by Margaret Shauers

Created on: November 13, 2008   Last Updated: July 13, 2010

PRINTED COOKBOOKS..PRESENT OR PAST?

I almost wish there had been a "Sort Of" category. Like everyone who goes online, I Google and check favorite recipe sites (including Helium) for new recipes or recipes to use up that spare can of pumpkin, or the exotic peanut sauce,a friend gave me for my birthday. In fact, I'm trying to store all of my own recipes on computer.

But give up my print cookbooks and never buy another? No way! I know I'm not the only person who loves food enough that, even when I don't use them, I just like to page through cookbooks and read about all of the wonderful goodies I "might" cook someday.

There also are tried and true cookbooks, a five book series of meat, vegetables, desserts, salads and casseroles, and there are all of my Suzanne Somers cookbooks. The diet didn't work for me, but the recipes are superb. There are the church and organizational and family cookbooks where I can relocate and bring back memories of meals enjoyed at my mom's, my aunts, my best friends. I even find one or two of my own recipes that I haven't tried for a long while.

Last year I did a great "share out" of cookbooks I didn't use. My effort spurred everyone else, and now I have 15 or 20 cookbooks from others to read, try and decide which to keep.

I also have old cookbooks, some of which I actually use. Most of the modern reproductions of truly old cookbooks are not very usable, but I love them. I have one early 20th century farmer-type cookbook (a Searchlight) that I won at an auction. Some recipes are as usable as those in my modern version. What's better, the old one came packed with newspaper clippings of more recipes, superstitions, tidbits of the time when it was used. It's more fascinating to read than any novel!

I have other plain-cook cookbooks, quite a number of the truly wonderful Taste of Home cookbooks. I have a two-volume cooking encyclopedia that was the first cookbook set I personally purchased. I basically taught myself to cook with the information and recipes in those books, and they are truly worn. No covers, a few pages missing. I still use them for a number of recipes that became favorites with my family.

I have exotic food cookbooks, including a treasure trove of wonderful Szechwan dishes. (Yes, I found some peanut sauce recipes in there as well as online.)

I have several mystery author cookbooks, including the Nero Wolfe cookbook by Rex Stout. Like most modern cooks, I only do gourmet recipes now and then, when I'm having the right guests and not the meat and potatoes people. But again, these are great fun to read.

So, no, I don't think print cookbooks are a thing of the past although I do love the ability to go online and scope out even more recipes. For me, at least, online recipes just add wealth to the availability of new food ideas.

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