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

[fifi]

Add two. I had to order a couple of "business" books and added Ruhlman's and Wolfert's latest from my wish list to get free shipping. Oh . . . And I got Sara Moulton's Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals so make that 3. (She does some nifty dishes in the oven. My kinda gal.)

[andiesenji]

It has been a while since I posted and I have either purchased or received quite a few books in the past few months.

One important (in my opinion) addition to my collection is the rare Early California Hospitality by Ana Bégué Packman, published in 1938, which contains recipes from the Spanish colonial period in California. Very interesting to read, in addition to the traditional recipes. It is a very special gift.

I also received the Jane Austen Cookbook and Tea with Jane Austen.

Spices of Life by Nina Simonds

The Curry Book of Indian Cuisine by Pat Chapman

Bouchon by Thomas Keller

The Mitford cookbook and Kitchen Reader by Jan Karon

Dessert University by Roland Mesnier

Foie Gras: A Passion by Michael Ginor

Olive Trees and Honey by Gil Marks

and those are just the Christmas loot.

Earlier I got the Nanny Ogg Cookbook by Terry Pratchett (Discworld - parody and statire fantasy for grownups as well as young adults and children.)

Maccaroni and Cheese by Marlena Spieler

Great Grilled Cheese by Laura Werlin (already have Marlena's book on this subject)

The Cooking of Southwest France by Paula Wolfert

The Nancy Drew Cookbook by Carolyn Keene

The Redwall Cookbook by Brian Jacques (I always collect literature-related cookbooks)

The Book Lovers Cookbook by Shaunda Wenger and janet Jensen

Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger

and a special find, signed first editions of (1950) A Book of Mediterranean Food and (1951) French Country Cooking by Elizabeth David - purchased for me at at estate sale in Bristol, UK.

Reference - - -

the new On Food and Cooking by McGee

Not a cookbook but related:

Will Write for Food: The complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Restaurant Reviews, Articles, Memoir, Fiction and More by Dianne Jacob

Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

I forgot that I also got the Chas Addams Half-Baked Cookbook: Culinary Cartoons for the Humorously Famished by Allen Weiss. Absolutely hilarious.

Edited January 15, 2006 by andiesenji (log)

[maggiethecat]

103067. (Wow, andie -- two signed first edition Elizabeth Davids and that cool California book!)

[andiesenji]

103067.  (Wow, andie -- two signed first edition Elizabeth Davids and that cool California book!)

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I feel so lucky that I have friends who are willing to trek around to estate sales and sit around all day waiting to bid on books for me. Vivian collects vintage hats from the 20s and 30s so I will be making a trip down to west L.A. to find something for her.

Even though other people were bidding, she managed to get them for much less than my limit.

[Kim Shook]

JUST got finished putting all my cookbooks back on shelves after Christmas (I am one of those looney Martha wanabes who has so many Christmas decorations that I have to actually pack up my regular stuff so I can put it all out for the holidays ). They are all over the freakin' place. I have a totally cool island in my kitchen that my step-dad built for me - the base is made up of 3 bookshelves with adjustable shelves. That is completely full. The bookshelf in the living room has 2 shelves devoted to food and there are more in the tv cabinet in our bedroom (these are ones I haven't read yet).

I have 182 cookbooks, 31 books about food, wine, cooking, etc. and 3 FEET of magazines. In putting them back and reacquainting myself with the books, I have realized some deficiencies - no Elizabeth David, no second edition of Mastering the Art of French cooking - so I put those on my wishlist. I am especially proud of my complete 16 volume set of 'Family Circle Illustrated Library of Cooking' - which I discovered (to my delight) is the source of many of the photos from the Gallery of Regretable Food. MIL was tossing them and I managed to rescue them .

[MicBacchus]

Add 3 for me - we went to Costco and I succumbed. Even though I walked in and didn't plan on buying something we'd have to pack, I gave in to temptation, leaving with books as well as produce

[Adam Balic]

I have been buying lots of books recently, but this is the most unusual for a while.

Published in Riga (Latvia) 1927, it seems to be a very high class status cookbook. Much of the cooking would have seemed old fashioned in Western Europe, infact even though I can't read the book, I can see that some of the illustrations are direct copies from Careme! So about 100 years out of time. On the other hand there are also many scientific illustrations. A very odd combination and when I manage to find a decent Latvian dictionary I look forward to translating some of it. I have so far worked out one recipe though "American Beef steaks".

The cover

So over the top croutes etc.

Carp and Pike

Pretty much and exact copy of Caremes roast piglet, including the cockscomb and truffle hatelets

Yeast

[Marlene]

Three more for me yesterday.

All from the WS collection:

Vegetables

French

Breakfasts

[ronnie_suburban]

Adam, that is very cool!

Add 2 more for me:

Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery by Jane Grigson

The Gourmet Cookbook edited by Ruth Reichl

=R=

[bloviatrix]

I was just gifted a copy of the Gourmet cookbook by a friend who works for the publisher. She was astounded that among my many books I was missing this volume.

[andrewB]

The piece de la resistance on my collection is a '73 Salvidor Dali cookbook! Goes along next to my Lassere cookbook signed by Mr. Lassere before he died!! It wasn't until i worked at Lassere that i realized most of Dali's book was shot there and they were both great friends. Anyone who brings white stallions and doves into the dining room of his restaurant must have been friends with the original moustache ride!!

Edited January 25, 2006 by andrewB (log)

[heyjude]

Yesterday, I added a book I've wanted for years. It is Geoffrey Holder's Caribbean Cookbook. Way more than I usually spend, but I'm thrilled with it. The illustrations by the author alone are worth the price.

[Richard_D]

Also just got Ferguson Henderson's Nose to Tail eating.

