118 Cookbooks

One hundred eighteen cookbooks—this is how many cookbooks I own. A visitor to my home, or even Hubby, might quibble with this number. I remain steadfast. One cannot count the looming stack on my bedside table, the pile on the dining room floor, or the handful tucked into my kitchen shelves—these are temporary distractions on loan from the municipal library. I am not ashamed to admit that I fall into the “too few” camp. I will continue to pursue my nine-year average of obtaining 12 new cookbooks per year, or one per month.

A collector would laugh at my cookery library. It is youthful and represents a tiny population of contemporary cookbooks, but these are books I use not collect. Okay, in some cases, dream of using (that counts!). Most were published in the last ten years and were written for the home cook, and I’ve cooked from nearly all at least once. They reflect my interest in regional American cooking, cooking with fresh ingredients, down-to-earth baking, and a handful of ethnic foods—Thai, Italian, Mexican, and Irish. They are also a history of my adult life—the places I have lived and visited, the people I know and have met, and the work I have done or dream of doing.

Today is not the day to chronicle my entire library, but perhaps since it is the start of a new year, I should make note of new books. Christmas would not be the joyous holiday it is if new cookbooks didn’t come to me via the kindness of friends and family. This year, my cookbook enablers gifted me with:

How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking by Nigella Lawson (2001)

I can skritch this one off my regular library list. I must work on convincing Hubby to eat more sweets.

The Silver Spoon (2005)

Big, big book of Italian recipes. Very exciting, but a little scary too.

Spices of Life: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Great Health by Nina Simonds (2005)

Hubby heard me raving about this book while flipping through a copy from the library. He took note and worked a deal with Santa after Dear Sweet Wife cooked Kung Pao Chicken.

Dear friends, patience must ensue. In the coming weeks I will report on my successes and failures from these books and others in my library. I will occasionally be distracted by dining out, dining with friends and family, travel, gardening, and other pulls of everyday life. Not to worry though. I am full of resolve. My New Year’s optimism is fresh. I will cook more! Want to come over for dinner?