What is here, however, is a challenge for me and anyone else who has the same dilemma. As noted in a previous post, I love food magazines. I have many subscriptions and many copies. My collection of EVERY Cook's Illustrated magazine predates my husband. I also have an enormous collection of cookbooks.
I love cookbooks.
I read them like novels. I love the pictures. I love the commentary. I love the possibilities. Apparently, what I don't love is cooking out of most of them. I counted today. I own 168 cookbooks. I have, to the best of my knowledge, cooked out of 29 of them. That's 17%. I always find recipes that sound fun and fabulous. And then I never cook them. I rely on the same three or four books and supplement with the magazines and the internet.
I decided that this has to change. So I am challenging myself. And you, if you're game. I have decided that I am going to cook through my collection of books. It's not going to be a Julie and Julia situation. I'm not making every recipe. I'm going to make one recipe from one new book each week. I'll let you know the name of the book and the recipe I make. In theory, this is a three year project. We'll see what gives out first -- my will or my collection of books. Though the collection seems to be growing all the time....
Come back next week to see the cover recipe from the Dorie cookbook. And check in every so often to see how I'm doing on my journey.
13 comments:
sounds like fun, good luck! i need to do this too someday, i'm just collecting more and more stuff that's only just read through.
That is a great challenge!! I have the same dilema! I love all my cook books, but I only reach for a few books and recipes. I think I might take you up on your challenge and see if I can do it too. Who knows, Maybe we will both find recipes that become our new favorites! :)
Good Luck!
I just went and counted mine (or tried to). From what I can tell, I have 101 cookbooks and have cooked from 49 of them. It was weird; for some books I've read through them or referred to them or looked up a recipe in them but can't remember if I've actually made a recipe! In the past I've given away boxes of cookbooks that I knew I'd never use, or my collection and percentages would probably be close to yours. Love your idea and I've also resolved to use my books more this year. That online recipe searching is just soooo easy.
Nancy
Good luck!! I really need to do this! I have TOO many recipes and cookbooks!!
I took have many issues of cooks illustrated!! Good Luck with your challenge, Can't wait to read the results!!
I LOVE what you are doing! I have so many cookbooks that I don't know what to do with them (but nowhere NEAR 168!) and I have saved EVERY COOKING MAGAZINE I HAVE OWNED for the past 5 years! I subscribe to Saveur, F&W, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Cooks Illustrated, Fine Cooking... so I finally hunkered down this weekend and started making some TasteBooks (http://www.tastebook.com/) so that I can finally throw out the magazines. All I need... more cookbooks!
sounds like a good challenge
So which one are you cooking out of first? Throw some ideas out there, and let's see what you've got!
Oooh -- love your challenge! I will enjoy reading along as you cook through your books. And you are inspiring me to do a better job cooking through mine!
That's a great challenge. My challenge to myself is to make at least one recipe out of every food mag I get each month.
What a great challenge! Can I join? I have a collection here and I think, with your blessing, I would like to try the same. I have stacks of cooking/baking books just waiting for me to bring their babies into this world! Good luck. Awesome project.
Great challenge! You need to post a list of your cookbooks. It would be fun to see what everyone has.
What a great idea. I thought about that after reading Julie and Julia, but just never had the time to even think about it. Good luck and look forward to your results. Sounds like you are going to inspire several of us to follow in your footsteps.
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