Cookbook and Food Magazine Addictions

Hi my name is Christine and I'm a cookbook-food magazine junkie. Can't collect enough, can't stop by any checkout stand or book store food section without picking one up, thumbing through it, reading the side-bars, looking at the photos, wondering when my next fix will kick in. I have a constant longing, craving and yearning for the next one with pretty pictures, will it ever end? I have a collection of about 200 books; food, wine, dessert, entertaining, beverage there are so many that they now serve as decorative adornments (dust collectors) throughout my home. And the magazines, I have finally succumbed to tearing out the photos or recipes I truly want and put them in my working binder and recycle the rest of the magazine to my hair salon (how Green of me! Not really I just cannot bring myself to throw away a $5 magazine that I bought for just one recipe!).

I'll admit in the beginning when the book was new I read it from cover to cover savoring every word, every photo and actually made some of the food porn that appealed to me the most. Speak to me in pictures don't give me a cookbook without photos because it will never work between us. I need to see the food; desire it, lust after it, make the recipe and then move on. It just gets old after going through it a few times, same old recipes, same old pictures, same old outcome. OK this is beginning to sound like an article for the Dating Examiner I digress; the hard cover book with the glossy photo for every recipe is the type of book that gets me. Gets me every single time. Think of it as the bad-boy, type-A personality book. The one you can't stay away from but the one you can't stay with either. It's the type of book that makes your knees buckle with its cosmetic beauty, makes you giggle with delight over its expansive and informative recipes with photos that take your breath away leaving you hungry for more.

OK this is a disease, the more you have the more you want, and for what? Let's do the math, 200 books x say (conservatively) 100 recipes in each book = 20,000 recipes. 20,000!!!!!! Holy Mackerel! (I hate math, it's so in your face). No I have never made, attempted to make or come close to making 20,000 recipes. That's insane, 20,000 recipes! I know it, I read it, I just wrote it, it's in black and white, and yet, the next pretty cover that catches my eye, I just may flirt with it but that's where it begins and ends. No first date, no innocent glass of wine to peruse with. Well maybe a cup of mocha-java-yahoo with lots of whipped cream in the coffee shop just to sit with the book for a bit...

My list of personal favorite cookbooks, entertaining books and beverage books run the gamut for a host of reasons. My all time favorite and personal best is The Junior League of Boca Raton's Savor the Moment, Entertaining without Reservations. Being a member of the Junior League of Boca Raton I worked on the committee that published this James Beard Award winning book; it's still so personal to this day after all these years later. I was a recipe developer, test cook, recipe sampler, photo design layout person, set-up/clean-up person but then again so were the 200 other extraordinary women who volunteered their time and expertise to what has become a legacy in Boca Raton as a magnificent work of art and brilliance. I sound jaded and biased, a little, but the truth is every recipe was tested 3-5 times and the photo shoots agonized over for hours. Labor of love? Yes. A collectible book everyone should have? Yes, because it is a great entertaining book.

The Williams-Sonoma books, any and all. They are professionally tried, tested and true. You cannot go wrong with any of their books and they have pictures for every recipe!

Just starting out? Betty Crocker. She's the one. Begin with Betty. The book is still the best introduction on basic and instructional culinary knowledge. Betty's got so many versions but whatever the latest is that's the one to give as a bridal shower gift, engagement gift or new apartment gift.

The Coastal Living Cookbook. For two reasons one because I am published in this book! And two if you're a seafood aficionado, live, work or play near the coast then you will appreciate this book and all it has to offer. The recipes are tested and true, the photos make you want to buy a home on the water and entertain and cook for everyone you know. It's a lifestyle, feel good type of book making you wish summer was a year-round season.

At Home with Carolyne Roehm. Just get this book for the pictures, you will learn so much about entertaining, setting tables, flower arranging and decorating just by looking.

Effortless Elegance with Colin Cowie. Exacting, Enchanting, Effortless. The recipes are delightful and delicious. The party tips and strategies, invaluable. My book is worn, tabbed, highlighted and used over and over again.

