“No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.”

Laurie Colwin, whose words these are, was, among other things, a food writer for Gourmet Magazine.  I’ve always liked this quote and think of it whenever I am alone in the kitchen.

I love to cook and have lots of cookbooks.   But the image on the right comes from the collection of my friend, Lynn.  Needless to say, Lynn is an excellent cook and a truly gracious host – this is only a portion of her collection.

With all the recipes available on the internet today, why, you ask, do people still invest in cookbooks?

As one who gets recipes from many different sources, including cookbooks, I can think of a lot of reasons to actually buy a cookbook.  First of all, let’s look at internet recipes.  I’m a messy cook and I have a tiny kitchen.  Got the picture?  Liquids splash, flour fills the air.  Trying to keep my device clear of all these mishaps is virtually impossible.  […]