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

[maggiethecat]

244,882. Good work! Make that 244, 884 -- we got our McGee this Christmas and the Michel Richard, which looks like a whole lotta fun

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We went from 122,025 to 244,884 in two weeks? Someone must have added a heck of a collection.

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Blush. Perhaps I'm not the pro at the ten key? Yikes, I'll have to back and recalc. And yeah, I'll talk to Mr. Amirault about moving the thread to the cookbook forum.

One more for me: Mrs. Rowe's Restaurant Cookbook , a cookbook from a Southern diner. OK, we'll make that 144, 885.

[srhcb]

As some of you know, I have been collecting cookbooks for a long time (over 40 years) and have many treasures. Because we have downsized, I've let go of a few, but the collection is growing, again. I got over 40 during the holiday season. These included great books like Dorie Greenspan's Baking and Happy in the Kitchen, good books like Cindy Pawlcyn's Big Small Plates, and The Worst book, not even one of the worst, I've ever seen. Any one I've shown it to has agreed and then some. I was asked if it is a joke. My question to you is should I post negative reviews here, on Amazon and on ecookbooks.com? I've never done that and I'm reluctant to start, now. My upbringing was firmly in the "If you don't have anything good to say" model. I've been so ambivalent about this, that I actually called the photographer, who has worked on several very successful books, including a Best of the Year, to ask him about his experience. He was incredibly nice both to me and the author. So, I'm still agonizing. This is not a self-published or vanity press book. It's out there for anyone to find. I'm not grandiose enough to think my criticism will have a huge impact, but I also don't want to be cruel. I assume the author does check the websites to see how she's doing. Please, help me make a decision.

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I'd silently let it pass, unless specifically asked for an opinion, and even then I'd tread lightly. There are plenty of other critics out there only too willing to do the dirty work.

If it's really "The Worst", sales figures will make the author feel bad enough?

SB (two cents, please )

[lovebenton0]

add five books for me.

barefoot contessa at home [holiday gift from sil]

and four i picked up for 50 cents each at the local thrift store.

most notable, at least most interesting to me, were two frugal gourmet cookbooks

fg on our immigrant ancestors

fg on three ancient traditions [china/rome/greece]

vegetables [by cook's illustrated]

love yourself [cooking for one or two]

[heyjude]

I've decided to bite my tongue, but PM me if you want to know the book. I'd like to hear what you all have to say, but don't buy it. I'm sure you can sit and read it at B&N. And please add 6 more for me including Bite Size by Francois Payard, Baking Boot Camp by The CIA and Darra Goldstein, 2 by Marco Pierre White, and Breakfast Lunch Tea. Maggie, it will be great to have us back where we belong.

[hummingbirdkiss]

385 counted so far (but there are more I just got sick of counting) on shelves and strewn about the house

[heyjude]

A bunch more from Jessica's Biscuit. I'd love to know how many books their best customers buy. I may be way behind many other collectors, but I try. New include Artisan Patisserie for the Home Baker, Cheese, Glorious Cheese and Chez Jacques with a signed book plate. Several titles were back ordered, so for now, add 7 and I'll post more when they arrive.

[SuzySushi]

3 more for me:

Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian cookbook, The Complete Vietnamese Cookbook by Ghillie Basan, (a promotional book from Hermes House), and The Folk Art of Japanese Country Cooking by Gaku Homma (an older book someone recommended in another eGullet thread).

Edited March 12, 2007 by SuzySushi (log)

[ludja]

^I've heard good things from a friend regarding Jaffrey's "World Vegetarian" cookbook. Not a big surprise that it is good given Jaffrey's trackrecord but the friend said he was really cooking out of it a lot!

I picked up an interesting book at a library booksale yesterday: Cuisines of Europe by Tony Schmaeling (1985).

Despite the fact it covers so many countries which might lead one to expect less in some ways, it seems to have a really interesting collection of traditional recipes. I'm relatively familiar with dishes from Germany,Austria, Switzerland and Hungary and have quite a few cookbooks from each country but there were unique dishes that I'd not seen in other books. The author grew up in Poland and then became a restauranteur in Australia. The book is out of print and I did not see any Amazon reviews although there are used copies available.

Edited March 12, 2007 by ludja (log)

[maggiethecat]

Maggie, it will be great to have us back where we belong.

