1. The Overstuffed Cookbook Shelf - Week 1

Friday July 12

Looking around my living room, you can see that I have a problem with books.  Cookbooks, especially. 

I love cookbooks. They open up whole new culinary and cultural worlds if you're willing to try something new. The food looks, of course, amazing. It sounds mouth-watering.

Cookbooks offer comfort, security, and the basic need to eliminate hunger in a way that satisfies our need to show love, to express our culture, to explore new cultures, and to stand amongst the legendary chefs who came before us and created just enough structure to allow us the freedom to create. 

But if you're after affirmation, make sure you offer your culinary masterpieces to those who would not run to McDonalds at the sight of Duck a l'Orange. It's a tough road. And I remember my grandmother getting upset when someone didn't like her food. I thought it was silly, as a child, but now that I'm an adult and also love cooking, I can see how the link between love and lunch might make for a personal insult if the recipient snubs the offering. 

The problem with having so many books, however, is that when it comes time to cook, I have 30 minutes and no time to rifle through the disorganized cluster of books to find something with ground pork as an ingredient, which I happen to have but no idea what I was going to make with it. And then there are the tools like cast iron pans that I have but never used because I frankly had not learned. 

This perfect storm of obstacles makes me throw up my hands and give in to Prego Sauce with Hamburger Spaghetti night so adored by my Kraft Mac and Cheese loving family. 

It's the wasted potential that keeps driving me to want to use the cookbooks, but it has become so overwhelming with the thousands of recipes before me, that I have excess paralysis. I want an easy button. First world problems, am I right? 

What to do? My need to categorize and try things out is gnawing at me. So, I get to work. 

First, I need to find out exactly how many cookbooks I have. I need to count them. I don't have to tell you, I'm a little afraid of what that number might be. (Checks) 178+ books. And I say that because there are books tucked in around the house that I keep finding.

So, If I want to use each cookbook at least one time in my life and I have maybe 30 years left, I need to start to pare down the list to something manageable. I can't make everything. Do I want to? Not really. I am not a fan of peanuts, so I already would remove recipes or modify the recipes with peanuts in it. 

What are other criteria I should consider?
For each book, I think I will pick the top 5 recipes - based on having a variety of types of food, a variety of cultures, a variety of hot and cold meals - and then one or two desserts per week. If I can get through the top 5 of each book, that will be 890 recipes. Since there are about 5 meals per week that I would cook (leaving room for one day out and one day leftovers), it would take me 178 weeks, which is roughly 3 and a half years. 

But. I would have tried all of the cookbooks. 

Do I think in 3 and a half years I might buy another cookbook? Probably. But this gives me a goal to work toward, and you will get to come along for the ride! (Lucky you!)

I'm picking up groceries today and tomorrow (since some recipes will require a trip to a special store) and beginning the cooking tonight!

Here is what's on the menu for week 1 from the book "The Picnic" by Hanel, Slonecker, and Stevenson



  • Vietnamese Noodles with Shrimp and Vegetables
  • Horseradish-rubbed Flank Steak
  • Cold Poached Salmon
  • Roast Pork with watercress
  • Coronation chicken in lettuce cups
And for the dessert?
  • Chocolate-dipped Green Tea Shortbread
Keep watching to see how this all turns out!

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