I don't buy cookbooks very often. This is due to:
1) We have a pretty good stash.
2) I usually don't need no stinkin' recipe.
3) They cost money.
4) I can Google any dish and get 12,384 versions of the recipe.
Here is a cookbook I actually use. "Seasonal Florida, A Taste Of Life In North Florida" by Jo Manning. She and her sisters have put together a cookbook specifically targeted to traditional Pure Florida regional cooking. What makes it wonderful is not just the wide variety of traditional recipes, but the added cultural and historical bits that make the book a good read, even if you aren't in a cookin' mood.
I was going to post about it last year, but when I went to find a link for you, alas, it was out of print. At that point, I cancelled my post, ... why torture you with something unattainable?
Then, while Christmas shopping this past season , I found it!
Republished with real binding and more recipes!
Suuweeeeeeet!
This is an excellent book for you Floridaphiles or Floridacurious types. I can vouch for the authenticity of many of the recipes, because they match recipes handed down to me ... and y'all know how Floridifinous I am.
Seasonal Florida even shares sacred recipes like "Osteens" fried shrimp. Osteens is a small, plain restaurant in St. Augustine that every shrimpaholic knows has the best fried shrimp in a city of good fried shrimp chefs.
The book covers everything from "Hippocrite Bread" to "Possum And Taters".
Good stuff.
My dilemma is, do I get the new version or stick with my old?
There's a bunch of new recipes in the new one ...
... and I did get that Barnes & Noble gift card for Christmas.
12 comments:
I think you should go for it! Besides, you may want to pass your current copy to one of your offspring so that he or she may continue the tradition.
Both, of course. There is no such thing as too many books. Ditto to what swamp4me said also. My mother (fortunately married to a book dealer) had to find copies of the cookbook we grew up on for all of her three offspring and now she is working on the grandkids, who are also eager cooks.
So long as the possum & taters recipe is in the old version, why waste your money?
:-)
"One can never have too many cookbooks."--my mother in law
My rule is, use a gift card for something you wouldn't normally buy for yourself. You probably wouldn't spend money for a newer edition of a book you already have, but...it's a gift!
I totally agree with the 'can never have enough cookbooks' philosophy. I can't remember, though, the last time I bought one from a bookstore. Always check ebay, ABE and half.com first.
I have a Flarda cookbook I enjoy, as well. The Florida Cookbook by Caroline Stuart and Jeanne Voltz. It also has cultural/historical bits throughout. Rght now, I'm hunting a Gasparilla Cookbook for its bollitos recipe.
Thanks for adding another'n to my list. 8-}
Swampy,
Good plan. Actually, my big brother might want it.
ThreeCollie,
The one indespensible cookbook at our house is the "Joy Of Cooking". If you need an answer ... it's there.
Lauranhinnj,
LOL! I chose that one for local flavor not for a personal favorite!
Deb,
Me too. Gift cards are liberating.
Sophie,
I think you will love this one.
Go for it! I read cookbooks like some people read novels, so i'm biased. A good Florida cookbook is worth it's weight in gold. ;)
btw, consider sharing recipes from it??? I have a similar cookbook, maybe I should start doing the same on my blog, too. We could do a Florida Recipe segment...just something to think about!
Yet another cookbook to buy. I can't get them all into the bookcase as it is now!
.....Alan.
Laura,
Sounds good to me. I played around with a separate Florida food blog, but I can't keep up with two blogs, so I've been planning on deleting that one and just incorporating the thought into PF.
Alan,
This is one you'll actually use.
Yeah, I can see that. I've often thought of doing a food blog also, but there's not enough time to do two blogs and function normally in the real world.
When I decided to "get my books organized" a few years ago, I started with my cookbooks. I had helpful person place a bookshelf in the kitchen and I proceeded to fill it full of cookbooks. (My Mom was once in food service and belonged to the cookbook of the month club - while Dad retaliated with the Rock of the month club - but I digress.) At any rate, after the shelves were, ahem. . . filled and had more books stacked on top, first born wandered thru the kitchen and stopped short. "Um Parent?" "Yes?" "Shouldn't there be more prepared food in the house?" "Nope, too busy reading about it, no time to cook." Heading for Amazon. . .
Laura,
I have a hard enough time functioning with one ;)
Wolfcub,
I know. It's a lot easier to read a remodeling book than actually get out there. Guilty.
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