All sounds great and is a good read, but not sure how much of it I'll cook

[ninetofive]

Added to the bookshelves since December:

Mangoes and Curry Leaves, Alford/Duguis

Dinner at Buckingham Palace, Charles Oliver

True Tuscan, Cesare Casella

From My Chateau Kitchen, Anne Willan

Bittersweet, Alice Medrich

The Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver

Nigella Bites, Lawson

Celebrating With Friends, Trish Deseine

Good Cooking, Jill Dupleix

(The last four scored today in the remainder section of a department store!)

[Megan Blocker]

Add one for me! Just got a belated Christmas present - the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.

[ruthcooks]

I've added 10, but got rid of 7 so you can only count 3.

I said I'd check in after I'd read the ones in my last additions, but I haven't even looked at some of them yet. I don't know about you, but I've read one too many cutesy Southern belle cookbook. They all jumbled up into one big Red Hat, Big Ass Sweet Potato Queen, Cake Club, Being Dead is No Excuse Book.

My Christmas books were:

Julie & Julia

( Julie seemed obsessed with her project, but not too passionate about the food)

Are You Really Going to Eat That?

(More laid back than Bourdain, and with all the nasty bits left out)

Take Big Bites

(Ellerbee travels; food plays a second role)

Les Halles

(haven't really looked at that one yet)

Also received:

Food & Wine Annual 2005

(I really don't like these collections, but am always taken in with a really cheap price)

Pie

(if it's pie, it's probably in here)

Serena, Food and Stories

(Disappointing; I was hoping to hear some tales from her celebrity catering)

Best American Recipes 2005-2006

(My favorite series of current CB's, but the formula is getting rather cookie cutter)

The Bread Baker's Apprentice

(haven't looked at this one either but have a new bread machine, so soon)

China Moon Cookbook

(just picked this one up for $5; a great looking book)

[fatmat]

Just got mint copy of The Cookery Book of Lady Clark of Tillypronie (1909)!! very happy. Also just obtained 1861 copy of Eliza Acton's Modern Cookery...

Edited January 28, 2006 by fatmat (log)

[racheld]

Five more, as of two days ago. UPS rang the bell and handed me a hefty package, containing FIVE gorgeous books, immense ones, from a dear new eG friend whose generosity of spirit matches his enthusiasm and talent and kindness.

They are:

FL Cookbook-----Keller

Bouchon-------ditto

Bittersweet----Alice Medrich---- all about DARK chocolate----

A Return to Cooking------Ripert

and!!!!!!

Frank Stitt's Southern Table...a beautiful, mouthwatering trove of good ole Southern cookin'----some gussied up for royalty, and all worthy of a trip to Birmingham, just for a meal at Frank's. Watermelon Margarita!!! you won't believe how good.

We pass through there several times a year, on our way to the coast---gonna stop next time. Sounds like Heaven.

[heyjude]

6 new ones today. Cancelling each other out, Chocolate Sensations and Low-Carb Baking, Cheese, Cooking at De Gustibus, New American Cooking by Joan Nathan and Charcuterie.

[maggiethecat]

103,310, including one for me: The Epicurian by Charles Ranfoher, in CD format.

[sapphos]

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

[ludja]

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

←

Sorry to hear that; it would really hurt for me to leave many behind although there are some that could definately be trimmed out in my collection. Good luck with your move to Buenos Aires though and re-building your cookbook collection down there! I hope we hear about some of your culinary adventures and explorations there.

I picked up a few goodies at a recent booksale:

A Taste of Switzerland by Sue Style

The Chesapeake Bay Cookbook by John Shields

The Food of Southern Italy by Carlo Middione

I got a late Christmas gift too:

Matt Kramer's New California Wine by Matt Kramer (2004) Great book; it's an update from an earlier edition (~ 1994) and has great overviews and insights from all the different CA wine regions as well as specific commentary on many wineries.

I have some gift certificates from Barnes and Noble and Amazon that are driving me crazy--in a good way! I'm trying to decide which books to order...

Edited February 3, 2006 by ludja (log)

[Smithy]

<snip>

Bittersweet----Alice Medrich---- all about DARK  chocolate----

<and more snip>

Frank Stitt's Southern Table...a beautiful, mouthwatering trove of good ole Southern cookin'----some gussied up for royalty, and all worthy of a trip to Birmingham, just for a meal at Frank's.    Watermelon Margarita!!!  you won't believe how good.

We pass through there several times a year, on our way to the coast---gonna stop next time.    Sounds like Heaven.

←

Bless Alice for helping us increase up our uptake of antioxidants!

Isn't that Frank Stitt book just gorgeous? It's the kind of cookbook that makes me sit myself down for a good talking-to. "Now really, just look at all you can learn - and eat - from this one book alone. It's time, truly, to stop buying more cookbooks." I nod solemnly and agree with myself, until (say) Chef John Folse's Encylopedia of Creole and Cajun Cooking leads me cheerfully back through temptation, unto the sin of accumulation.

Add Egyptian Cooking for me. I couldn't resist. It's the first of my Egyptian cookbooks to have photos, it has recipes my other cookbooks don't have, and it includes some cookery from farther west as well.

[Rebecca263]

I just SOLD 11 cookbooks on ePay, and then I turned around and bought 6 new (for me) ones. Nothing great, just some Gourmet editions that kiddle is wanting- little completist. Here's the kicker, though-shipping was 2.00 for the first book, and 1.00 for each additional. The books were priced at between .01 and .40 apiece. My total, for 7 books, mostly HEAVY Gourmet editions? 10.18. PM me, if you want the seller's name, folks, there were lots of books in the under 5 dollar range!

[pork]

Most of my collection:

I get a lot of celebrity cookbooks as presents. To be fair, I've found a lot to like in them. There is at least one dish in my repetoire from each I think.