Hi everyone,
I have an odd relationship with cookbooks. I love what they represent: a moment in time, a glimpse of cooking culture, a better understanding of a community. I'm enamored with the gorgeous photography and intriguing recipes, and I often do buy them, especially when they hold special meaning based on the topic or author. But the truth is, I so rarely cook from them.
Mostly, this is because I was raised to keep books as pristine as possible. No dog-earing, no writing in the margins, and absolutely no spills or stains. Once, I dropped a book in the bathtub, and was horrified by how puffy the pages were after it dried. As an adult, I've only improved marginally in this area. That's largely because in hopes of instilling an early love of reading into my toddlers, I've had to accept that they will rip up, tear apart, and generally abuse the books they love the most. (I'm also our family's book surgeon.)
My favorite cookbooks, for now, remain mostly untouched on my bookshelves. I'll flip through them once in a while if I'm looking for recipe inspiration, but I typically turn to the internet first for something that fits my needs and can be viewed from a tablet in the kitchen. Even when I know a cookbook has the recipe I want, I'll borrow a digital version from the public library to avoid bringing a physical cookbook into the kitchen.
These days, I'm using cookbook recipes to impress at social gatherings, such as when I'm hosting friends or want to bring something fun to a friend's place. Two new books have you covered for all your upcoming parties: The Fishwife Cookbook by Becca Millstein and Vilda Gonzalez, which I reviewed for our spring cookbook preview, is full of ideas for entertaining a crowd without doing too much cooking. And What Can I Bring?, by Casey Elsass, has everything from DIY picklebacks to a Bruce Bogtrotter cake to ensure you're always invited to the next party.
My other main form of cooking entertainment these days is food TV — and for the past few years, I've been very much enjoying Tournament of Champions. If you're a fan of Food Network chefs and need some friendly competition TV while you're cooking or eating, I highly recommend you give it a shot.
Below, you'll find some of my favorite reads from the past two weeks. If you liked this email, please forward it to a friend or encourage them to sign up here.
