How to Start a Cookbook Collection
With access to every imaginable recipe at your fingertips simply by browsing the Internet, it’s amazing that cookbook collecting is still a hobby—even a passion—for many. There is just something engrossing about leafing through a carefully put together cookbook, perusing not only the recipes but also the menu ideas and the color photographs. To start your own collection, you’ll simply want to accumulate a few of the standard all-purpose cookbooks and then decide in which directions you want to branch out. Here are a few helpful tips to get you started. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Invest in a couple of the standard, all-purpose cookbooks that have withstood the test of time and will provide you with the most basic recipes and cooking techniques. Here are three possibilities: “The New York Times Cookbook,” published by Harper and Row, “The Joy of Cooking,” published by Bobbs Merrill and the “Gold Cookbook,” published by Galahad Books. Of all the books you’ll buy, these are the ones you might consider buying new because used copies of these well-used books sometimes come complete with batter-splashed and greasy-smelling pages.
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Branch out to cookbooks devoted to particular types of recipes. For example, if you enjoy making soups, pies or breads, you can easily find cookbooks devoted to recipes for these. To help you make a choice, look the books up on a major bookseller's site (like Amazon) and scroll down to look at the book’s rank, which tells you how well it has sold. For actually buying these books, however, you might consider looking at garage sales and flea markets; they are often more gently used than general-use cookbooks. Sites for buying used cookbooks are listed at the end of this article.
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Consider adding various ethnic cookbooks to your collection. You might start by buying cookbooks featuring recipes that you have eaten at a favorite restaurant. For example, a Chinese cookbook will provide you with instructions for making almond chicken, a French cookbook will show you how to make crepes and a Mexican cookbook will provide instructions on making tamales. However, interesting additions to your collection might include cookbooks on ethnic cooking with which you are unfamiliar. Thumbing through cookbooks on Jamaican, Thai and Indian cooking, for example, can be a fascinating experience.
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Invest in cookbooks sold as fund-raiser items by local churches and other organizations. These are usually filled with experienced cooks' very best recipes. Sometimes you will find these at area fairs and festivals, often with samples of the recipes offered for the tasting.
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Tips & Warnings
Respond to questions about what you would like for your birthday or holiday gift with a request for cookbooks.
