Cookbook temptations

If I go: I buy cookbooks. If I go, my wallet will be a smidgen lighter. We have a great Half Price Bookstore near us; it is heavily visited, so the turnover of books is impressive. If I were to say… go there every other week, I would find boxes of ‘just-in’ cookbooks. Imagine the temptation.

So I usually resist. But not always. And now that I have attended culinary school, a new variety of cookbooks appeal to me. Chef names are more familiar, certain restaurants stand taller in my mind, and I am hungry to read methodologies—like reading a recipe, then reading between the lines. The temptation is palpable.

Oh yes that author—a must have. Cool… they cook in the French style… no brainer. Must buy. MFK Fischer? Don’t leave the store without it. Classic must-read. A four star chef? Hey, I know how to make that!!?!

And so it goes. And today I came home with four new books. But instead of shuffling away shame-faced, I feel my arm ache from patting myself on the back: it could have been 8 books instead of 4. I actually [ehem] saved money. And to think if they were full price! I made choices, forced myself to put books back on the shelf, squatted while I read snippets and recipes and debated whether to add or subtract that book from my already-too-high pile.

My new reads:

James Beard’s Theory and Practice of Good Cooking (took off the paper cover, and the book underneath has vintage sketches of pots and pans—looks awesome). It cost me $9 and folks, it has no pictures. Yep, I have turned a new culinary leaf. One of my chefs recommended James Beard’s SAUCES book…. ehem, but I already have that one.

My French Kitchen and The French Market by Joanne Harris & Fran Warde. I confess, these two books were shelved together and I tried to buy just one. Then went back the next day… to buy the other. Each $10 the pictures are glorious, wall-worthy shots of French bakery signs and cobblestone streets, baguettes popping out of bags, purses, bikes, boxes… you get the idea. But I was taken with these books in large part because the approach is in the vein of French classic cuisine, which I just finished studying for a year. I don’ t know how to explain it to you, but reading these recipes made me feel like I was talking to a friend I just met… but felt I already knew and adored. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that one of the authors, Joanne Harris, is also the author of the book-gone-movie, Chocolat—do see it, if you haven’t already.

And then, this book snuck up on me: Rover’s. I am embarrassed to say I knew so little about this restaurant, from my own city. Seattle’s restaurant scene is riveting, to say the least. And this particular restaurant is one of many I have yet to grace. But it struck a chord, because many of my peers from culinary school intern at this very restaurant. So when I cracked this cookbook (just in, one of a kind, great price), I felt like I walked into the back door of the restaurant. And opened up the fridge… to see what I want to eat. What I love about this book is that it is bursting with Pacific Northwest Cuisine… which I will go into more detail later.

Because right now, I am going to go read my new books.

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