October is National Cookbook Month, making now the perfect time
to add to your collection. But with more than 24,000 new
cookbooks published each year, how do you choose one that
doesn't just sit on the shelf gathering dust?
1. The cookbook works for you. New or busy cooks will be happy
with a variety of family-friendly dishes presented in an
easy-to-follow format. Look for key works in the title like
basic, simple, busy, or quick. Experienced cooks might be
looking for more creative recipes, maybe a specialty book on
pasta, or Chinese cooking, or vegetarian dishes. Ready to whip
up a gourmet meal? Choose a glossy chef-authored book.
2. Recipes arrangement is logical. Are the recipes in defined
sections and arranged according to the main ingredient,
(chicken, pasta) or cooking method (grilled, baked, one-pot) or
type of dishes (entrees, salads, soups)? A book of 800
consecutive recipes may seem like a great deal, but excitement
can quickly turn to frustration when the recipe that piqued your
interest the other day is hidden somewhere in the middle of a
never ending tome.
3. Easy-to-follow directions. Most of us prefer easy-to-follow
numbered directions written in chronological order. Avoid
cookbooks whose directions are in a narrative format or that are
continued on a non-facing page. Any interruption makes it too
easy to miss an important preparation or cooking step.
4. Bonus information. Good cookbooks show the preparation time
and number of servings for each recipe. Really good cookbooks
also give you bonus information; cooking tips, suggestions of
what to serve with each dish, definitions of unusual
ingredients, recipe history, and/or nutrition information.
5. The book lays flat. Is there is anything more annoying than
trying to follow a recipe when the book keeps slapping shut? A
user-friendly cookbook has a plastic comb, wire coil, or
lay-flat binding. How can you tell if the binding is lay-flat?
Hold the book open with both hands and look at the spine. If the
cover is attached to the end pages, but not attached to the
spine, the binding is lay flat. Force the pages open by running
your hand down the length of the open book. You will not damage
the binding.
6. An extensive index. Cookbook indexes should list recipes both
by name and main ingredients. Want to make Florentine rice? You
should be able to find it under "F" for Florentine, "R" for rice
and "S" for spinach. A good index makes the cookbook one you'll
use again and again.
7. Provide inspiration. A cookbook should inspire you to go
beyond the written recipe and experiment on your own. Some books
do this by suggesting alternative ingredients, others by the
shear creativity of the recipes. Cooking is a creative endeavor
and the best cookbooks will serve as a jumping off point to your
own unique dishes.
Follow these tips and soon you will have a shelf of dust free
cookbooks!
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