Cookbooks – How Many Do You Own? (Part 1)

[Wendy DeBord]

I'm a baking book junkie. I have tooooo many to count. Let's just say it's vertually impossible to find a baking book at the book store that I don't own.

I have 3 bookshelfs that are 7' tall by 3' wide, with 6 shelfs per unit and they are full.

Don't tell my Hubby but it's about a $4,000 a year habit, not including magazines.

Hey it's a write off, that's one of my excuses.

Edited July 17, 2003 by Sinclair (log)

[browniebaker]

I love cookbooks and would be crowded out of house and home by them if I did not purposefully limit myself to the three feet of countertop next to the refrigerator; the space is full, and any new cookbook I purchase means the removal of one or more on the countertop, to accomodate the new one. I have to be very selective in my purchases.

One thing I do is borrow the new releases from the public library to decide whether to buy. The other day, the librarian asked me, "Are you still checking out a lot of cookbooks, or are you over that phase?" I replied, "It's not a phase!" He wasn't aware that there are times of the year when the new cookbooks are released by publishers, and that now is a slow period.

Edited July 17, 2003 by browniebaker (log)

[maggiethecat]

Sinclair, using the Wolfert formula, I'm going to say 600. All baking? Wow. (Around here a cookbook habit soesn't raise too many eyebrows!)

Browniebaker, let's call it thirty.

38, 469.

[bloviatrix]

I just snuck into the house Pat Willard's book about Saffron - I got it on sale for $7.

[maggiethecat]

38, 470. 7.28 miles.

[Hest88]

30? Give or take.

[mcdowell]

I just snuck into the house Pat Willard's book about Saffron - I got it on sale for $7.

Seems to be a theme here of people sneaking books into their houses.

I just today snuck in Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking.

I'll slide it on the shelf next to the others that are similar, then slowly start taking it out. Maybe she won't notice.

[Mottmott]

Seems to be a theme here of people sneaking books into their houses.

As I live alone, I needn't sneak em in, but I feel guilty about having so many and I store them upstairs.

Oh, and I've added about 20 books since I posted earlier.

[Allen]

How about another thread... How many menus have you "borrowed"?

[maggiethecat]

How about another thread...  How many menus have you "borrowed"?

Go for it, Allen.

38,521.

Yeah, talk about a furtive bunch! These are just cookbooks! Remind your SO that you could be sneaking in things much more disreptutable.

[Allen]

Furtive... Furtive...

Damn, now I have to steal a dictionary too?

[JAZ]

Add five more for me (sale at work).

[Eric_Malson]

Hmmm....more than I thought--about 50.

I feel retarded. But since I've also accumulated 1,000 LPs, almost as many CDs, over 2,000 musical scores, and probably close to 1,000 books of literature, I suppose it's, in some way, excusable.

Maggie, didn't I notice a disparaging remark from you somewhere about Elizabeth David's writing? I'm so disappointed, fellow Hon...she is one of my cooking heroes. I love her writing, and find I return to her books more often than any of my others.

[Lan4Dawg]

you made me go & count, 212.

The Fuss gives grief to me for having as many as I do & wants to know "why?" whenever I buy another. I showed this thread to her to prove that my collection is "tame". Her response is that we are a sick bunch of people. ":^)

She did, however, build all of the bookshelves on which they are perched. Yes, she built the bookshelves for my cookbooks w/ her table saw.

We have an interesting relationship.

[heyjude]

I got a wonderful Grandmother-to-be present from a friend called All About Feeding Children by Milton J.E. senn, M.D. and Phyllis Krafft Newill. It was published in 1944 by Doubleday and subtitled The Established Authority on the Planning and Preparation of Child Diets. There is a lovely dustjacket illustrated with pictures of four stages of eating in a young child's life, starting with a bottle. The book is older than I am, but probably has many more offspring. I also got Caprial and John's Kitchen which I think is their best yet. I'll really cook from this one. So, two more for me.

[maggiethecat]

Maggie, didn't I notice a disparaging remark from you somewhere about Elizabeth David's writing?  I'm so disappointed, fellow Hon...she is one of my cooking heroes.  I love her writing, and find I return to her books more often than any of my others.

My fellow Hon, Eric: Heaven forfend! Mrs. David rules. My comment, referring to the preface to de Pomianes's cookbook was "The Icy Prose Goddess of English Food Writing, " but I also said this piece alone was worth the price of the book. Icy can work, if you're a Prose Goddess!

38, 970.

[Eric_Malson]

Whew! I'm so relieved!

I should have found the post in question and reread it before posting, but I could not remember what thread it was in, or even what it referred to. I guess I just fixated on the epithet "icy", which would not necessarily be my assessment of her style. Goddess, she is.

[bao]

Just recently, I pared down my collection from 535 to 172.

My favorites: the Cook's Illustrated annuals, The Good Cook set from Time-Life, and my 19 dim sum books.

awbrig Posted: Feb 21 2003, 01:59 PM

how much money could we raise if we sell them all on ebay?!?

I could give you a pretty good idea!!

Edited July 21, 2003 by Kristina Motyka (log)

[bao]

And it ain't some friggin' contest!  Many great cooks have few books, and many non-cooks own lots.

"The more you know, the less you need." - Aboriginal saying

[maggiethecat]

39, 142. Thanks, Kristina.

[laurenmilan]

Wow, I've been beat by a mile. I have 67.

On the other hand I do have over 5,000 recipes stored on my computer from various web sites (as well as over 200 web sites bookmarked for recipes along and a "recipe file" on epicurious.com that's currently, oh, 350+ strong...

IF it weren't for the internet, that'd probably be another few hundred I'd be blowing each year on cookbooks I may or may not use (I have used maybe 50% of my cookbooks at least once, 20% more than once.)

Edited July 23, 2003 by laurenmilan (log)

[Dave the Cook]

. . . I should have found the post in question and reread it before posting, but I could not remember what thread it was in, or even what it referred to . . .

Not a post, Eric, but Maggie's article on Edouard de Pomiane.

Put a pot of water on to boil, then click here.

[laurenmilan]

So are we all members of The Good Cook Club?

After reading this thread, I think I need to allow them to send me a book at least once a month.

I've only been one for 3 months now ;-)

[laurenmilan]

Add 6 more for me.

The Cake Bible

Fix and Forget it (for slow cookers)

Williams Sonoma Roasting

Williams Sonoma Potatoes

Williams Sonoma Desserts

Williams Sonoma Cookies

(busy shopping day yesterday  )

I highly recommend Williams-Sonoma Risotto. It's a very specific topic, but the recipes are wonderful, and not just for the traditional heavy cheese risottos, but all 4 seasons. I've done about 1/4 of the recipes... so far...

[maggiethecat]

39,209.