Discarding Cookbooks…Gasp!
I recently heard of someone throwing out all their old cookbooks. Why bother with a book when any recipe you want is available online?
Geez, might as well say why bother with old friends…
My cookbooks, even recent ones, tend to be spotted and marked, the spines broken to reveal favourite pages. There are notes in the margins where I tinkered the recipe to suit my tastes… I know exactly which recipe is in which book.
I admit, I get the concept of discarding cookbooks; it would free up a whole lot of valuable kitchen space. But…
An online recipe will not evoke memories of dinner parties, or birthdays, or that time I forgot to turn the oven on…
I like leafing through my Mother’s old cookbooks and seeing her distinctive and sometimes illegible handwriting as she also tinkered with her favourite recipes.
No, as I said previously regarding ebooks and digital music, there is a physicality to my cookbooks that I am not ready to give up. Sure, maybe someday, but for now, I’ll keep those tattered and stained old friends.
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I agree totally. I have the cook book that my mother got from the Toronto Telegram for taking the newspaper around 1950. It is my main ‘go to’ book and then I have shelves of cookbooks with wonderful picture that are guaranteed to help me find something to make, when I have stared at the refrigerator, the freezer and the cupboards and not found a thing I want to eat. I say keep your books and enjoy them. I am on the internet all the time and have yet to see a picture of food that made me want to cook it anytime soon.
So true Rochelle! I have my Grandmother’s ‘Seaforth’ cookbook. Although the recipes are a little archaic, I keep the book just for sentimental purposes. I should try one just to see…
This post hit home. In our recent down-sizing, we took 63 boxes of books — academic books, professional books, and bestsellers to the re-cycling plant. Not one of my 300 plus cookbooks was among the discarded books. I love every one of them! Some were inherited from my mother, some were gifts, some I’ve purchased. The ones I love best are the cookbooks that are put together by churches, clubs, legions ,or workplaces. When we moved, I had shelves built to accommodate my collection. I’m not planning to divest myself of these treasured books in the near future.
300!! I must admit, being aware of your recent down-sizing, I was curious to know whether you had included cookbooks in your purge. I have favourite novels that I would sooner part with, because, well, I know I can get the same novel from the library. But cookbooks? No, they are unique and deserve specially built shelves. Thanks for the comment!