be the the one published in 1969 by Hastings House? A fascinating book.

I love cookbooks, and love cooking, but hate cleaning up. So I eat out, and the cookbooks are for mostly for reading.

Gotta go. I'm in SF, and have an 8PM at a place with the fascinating name of Medicine Eatstation.

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Welcome to egullet, gaines! What in the word is "Medicine Eatstation"? (Maybe for another thread)

I've added about 25 cookbooks since my earlier post in this thread.

Edited March 4, 2006 by mrsadm (log)

[bloviatrix]

Just picked up Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen. As I was paying for it, the guy helping me commented "Ooo, that looks good."

[heyjude]

I came home from Portland with a small bundle from Powell's that included the magnificent DK Herbs and Spices by Jill Norman, an Edna Lewis, Baking from the Heart and Martha Stewart's Entertaining which somehow I'd never even looked at before. And I replaced The Good Cook: Pasta which had mildewed. That was a first. So, add four.

[etalanian]

I have 4 shelves in the basement, 2 in the family room, 6 at the end of my kitchen island, 4 in my office, 32 lining my dining room walls, and stacked piles of spillover that I can't fit anywhere. I have a very tolerant husband. Of course, the reason he married me is because I can bake and cook well.

I've been collecting for many more years than I want to admit. Last time I counted (which was several years ago) I had around 3,600. I have over 4000 now, but only count me in as 3,600. I will report back in a while after I make a new count. This doesn't include the promotional brochures from the early 20th century.

The oldest cookbook and my favorite is from the late 1700's. It has a fold-out monthly menu page. But the majority of my books are from the past 25 years.

I am surprised at the sophistication of cooking in the 19th and early 20th centuries and even earlier. And it is interesting to note the changes in recipes in the 1920's and 30's when ovens with working thermostats were introduced.

Every time I start to catalog them I don't have the time to finish.

Eileen

[Smithy]

I hadn't thought about how cookbooks would change as thermostats became routine equipment. Of course! That's an interesting note.

Add two more for me. My best friend gave me a copy of hallelujah! the welcome table by Maya Angelou. It's as much a memoir as it is a cookbook, and it's wonderful.

More recently, I acquired The Arab Table by May S. Bsisu. In addition to the standards, it has recipes I haven't run across in any other Middle Eastern cookbooks or over in the Africa and Middle East forum. There's yet another take on the elusive Garlic Sauce that crops up in so many cuisines and that I'm still trying to perfect to my tastes.

[Bricktop]

For magazines, I have a complete run of Saveur [...,] a complete run of Fine Cooking, and a complete run of the modern Cooks.

Same here. Also, I have the complete original set of Cooks, a complete run of MSL (not really just food though) and Gourmet back to 1980. And about 500 cookbooks.

[ludja]

I have 4 shelves in the basement, 2 in the family room, 6 at the end of my kitchen island, 4 in my office, 32 lining my dining room walls, and stacked piles of spillover that I can't fit anywhere. I have a very tolerant husband. Of course, the reason he married me is because I can bake and cook well.

I've been collecting for many more years than I want to admit. Last time I counted (which was several years ago) I had around 3,600. I have over 4000 now, but only count me in as 3,600. I will report back in a while after I make a new count. This doesn't include the promotional brochures from the early 20th century.

...

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Amazing etalanian! Your post is so enabling. If I get grief about my collection I can point to yours as a counterpoint! I've just decided that I should probably catalogue and index my collection. In that huge collection do you have some sub-specialities with respect to a particular cuisine or region?

I found a book at a library booksale that I've taken out of the library several times: Linda Dannenberg's "Paris Bistro Cooking". It will be nice to have this alongside her book "Paris Boulangerie and Patisserie".

[maggiethecat]

I actually misplaced my calculator, so I'm thanking Miss Mitchell, my third grade teacher and adding it up with a pencil and paper, the old-fashioned way.

107, 882.

