A decade ago I owned less than 10 cookbooks.  The thought of having more never crossed my mind and I rarely even browsed cookbooks at bookstores, although I always looked at the food magazines.  Times have changed; I now have too many cookbooks to count, and some people (like my mother) would say I have too many.  Of course I, and any other foodie I know, would say you can never have too many cookbooks.  Which begs the question – what makes cookbooks addictive?

Is it the great recipes?  I think not.  Consider how often you actually cook the recipes in any given cookbook you own.  I’d wager it’s not very often.  With the exception of a small (but I’m sure growing) group of cookbooks you probably only cook one or two recipes from any of your cookbooks.  It’s not that the recipes are bad; there are simply so many more out there to explore!

What about learning from cookbooks?  A friend of mine once told me a story of a gentleman in a bookstore who asked her where he could find the recipe books.  Recipe books?!  She said it took her a minute to realize what he meant.  Looking back on it though she now believes that in many cases he was right; a good number of cookbooks are now published as simply collections of recipes rather than books on how to cook.

I most assuredly prefer the later, but just how the cookbooks teach is in itself a matter for discussion.  Some of the best cookbooks I’ve seen this year (and I’ve seen a lot) are not aimed at teaching, but present the recipes in such a manner that you learn from them.  They do this by combining details and knowledge within and around the recipe.  A tricky way to teach, but given how much people hate being preached at, it may be a very effective way to teach.

The topic to be learned from cookbooks can also vary greatly.  Many teach about techniques, but a growing number teach about flavors, ingredients, improvisation and much more.  Lately, for example, I’ve been seeking out books that will help me cook with local and seasonal ingredients.

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