I cannot tell you how many times I have been to a book store, looking for one thing, and somehow find myself in the cookbook section. I have bought a few. I was given quite a few by my mom. And then I inherited a large number of them when my mom passed away. Needless to say, I have a lot of cookbooks. But the question is, how many do I really need?
Do I Really Need Any Cookbooks?
That is a really good question. The way I look at it is this. With the availability of the internet, you really do not need cookbooks anymore. However, I do like actual cookbooks…to a point. Often, there are a few recipes in there that I really want to try. Then there are a few I might try. And of course, there are a few that either do not sound very good or I just have no interest in trying. So the money spent on the cookbook is partially wasted in a sense. You can go to Google and find specific recipes, look at and compare them, and print them off for free. That too can become a bit of an issue, which I will talk about later. So, the answer to the question is, no, you do not really need cookbooks.
I’m Just Learning to Cook. Should I Buy a Bunch of Cookbooks?
Another good question. As I have said several times, I am not a chef, a cooking expert, or any such thing. I’m just a regular guy who happens to like to cook and try new recipes. Now, if you are just learning to cook, and you do not have parents, grandparents, or friends who can show you how to make certain things, there are some cookbooks you might want to check out. I don’t remember the exact names, but they are something like Cooking for Dummies or something like that. I have looked at them, and they do break things down into more simple terms, explain things better, and are easier to read than a regular cookbook. I would suggest something along those lines, rather than a three or four-volume set of the world’s best recipes. Learn what you are trying to do first, and then get more sophisticated.
Okay, So I Don’t Buy Cookbooks. Where Can I Find Good Recipes?
For the past two weeks, I have been visiting my dad. I have also been going through boxes of recipes my mom had accumulated over a lot of years. I found tons of handwritten recipes here. Recipes from both of my grandmothers, recipes from their grandmothers, recipes from my Aunt Neva, who could bake the most amazing apple pie almost in her sleep. I mentioned in a previous post, “Never discount Grandma’s recipes”. That is absolutely true. I truly believe I could find enough recipes in those boxes to keep me cooking new things for many years. I wouldn’t even need to open a cookbook. Hit up your mom or dad, grandma or grandpa, aunts, uncles, whoever you know that is a good cook. Ask them for their recipe for whatever they made that you liked so much. Take that recipe and make it yourself. Tweek it a little if necessary, and there you go. No cookbook required. A word of caution here. The internet is another great source for recipes. I have searched out many recipes on the internet that have kind of become my signature dishes. My mom used the internet to get recipes as well…thousands of them. There is nothing wrong with that, but if you print out every recipe that looks good, you’ll have a large collection even if you never buy a cookbook.
I’ve Got a Ton of Old Cookbooks. What Should I Do With Them?
That is another great question. I have asked myself that many times. A few years ago, I thought about copying the recipes I wanted from a series of Mr. Food cookbooks my mom had given me, and then donating those books, giving them away, or something. Well, I haven’t done that yet. And here is why. As I have learned more about cooking, and my taste for different things has evolved, I have found more and more recipes in those books and others I really want to try. My problem is that I really enjoy cooking, and I really enjoy eating good food. And, I really like to try new things. Apparently, I have the same affinity my mom had for cookbooks. Back to the question. If you do not have a lot of storage space, do not want a ton of rarely used cookbooks hanging around, or just want to streamline your collection, there are many things you can do with those cookbooks. You can sell them, donate them, find a budding chef and gift them some new ideas, whatever you like. I really need to do that myself.
Okay. So How Many Cookbooks Do I Need?
There really is no correct answer to that question. There really is no incorrect answer either. I would say the answer depends on what you prefer. You don’t really “need” any cookbooks. You can search for just about any recipe you want on the internet. You don’t ever have to buy a single cookbook if you don’t want to. Then again, if you are like me, a few cookbooks are a good thing to have…and more is better to a point. At the end of the day, the logical answer to the question is how many cookbooks you are likely to use, how much storage space you have for those books, and how much money you are willing to spend on them. I know, it’s kind of a non-answer answer, but I really don’t know what else to tell you. Will I ever try every recipe in my cookbooks? Not very likely. I am going to give it a shot though.