Recipes and Cookbooks, Oh My!
by
mswen - October 11, 2008
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Maybe it's because I have visions and fantasies of cozy parties where I serve interesting cocktails and appetizers, or impressing the in-laws with dinner cooked from scratch, or even of just having a fabulous hot meal on the table for my husband when he comes home from work...but I have more cookbooks and recipes than I will ever possibly use. So many, in fact, that I don't even know WHAT I have. But with such visions of grandeur, how can I pass up buying that perfect cookbook on pies? Or tearing out that recipe for Halloween punch with ghosts made out of cream that float on top? Or bookmarking the tutorial on what to do with pounds and pounds of zucchini? Sure, I may live in "just in case" mode, but at least I'm prepared!
Gather great recipes
Blame Martha Stewart for the complete surge in the popularity of the art of homemaking. And that, obviously, includes cooking. Along with gloriously-photographed cookbooks by everyone from famous chefs to celebrites to complete unknowns, we now have foodie websites, blogs, and entire television channels devoted to the no-longer-basic-but-now-glamorous act of making a meal.
I once had a party using recipes only from my standby, “Everyday Italian”, by my idol Giada De Laurentiis. Delicious!
“Apples for Jam” is a huge cookbook full of simple, family-friendly recipes organized by color. I have more bookmarks popping out of this cookbook than any other one in my collection.
Jamie’s cooking show on the Food Network, “Jamie at Home”, is filmed at his home in England. He will charm you with his adorable-ness, and inspire you with his rustic cooking techniques and use of ingredients straight from his own garden.
“Jamie’s Italy” is crammed full of gorgeous photography, interesting stories, and amazing recipes inspired by Jamie’s time in and love of Italy.
Vintage cookbooks, like this one by one of my old Italian relatives, are fun to collect and read.
McIntyre & Moore Booksellers
1971 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, MA 02140
Looking for vintage cookbooks? This great used bookstore may have the perfect treasure to add to your collection.
Headed to the North Shore? Make sure to stop in this popular bookstore and head straight for their excellent cookbook section.
Headed to the North Shore? Make sure to stop in this popular bookstore and head straight for their excellent cookbook section.
While Martha Stewart’s Living magazine contains great recipes, for simple, tasty meals her Readers Digest-sized “Everyday Food” publication is a must-read that may just become your go-to resource for recipes.
Though her site can be a bit busy and overwhelming, it’s a great source for unique recipes and inspiring photos of prettily-styled food.
Boston-based Cooks Illustrated is the Bible for foodies everywhere.
If you like to know that the recipe you’re about to make has been truly tried and tested, Cook’s Illustrated is the publication for you. This magazine is a fascinating read to learn about cooking techniques, gadgets, product reviews, and excellent, exaustingly-tested recipes.
When 101 Cookbooks talks about grilled pizza, I am allll ears and eyes.
Site author Heidi Swanson puts it this way: “When you own over 100 cookbooks, it is time to stop buying, and start cooking. This site chronicles a cookbook collection, one recipe at a time.” Sound familiar?! She features mostly healthy, often vegetarian recipes that are unique and flavorful.
Just a small sliver of Tastespotting’s constantly-updated home page. Go visit! Go now!
Hands-down, one of the top destinations for delectable recipes and food porn. Period.
Getting all foodie in Boston
Organize your stash
If you’re anything like me, you’ve amassed enough recipes (both contained within your massive cookbook collection and collected from magazines and the internet) to make a different meal every night for the rest of your life. So while the good news is that you’ll never go hungry (and have the potential to throw one heck of a dinner party), the not-so-good news is that you’re probably completely overwhelmed with your unorganized pile.
Sorting and storing your recipes means that you can quickly reference them when you need to. Because what good is a recipe if you never get to make it?
This wooden recipe box holds double the cards, and the a groove along the lid displays the recipe you’re working on.
Simply search for “vintage recipe box” on eBay, and spend the next hour browsing the hundreds of results. You just might find the same one Mom used to have.
This vintage tin box (from White Elephant Vintage) adds just the right touch of kitsch to your kitchen.
This Etsy shop carries a well-curated selection of hip vintage goods.
Leave it to Martha Stewart to make a vintage-look recipe tin in the most perfect blue color. It even comes with printed dividers to help keep you organized.
Macy's
450 Washington Street Boston, MA 02111
While plain index cards will work just fine, it’s always nice to fill your new recipe box with pretty recipe cards, like these from Etsy seller jessicagm.
…some sellers will even personalize them for you.
No time (or desire) to transfer your random recipe clippings from magazines into neat little index cards? Simply slip them into the clear sleeves of this stand-up binder for easy storage and access.
These acrylic recipe boxes are available in two sizes, and dividers and cards are sold seperately.
You cannot go wrong with the Container Store for your recipe organization needs. They carry an endless supply of creative storage that will corral your mess, guaranteed.
You cannot go wrong with the Container Store for your recipe organization needs. They carry an endless supply of creative storage that will corral your mess, guaranteed.
The ultimate foodie gift: a personalized, bound cookbook from Tastebook.com.
At tastebook.com, you can finally publish that cookbook you’ve always dreamed of: simply upload your own recipes (and photos!) into a template to create your own cookbook, or choose from over 100,000 recipes (from great sources like Cooking Light, Southern Living, and Food & Wine) and get them printed into your own beautiful book. Fabulous!
Sick of Post-its? Here's a way to mark the favorites in your cookbooks...
Simply cut the corner of an envelope…
…slip it over the corner of a page you want to mark, and — voila! — probably the easiest DIY ever. You can jot notes down on the envelope corner, and unlike Post-it notes that stick out and look messy, these bookmarks are simple and clean.
Not only is this site a complete treasure trove of user-rated recipes (with excellent searching capabilities), but you can save your favorites in a virtual recipe box.
This genius site contains a library of searchable recipes from various magazines (Gourmet, Bon Appetit, etc.) which you can save in your personal recipe box.
Next time you watch Giada make the perfect risotto, don’t run around scrambling for a pen and paper to write it down. Simply log onto the Food Network’s website and search from their archive of show recipes, save it in your online recipe box, and print out when you have the in-laws over.
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About The Author
Newburyport, MA
I'm a writer, budding photog, future shopgirl, current beer drinker, internet maven, champion shopper, and loud laugher.
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