I've been away from the Random Recipe Scene for the last couple of months. I have no excuse, I have just plum forgot...twice! I vowed to get back into the game for July when Dom tweeted the June round up...and so here it is:
This month we have been challenged with something a little different...to show each other our cookbooks. Despite having a gorgeously huge kitchen (please don't hate me) there are no shelves for my cookbooks...grrrrrrrrrr (we rent so this is not easily remedied). Because of this my cookbooks are split between trolly sideboard thing...and a space I have claimed on the countertop.
There is no strict cataloguing system...things just go where they go. If I pull a bunch of books out there is a good chance they won't go back to the stack they came from...but because I don't have all that many books I can usually find what I am looking for. I have way too many Jamie Oliver books, not enough Nigella and (sadly) no Hugh. Ottolenghi has to go on the wooden unit cause he is too big to sit on the countertop, and the newest requisitions are always near the top of the counter pile.
I love cookbooks but have to stop myself from buying them (or taking them to bed to read...I was crushed by 365 Good Reasons to Sit Down and Eat last year) unless I really really NEED it. I've been taking out loads from the library recently and copying out the recipes I want to try...and I've actually found that there is really only a handful of recipes in most books that I want to try. Of course there are some exceptions, like Short and Sweet and my recent gift Nordic Bakery Cookbook, but for the most part I'm beginning to question to cost of some books. I'm also bookmarking a lot of recipes from the internet (many from books I think I'd like to buy) and slowly working my way through.
Saying all that I do have a cookbook wish list...I can't help it.
Tweet
well firstly, welcome back... you have been missed... I love your piccies, they look very cool... i'm after a trolley like that myself, where did you get it?... nice collection of books, nice to see inside the 'Urban Kitchen' and have a good nosey!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a fun challenge. My collection has been whittled down due to two recent moves, thank god for the internet!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to participate in this challenge! I love how you've organized your cookbooks! Kudos to you for using the library too! Thank you for inviting me into your kitchen!
ReplyDeleteMary
I think your books look very neatly arranged. Mine are a mess. I'm impressed that you can usually find what you're looking for - I tend to forget what I'm looking for halfway through looking for it these days.
ReplyDeleteI have missed a couple months of RR challenge as well and I promised to make a return this month :) I love this month's theme, mainly because I am quite nosy. What lovely collections you have and I want those cake stands :)
ReplyDeleteI, too, love your trolley. Love your stash of cake tins/stands as well.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to get a glimpse of your stylish kitchen.
I've missed the last two months too, and am LOVING the voyeuristic element this time!!! I do envy your large lofty Edinburgh kitchen (I feel I can imagine it well) especially as I wrestle with the challenge of redesigning my kitchen into a 9ft x 9ft space - definitely no room for books in there!
ReplyDeleteWhy has it never occurred to me to use the library? You're obviously much more organised than me with your wish list and bookmarks. Both really interesting to see. I'm after the Alice Hart book too, but perhaps I'll see if the library has it. Thanks for your cook book ideas. GG
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