2008 Woodie Awards
Rhody Eat Beat: Cookbook Treasures
Rebecca Long
Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: Editorial/Opinion
02/27/08 - Like any obsession, mine has its roots in early childhood. Long before I began my journey into the dark underworld of cookbook collecting, my parents had amassed their own collection.
I was introduced to cookbooks early, as at least one cookbook was always on the kitchen table at any one time. This was a result of my dad's habit of referring to at least three different cookbooks before deciding on a final formulation for any given recipe.
Although I have been hoarding books for a while, I only recently began to include cookbooks in my collection. My preferred method of acquiring them is getting them used, partly out of the desire to save paper but mostly out of cheapness.
The most obvious place to find used cookbooks is used bookstores. The advantage to this is that their collection is usually well-selected and includes classics. The downside is that you will pay a premium for this selectivity. A good bet is Myopic Books' new location on Main Street in Wakefield.
As I mentioned before, I'm miserly, so if I can find a good used cookbook cheap, I'm ecstatic. I've found a good bet for bargains is an antique or consignment shop. Although the selection may be smaller than a used bookstore's, and may not represent as high a standard, they are usually less expensive. Often they will sell their books for under five dollars, or sometimes as low as a dollar each.
And finally, the cheapest method of acquiring cookbooks: inheriting them. I have found that many people who aren't avid home cooks have still come into possession, either as gifts or hand-me-downs, of more cookbooks than they could ever imagine using.
Sometimes just mentioning an interest in cookbooks will lead to offers. I have acquired some great specimens from friends who had no use for them and wanted to see them go to a loving home.
Besides buying cookbooks whose authors I'm familiar with, I'm also always on the look out for new books or authors I've never heard of. If I am not familiar with a cookbook but am interested, I will often flip through to look for recipes I'd try. If I know I have other versions of most of the recipes or don't find any appealing, I'll move on.
I was introduced to cookbooks early, as at least one cookbook was always on the kitchen table at any one time. This was a result of my dad's habit of referring to at least three different cookbooks before deciding on a final formulation for any given recipe.
Although I have been hoarding books for a while, I only recently began to include cookbooks in my collection. My preferred method of acquiring them is getting them used, partly out of the desire to save paper but mostly out of cheapness.
The most obvious place to find used cookbooks is used bookstores. The advantage to this is that their collection is usually well-selected and includes classics. The downside is that you will pay a premium for this selectivity. A good bet is Myopic Books' new location on Main Street in Wakefield.
As I mentioned before, I'm miserly, so if I can find a good used cookbook cheap, I'm ecstatic. I've found a good bet for bargains is an antique or consignment shop. Although the selection may be smaller than a used bookstore's, and may not represent as high a standard, they are usually less expensive. Often they will sell their books for under five dollars, or sometimes as low as a dollar each.
And finally, the cheapest method of acquiring cookbooks: inheriting them. I have found that many people who aren't avid home cooks have still come into possession, either as gifts or hand-me-downs, of more cookbooks than they could ever imagine using.
Sometimes just mentioning an interest in cookbooks will lead to offers. I have acquired some great specimens from friends who had no use for them and wanted to see them go to a loving home.
Besides buying cookbooks whose authors I'm familiar with, I'm also always on the look out for new books or authors I've never heard of. If I am not familiar with a cookbook but am interested, I will often flip through to look for recipes I'd try. If I know I have other versions of most of the recipes or don't find any appealing, I'll move on.