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. Gorgeous pictures with each recipe. Recipes are doable no matter your level of expertise or lack thereof. The recipes are timeless and delicious over and over appealing to myriad of food lovers and critics alike.

The Silver Palate Cookbook. The one and only exception to my rule of cookbooks must have photos or I kick you to the curb! This is gourmet. This is WOW! This is edgy. This is the most dynamic recipe book you will ever lay your hands on. Now with that said, this book is not for the faint of heart whimsical cook or spice lacking pantry. Pretty much you need to know your way around the kitchen, culinary terms and procedures if not, think going from the 1st grade to 9th and skipping everything in between, you won't know what hit you. If you're ready, the 25th Anniversary edition is on store shelves now.

101 Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks. Unless you have what rivals the W Hotel bar in your home you will need some outlet of escape to serve cocktails to your guests and this book has got it all; sweet, sour, fruity, minty, creamy, you get the point, now get the book.

Wine Wise. Brilliant, witty and comprehensive. Want to know more about wine? This is the book that will take you on travels to countries and trails of vineyards that you couldn't even imagine existed.

That's 10 listed books. Didn't I say I had 200? I hate math, it's so in your face.

Christine is a lifestyle entertaining specialist and freelance writer focusing on food, wine and events in South Florida, from Palm Beach to South Beach. As the creator and editor of the South Florida Food and Wine blog Christine's focus is to write and compile up-to-date information on all things food, wine and events in South Florida. To contact Christine visit South Florida Food and Wine at:
http://southfloridafoodandwineblog.blogspot.com/

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Cookbook and Food Magazine Addictions, Part Deux, Hardcover

We all have our weaknesses, some a bit more challenging than others. If you read my article on Cookbook and Food Magazine addictions then you'd know about my publically admitted foibles. Apparently I still cannot show restraint as I have recently added to my growing addiction collection. I've come across some truly fantastic cookbooks and entertaining books recently; some are hardcover some are softcover, not that this even makes a difference but for my own increasing insanity of the 'ever-growing library' I've divided sharing my findings with you into Part Deux, hardcover and Part Trois, softcover. This is completely getting out of hand; I now have an on-going three part cookbook saga!

Let's start with the most endearing one, Junior Leagues, In the Kitchen with Kids Everyday Recipes & Activities. As you remember from the first article I am a former 'active' Junior League member of the Junior League of Boca Raton who with hundreds of other women played an important role in putting together Savor the Moment, Entertaining without Reservations, which ultimately became a James Beard Award Winning Book. Most Junior League Cookbooks have the reputation of being exemplary. And they are, (I have quite the JL collection as well, maybe that is Part Quatre!) because of the time and effort and enthusiasm that is poured into each 'project' nothing less than 'fabulous' is produced. Hard to understand this? Join the Junior League and you'll understand.

OK, soapbox! soapbox! I'm off. So with that said, it only stands to reason that I would hail "In the Kitchen with Kids, Everyday Recipes & Activities" as it truly is a great book for kids and their parents. First what makes this book so great is there are pictures on every page showing children making the recipe and what the item looks like finished. There are numbered blocks for each recipe 1-2-3, outlining the preparation steps in order for the child. This is a fantastic systematic approach in detailing how to get from beginning to end for the child cook without it being overwhelming. For every recipe there is a kitchen tools section that lists what hardware items are needed for your child to prepare the dish and most recipes offer a sidebar tip. This book makes cooking with kids fun. It is captivating and easy for both you and your child. This book is a great resource for finding quality time activities to do with children.

