I will be the first to admit that I have a lot of cookbooks (my husband Sean would surely be the one who chimes in to quickly second that!). Last night I started to think about my wide selection and varied collection of cookbooks. You see, I met a new friend (Stacy) yesterday at Chapters for a coffee. Stacy and I had some lively chat over a couple of delicious pumpkin lattes and then we proceeded to peruse the food section of Chapters together. Within minutes, I had eyed a new cookbook, fell in love with it and convinced myself that I needed it (it is the book featured above - Anna Olsen's Fresh).
My recent indulgence of yet another cookbook got me thinking about my collection and what it says about me, in life and as a cook. Talking with my new friend, I started to suggest which cookbooks I had at home, which ones I found indispensable, which ones I referred to once-in-a-blue-moon. I began to think about how I adore each and everyone of my cookbooks, that they are in fact, like old friends to me and for that matter, new friends as well.
Some of the books on my shelf you would be lucky to find a millimetre of dust settled on, others are tucked away, they are closer to the back, a light covering of dust on their jackets, perhaps not referred to quite as often. It doesn't mean I have no use for them, instead it suggests that they are my standbys. These 'oldies but goodies' are super reliable, they are there when I need to look up something to do with cooking that I am unsure of, or that is hard to figure out. For instance, a rare ingredient, or something you really do not not want to mess with - a safe temperature for cooking.
The newer books in my kitchen are a little more exciting. They are colourful and engaging, some are more modern and they speak to the cooking styles I have been more recently interested in. Each book has a theme - seasonal cooking, baking, french style, fast cooking, slow roasting, spicy, ingredient based (e.g. fish, potato..). Each book also has a style and a certain way that it is laid out - lots of photos, no photos, ingredients on the left, ingredients on the right et cetera. Some cookbooks have extra, useful information located at the back or at the front - measurement conversion, handy weight approximations, or even a glossary.
Relate this love of cookbooks to my friends - they all have their own style and they all came into my life (and I into theirs) at different moments in time. The slightly dusty oldies could be metaphors for my super strong friends. Perhaps the friends that I do not see very often, you know the ones I am talking about - the ones that are such rare treasures in life, you dare not lose them. These are the friends that are there if you ever need them, at the drop of the hat, willing to hold your hand when the going gets rough and you need someone familiar to guide you through life's ups and downs. Or, take a closer look at the new friends, they are definitely fresh and exciting and they are into everything you are into at that moment in time and they show you all new things and new ways of doing things.
The most wonderful thing about meeting new friends and new cookbooks is that you never know where it is going to go. You might use them for one 'recipe', or you could find yourself turning to that cookbook/friend over and over again, trying out every recipe - making notes in the margins of that book, and that friend evolves into a true standby, a treasure.
Cookbooks, my friends and treasures.
What's your favourite cookbook?
