Recipes and Cookbooks, Oh My!

  • by mswen
  • -
  • October 11, 2008
Rate Guide Rating_3_0 (2)
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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.

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I once had a party using recipes only from my standby, “Everyday Italian”, by my idol Giada De Laurentiis. Delicious!

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“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.

My cooking crush, Jamie Oliver

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.

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“Jamie’s Italy” is crammed full of gorgeous photography, interesting stories, and amazing recipes inspired by Jamie’s time in and love of Italy.

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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.

Jabberwocky Bookshop

50 Water St Ste 22, Newburyport, MA 01950

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.

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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.

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…See? I told you.

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Boston-based Cooks Illustrated is the Bible for foodies everywhere.

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When 101 Cookbooks talks about grilled pizza, I am allll ears and eyes.

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Just a small sliver of Tastespotting’s constantly-updated home page. Go visit! Go now!

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? 

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This wooden recipe box holds double the cards, and the a groove along the lid displays the recipe you’re working on.

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This vintage tin box (from White Elephant Vintage) adds just the right touch of kitsch to your kitchen.

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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

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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.

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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.

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These acrylic recipe boxes are available in two sizes, and dividers and cards are sold seperately.

Container Store the

27 Boylston St, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

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.

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The ultimate foodie gift: a personalized, bound cookbook from Tastebook.com.

Sick of Post-its? Here's a way to mark the favorites in your cookbooks...

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Simply cut the corner of an envelope…

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…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.

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Discussions

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I need to get a crock pot recipe book…. I just love that thing!

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Looooove. I like those red mary jane shoes on the cover of that book. I totally want to publish my own cookbook…I should just do it!