It's been unseasonably cold in South Florida this winter and quite frankly nothing keeps you warm like soup; no matter where you live, no matter how cold you are. I've discovered the New England Soup Factory Cookbook. I'm originally from New England and know a little something about cold weather and soup. I've had this book now for two weeks, I've made five recipes and I'm here to tell you each one is better than the one before it! Ok so that's no surprise because the author is Marjorie Druker the executive chef and co-owner of the New England Soup Factory. Marjorie's got it going on with her recipes. I'm a soup person, hot and cold. Soup fills you up. Rushed? harried? running here and there? Just take a swig of soup, you don't even have to chew and voila! you've had your nutrition-on-the-go (some people take being busy to the extreme!) The photos are gorgeous, the recipes are easy to follow, the ingredients are easily obtainable in your supermarket and with each recipe Marjorie gives you a sidebar note of tips and useful information. Just a soup cookbook? Yes and every home cook should have one. I finally have mine.

In South Florida we have a vibrant Latin community so it is of no surprise that there are strong Latin culinary influences here as well. When something is different and new it comes with daunting impressions, Latin cooking and its respective ingredients are no different. There is so much more to Latin-American cuisine than chicken, beans and rice and salsa. Daisy Martinez the Food Network Star of Viva Daisy! Introduces you to a flavorful world of spices and ingredients and styles of cooking and preparing food that quite frankly opens doors you didn't know existed. Daisy's new book, Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night exemplifies the ease of Latin American Cooking.

Daisy has taken the mystery and apprehension out of preparing Latin Dishes. Daisy teaches you through her book that simple and wonderful is amazing and different and exotic will add a little 'zip' to your un-zipped life! I have this book because I am the biggest fan of Grilled Chicken Paillard, black beans and rice, I knew there was a world of Latin American tastes and flavors and styles out there I just had to find it. Daisy shows you how easy it is to make Empanadas and real Chimichurri (a parsley garlic sauce for steak), which by the way mine came out fabulous! But what is so great about this book is the introduction Daisy explains just how the book came to be. It's always about the stories and how they are told that makes them so compelling. I'm not going to tell you about 'the trips' what I will tell you is to go buy the book and explore just like Daisy did, you won't be disappointed, Morning, Noon or Night!

In my first article I wrote about Betty Crocker. Just starting out, you've got to have your basic Betty. Start at the beginning, learn your basics and grow from there. Well, I've discovered a new beginning. Didn't think any book could truly do what Betty's books have done for beginner cooks until I came across Your Time to Cook, a First Cookbook for Newlyweds, Couples and Lovers. You absolutely do not have to be a Newlywed, a Couple or a Lover to reap the benefits from this book. Pictures, explanations, instructions, substitutions it's all there and then some. This book is super-fantastic! If I said move over Betty there's a new game in town, I'd feel like I just drove the mother-ship into an iceberg and I simply cannot do that. The bookstores are plenty big enough for two real beginner cookbooks.

Now let's entertain. Cooking is one thing and entertaining is another. Put them together and you've got a party! The gracious and talented Rosanna Bowles has put together a seasonal guide to creating family traditions titled Coming Home (a seasonal guide to creating family traditions). Rosanna takes you down memory lane with her book of family pictures, stories and provokes recollections of your own childhood memories. Remember May Day breakfasts? Remember when your mom made you lunch for school? What about lazy, warm summer afternoons, just laying in the grass with your friends. Rosanna gets you thinking, she helps you create atmosphere and assists you in finding your lost traditions. This is a great read book. I sat on my patio last Sunday and read it from cover to cover with a few glasses of wine. It was the perfect thing to do on Sunday and when I was done with the book, I called my Mom and talked about May Day Breakfasts and Christmas Cookies. Bravo Rosanna! you've done so much more than write an entertaining book, you've given the world a little shake up of what's been lost.

So let my addiction continue, it's really not such a bad thing after all.

Christine is a lifestyle entertaining specialist and freelance writer focusing on food, wine and events in South Florida, from Palm Beach to South Beach. As the creator and editor of the South Florida Food and Wine blog Christine's focus is to write and compile up-to-date information on all things food, wine and events in South Florida. To contact Christine visit South Florida Food and Wine at:
http://southfloridafoodandwineblog.blogspot.com/

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