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

[claire797]

I actually got up from the computer and counted. 47. Plus 10 signed copies of my ex-husband's cookbook, which I give as teacher's gifts. They shouldn't count, I think.

Your ex-husband wrote a cookbook? What was it called?

[Suzanne F]

I could answer the question addressed to Kim, but I feel that would be rude, since it's HER ex.

Anyway, what do you all think of what Julian Barnes says about cookbooks this week in The Guardian?

Added: lord knows, I've tried to clean up the collection. That meant throwing out the two books of diet "recipes." -- a whole big 0.36% of the total. But I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Edited March 10, 2003 by Suzanne F (log)

[JAZ]

Thanks for the link. I do love Julian Barnes. But oh! culling the collection... one of the last times I moved I decided to try to do that and managed to get a stack of about 8 books that I thought I no longer wanted (it started out to be about 15, but I kept pulling books back out of the pile). I gave a couple or three to each of my sisters and a couple to a friend, and now I want almost all of them back, but I can't possibly ask, so I'll probably end up buying new copies.

I have one additional rule about buying cook books though -- don't ever buy cook books when you're hungry.

[Wimpy]

88 food related books. Lop off about 12 as food essays rather than cookbooks.

[ronfland]

A paltry 98 here - 107 if you count food related books (Bourdain, Ruhlman et al).

[oraklet]

i'm terribly sorry: my first estimate was wrong. i've now counted them, and there were only 32. 20 less than i thought.

[forever_young_ca]

About 300 including wine books.

This is my first post - what a great topic

[torakris]

Add 3 more for me!

Amazon 1 click thing is NOT good for your pocketbook!

[Joy]

+2 more

[tommy]

are you people really counting?!?!

i just went into the basement the other day to look for a specific book. i suppose i should have counted.

also, do i have everyone's permission to throw out the several years' worth of Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, et al, magazines? does it make any sense to save these things? i mean, the recipes are online for the most part, and god knows i never refer back to the mags.

[Varmint]

Permission granted -- but recycle instead, please.

Signed, Varmint, Savior of the Environment and All That Is Good.

[JAZ]

also, do i have everyone's permission to throw out the several years' worth of Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, et al, magazines?

Definitely recycle. Or better yet, call your local library and see if they need any of your stash to fill out their subscriptions (people have a nasty habit of swiping magazines from libraries, or tearing out pages they want).

[Suzanne F]

Recycle the Bon Appetit. Or else shred them, pour a can of cream of mushroom soup on top, sprinkle with a little cheese (frome the green cardboard can), bake, and serve to your worst enemies.

As for the Gourmet and F & W . . . oh hell, just recycle them.

[Rhea_S]

92 cookbooks for me.

[jess mebane]

also, do i have everyone's permission to throw out the several years' worth of Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, et al, magazines?  does it make any sense to save these things?

Brave man. What would we use for occasional tables?

[nyfirepatrolchef]

um.......

does that include individual issues of Chocolatier, PA&D, Cooks Ill, spare copies of The New Firefighters Cookbook, etc etc?

In addition to the walls of my office/computer room (aka THE BUNKER)

[heyjude]

I got 23 more since I last posted, 17 new and 6 used. Do you think methadone works for this?

[Adam Balic]

I have about 100. Oldest original book is 237 years old. Anybody got anything older (orginals only)?

[Suzanne F]

I have about 100. Oldest original book is 237 years old. Anybody got anything older (orginals only)?

Show-off!

[tommy]

I have about 100. Oldest original book is 237 years old. Anybody got anything older (orginals only)?

my thompson thai book is in the condition of a book that's been around for 237 years. does that count?

[at least it's not pink]

[Crystal]

I only have 20.

*Not Egullet Worthy*

Crystal

[Schielke]

I stopped at about 15 and got a library card.

[Adam Balic]

I have about 100. Oldest original book is 237 years old. Anybody got anything older (orginals only)?

my thompson thai book is in the condition of a book that's been around for 237 years. does that count?

[at least it's not pink]

Dude, did nobody say? If it ain't Pink then it won't work. So sad, but there you go.

[Priscilla]

Never underestimate the power of pink.

I suppose a Dover paperback reprint of Alleged First Cookbook, by Apicius, don't count in the oldest sweepstakes.

Also, please donate all food mags to yer local Friends of the Library. Also actual books, for that matter.

When I had a major cull a few years ago I set up tables in my yard and staged Miss Priscilla's Book Sale, Where Everything is FREEEEE. I made a sign, listing all the categories of books, like Cookbooks -- Free, Paperbacks -- Free, Hard bound -- Free.

After they got over their suspicions (OK, so they haven't even now but still) my neighbors were happy to avail themselves. In a wary way. Then I gave the remainder (a little book humor) to the Friends of the Library.

I did reserve the good stuff, and dole it out judiciously sensibly when a likely home for this or that crosses my purview.

[g.johnson]

I have about 100. Oldest original book is 237 years old. Anybody got anything older (orginals only)?

my thompson thai book is in the condition of a book that's been around for 237 years. does that count?

[at least it's not pink]

Not pink? Mines pink.