by Lauren Hewitt

Created on: October 08, 2008

With the availability of recipes and kitchen tips online, one might wonder if printed cookbooks could become a thing of the past. Instead of a shelf full of well-worn (and well-loved) cookbooks, will people turn to files on their computer or a favorites list full of recipe websites? Probably not. At least, not entirely.

While the accessibility of recipes online can be a major timesaver, such as when you're heading out on your lunch break and need to know what you need to pick up at the grocery store for a recipe you had in mind, there is nothing like flipping through a book of old favorites to inspire creativity in the kitchen. Cookbooks can be a form of journalling, or recording memories, as you jot down notes on favorite recipes about the occasion for which you created a certain dish, like your son's first birthday or a family Christmas dinner. Handwritten notes in the margins make cookbooks into family heirlooms, to be passed down to the next generation for their enjoyment. I have cookbooks with notes from my grandmother referring to kitchen appliances that could never be found in your standard kitchen store now!

Besides the sentimental aspect of cookbooks, many of the newer cookbooks are simply beautiful books, as worthy of a spot on your coffee table as a prominent spot on your kitchen shelves. Filled with mouth-watering photographs and plenty of handy tips, cookbooks today are a far cry from some of their more basic ancestors. Most (if not all) of the most popular chefs on TV such as Martha Stewart, Rachael Ray, Giada de Laurentis and Michael Smith (just to name a few) have all produced wonderful cookbooks. If you admire the style of a certain chef, look for copies of their cookbooks. In many instances, they were writing fabulous recipes long before their face appeared on television or in your favorite foodie magazine. While they will also often have websites, their recipe offerings may be more limited. Also, you never know when a favorite online recipe can disappear into the dark depths of the world wide web, so having that cookbook on your shelf is good insurance.

I see no reason why online recipes and cookbooks can't exist harmoniously. While the busy chef may find aspects of web-based recipes appealing (especially those sites which allow reviews of recipes...you can really learn a lot from those), it's unlikely that anyone serious about their kitchen efforts will move to completely online resources. After all, there's nothing like flipping through an old favorite or cracking the spine on a brand new cookbook to get the ideas flowing and the inspiration you need to get that chef's knife out of the drawer and start chopping.

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