Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Cookbook-ing

I've been telling Chet recently how it can be difficult to get out with the boys. My pain gets worse when I lift things, including the kiddos, so we try to stay home when we can, or only go places where we have help on the flip side.

Yet somehow, the last two times I have taken them to the library, I have managed to come home with what Chet is convinced are the biggest books in the library.

Which just happen to be cookbooks.

And you thought I only read fiction.

Check out this one, last week's BIG BOOK: 1080 Recipes by Ines and Simone Ortega. It's a whopper. It has some great illustrations and I enjoyed reading it. It just wasn't really all that inspiring. Maybe I have been jaded by Pioneer Woman's enthusiasm, but 1080 Recipes is just a matter-of-fact collection of recipes. No nonsense.

And then today: The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. I haven't gotten too far into it yet, but so far I have really appreciated the introduction. (Ha. Clearly not too far into it.) But I like his perspective of trying to provide a collection of typical, traditional, international recipes without losing the integrity of the food.

What cookbooks do you use? Or which ones have you read and enjoyed? My go-to cookbook is The Joy of Cooking. And as fun as online recipe hunting is, there is something I like about perusing a cookbook in search of a winner for dinner.

2 comments:

brite said...

No heavy lifting, girl! :)

I bet the Mark Bittman book will have some fun ideas. I typically look online at epicurious.com, or go through some of my old Gourmet magazines. If I'm going vegetarian I will look in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (Deborah Madison) or my Moosewood cookbook.

I'm impressed that you are still inspired enough to try new things, even this late in the pregnancy!

Amanda said...

i have Mark Bittman's "how to make everything". anything by Giada de Laurentis or Ina Garten is always perfect....and of course PW!