Welcome gaines! It makes me happy that so many folks choose this thread to make their eGullet debuts. Let's hear lots from you on all kinds of topics.

etalanian, you are an official heavy-hitter.

[Rebecca263]

About to start it, tomorrow. I'll let you know. BTW, the Joy of Cooking? Eh, not so much a joy to me, I just don't get the charm. I'm more for the narrower interest books, myself. JOC is going up on the block next week. As usual! There was a period of time when I had over fifty various copies in my shop, many years ago! I sold them for a buck apiece, and gave them away with purchases of 12 books, as my 'bakers' dozen' special! OT, Star Trek books and romance novels were other give aways. Can you say ubiquitous? A local shop has a dozen copies of JOC right now. Poor guy. They're all recent editions. Worthless.

Have you started reading Chinese Gastronomy yet? I bought it way before internet from some obscure mail order place. I find it absolutely fascinating and you can hear their voices as you read.

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[WHS]

Most people go to India and buy...silk?...handicrafts?...antiques?...drugs?...

We bought cookbooks. We schlepped back 5 books on South Indian cooking after a three week stay. To top it off, we just ordered and received another one: "La Porte des Indes", which looks at the French influence on Indian cooking (yes, we visited Pondicherry).

[Priscilla]

I found a book at a library booksale that I've taken out of the library several times: Linda Dannenberg's "Paris Bistro Cooking".  It will be nice to have this alongside her book "Paris Boulangerie and Patisserie".

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Waaah. I want PBC next to MY copy of PB&P.

Yesterday scored for a buck a crispy-newlike Mayhaw-Man-endorsed Cotton Country Collection. Have been meaning to buy regular-price for ages, but the gods of thrift shopping finally hadda step in. Happens.

[Josefinajoisey]

Wow. This brought me joy.

I have 83 cookbooks.

PLUS the many issues of Cooks Illustrated

PLUS the issues of Cooks Country

PLUS the 3 volumes of recipes that I have cut out from various magazines (which will be the first things grabbed if..god forbid...there's a fire)

PLUS the spiral bound 'cookbook' that I self-published (via Kinko's) to give to family as a Christmas present.

Thanks for this one. You made my day today, and I needed it.

[ludja]

I found a book at a library booksale that I've taken out of the library several times: Linda Dannenberg's "Paris Bistro Cooking".  It will be nice to have this alongside her book "Paris Boulangerie and Patisserie".

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Waaah. I want PBC next to MY copy of PB&P.

Yesterday scored for a buck a crispy-newlike Mayhaw-Man-endorsed Cotton Country Collection. Have been meaning to buy regular-price for ages, but the gods of thrift shopping finally hadda step in. Happens.

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We share a mutual envy, Priscilla---I bet I would really like the "Cotton Country Collection" as well.

It may be too difficult to describe, but how do you see it fitting in with other Southern Cookbooks, if you have them. (Maybe if I look back at Mayhaw Man's previous posts I can get an idea here as well.) A silly question probably, but are the recipes mainly Cajun/Creole?

[Marlene]

8 over the last few weeks including Gourmet, Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, and a few more from the William Sonoma collection.

[MicBacchus]

3 more for me - The Best American Recipes 2005-6, The Vineyard Kitchen, and Chef Interrupted (for those days when there isn't much time to cook). I absolutely cannot buy any more cookbooks until after we've moved in June!! Oh, no...there's a 20% off coupon attached to my receipt

Edited March 29, 2006 by MicBacchus (log)

[maggiethecat]

Priscilla: great score on the Cotton Country Collection! But, you see, your good karma begets cookbook karma.

That's 107, 990, including a new one for me: Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen which arrived today. I'm excited! I've been cooking Mexican from her Serene Highness Diana Kennedy for all these years, always worrying that her eagle-eye would spot some minor inauthenticity, and I'd have to stand in the corner. After browsing Rick for sixty pages I feel fearless and confident.