I agree. Why am I hearing something about where eagles fly?

145,289.

[heyjude]

Just 2 today. The Lee Brothers Southern Cooking and Coffee Cakes by Lou Seibert Pappas.

[laurelm]

My parents just picked me up a box at an estate sale (well boxes, but I chose a box worth), I dont even know all the names yet, but add another 11

So happy!

Edited March 20, 2007 by laurelm (log)

[muichoi]

About 1300.

[maggiethecat]

146,602.

muichoi, I am not worthy.

[heyjude]

I got two copies of The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink edited by Andrew F. Smith, one for me and one for mamster. It is too heavy to read in bed.

[Alex]

OK, OK, I know I said I wasn't going to buy any more cookbooks, but Ms. Alex took this one out of the library and really liked it (and, I must confess, I did, too): Arabesque, by Claudia Roden.

[C. sapidus]

Two new ones:

Crying Tiger: Thai Recipes from the Heart by Supatra Johnson

Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province by Fuchsia Dunlop

[Fibilou]

About 150 and loads of magazines. Haven't bought a new cookbook for ages.. well at least 3 weeks ! Amazon is a dangerous website

Edited April 9, 2007 by Fibilou (log)

[Smithy]

... Amazon is a dangerous website

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So is Barnes&Noble.com. It isn't the web site itself, it's those darned promotional coupons they send out in the email. I know I could still get the book cheaper if I waited, or perhaps on Amazon, but...but... *sigh*

...add Giada DeLaurentis' Everyday Pasta for me. I'm sure I've forgotten to update my count for a while, but this is the weekend take, so it's the one I'll add.

I so do not need another cookbook...!

[heyjude]

This has been a fabulous week with a total of 63 (yes, sixty-three) new and used cookbooks. Some are from my trip to NYC and just arrived by media mail, a couple were from Jessica's Biscuit and 25 are from members only night at the Friends of the Library sale. They include everything from 3 gorgeous copies of Jacques Pepins Art of Cooking and La Technique, Olney's Simple French Food, Chez Panisse Desserts and The Browns' America Cooks to two piristine Fine Cooking Annuals and on to Nancy Silverton's latest, A Twist of the Wrist. I'm so happy.

[Bueno]

135 - Mostly big, beautiful coffee table books with lots of glorious food porn, with a modest showing of the genre's all-time best (Zuni, Hot Sour Salty Sweet, Julia books, Bittman, Hazaan, Bastianich, etc.)

[judiu]

Wow; I've been slacking! Add ten for me, if we're counting books about food and cooking (Cooked and my free copy of The Nasty Bits) and eight if not. I even bought a copy of The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook off e-bay, only to discover when it arrived that I already had the damned thing! Oh, well, it'll be donated to a Chinese Auction later this year for my club...

[snowangel]

Add one, and a very special one at that. A gift from a friend whose mother is cleaning house, and discovered that she had not one, but two copies of Florence Lin's Complete Book of Chinese Noodles, Dumplings and Breads. Mint condition (never opened, it appears).

[Toliver]

Add one, and a very special one at that.  A gift from a friend whose mother is cleaning house, and discovered that she had not one, but two copies of Florence Lin's Complete Book of Chinese Noodles, Dumplings and Breads.  Mint condition (never opened, it appears).

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CHA-CHING!

That out-of-print cookbook is going for huge $$$ these days.

Congratulations!

[heyjude]

I just received a nice box from Jessica's Biscuit with all kinds of books including just about all of the new baking and/or dessert books. Among them: The Art of the Dessert and Panna Cotta. I also made a special trip to pick up a book FWED said was a must have. It is Chocolate by Jan Hedh, translated from the Swedish and republished by Barnes and Noble Bargain books. See if they have one at your local B&N. It's a steal at $9.98 and they said it probably won't have a second printing. So, please add 18 for me.

[Terrasanct]

I can't add my cookbooks to the count because I just have too many, but I just got one that I had to mention. It's just called "The Bread Book" by Linda Collister and Anthony Blake. It has the most amazing collection of bread recipes--things like grebble, bacon loaf, smithy loaf, hoe cakes, lavash, fadge, pupusas, griddle oatcakes, challah, couronne, and tons of others. Does anyone have this one? I'm curious how the recipes are.