my personal cookbooker challenge
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What I love about cookbooker's challenges is that deciding what to cook is easy - I only look at the challenge book. However, I own many cookbooks that I have never used, or have not looked at in a long time. I also know that there are many cookbooks that I own that have no reviews on cookbooker. My personal challenge is to prepare - and review - at least 3 recipes from each of my cookbooks. Would anyone like to join me?
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My boyfriend once tried to convince me that I was only allowed to buy new cookbooks if I had prepared at least three different dishes from each of the books I already owned... Well, I'm still trying to catch up, but that isn't stopping me from buying new cookbooks. I think my score went up slightly, but it's hard to tell as I ddin't track it properly. And I then again I haven't added all my books to cookbooker yet...
That being said, I am trying to get recipes from all of my books reviewed, and who knows, maybe I'll even manage a few cookbook reviews?
Edited because confused about how many of my recipes/cookbooks had been reviewed at what point :) -
That's a great personal challenge LL. I still need to get most of my cookbooks listed on cookbooker. I have around 2500. I've been trying to add new ones as I get them and also add ones I've actually cooked from. I have a large collection of community and church cookbooks without ISBN's so I don't know if I'll ever get them here. I know many others may not have them so they wouldn't be interested in seeing the reviews of things I've cooked from them but it would be handy for me.
I've been trying for sometime to cook at least one recipe from each book I own but still haven't succeeded. I wish you much luck in your personal challenge and I'll be looking forward to reading your reviews. I'm hoping to do several reviews soon as I have some things planned including some recipes from the book I won Heart of The Artichoke. I'm still taking photos of my recipes but we're having some issues with the computer that I use to download photos so it may be awhile before I'm able to get those added. -
I like the idea of taking a more structured approach to cooking from my cookbooks (I have about 250 plus many many issues of cooking magazines I cannot bring myself to recycle). I admire your ambition LL -- and like the approach ... think I'll try for the goal of cooking at least one recipe from each cookbook and each magazine issue. Maybe that will stop my over-reliance on Ina Garten and Fine Cooking magazine and get me to use those Michael Chiarello, Jamie Oliver, and Gordon Ramsay books on my shelves. I also like the idea that this will get me cooking from some of the more "vintage" cookbooks on my shelves which I almost never pull out at dinner time.
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Wow - you guys really have a wealth of cookbooks! This is clearly a much easier personal challenge for me with my ~ 50 book library. For me, focusing on one cookbook simplifies my life. I work about 60 hrs/week, and I tend to get "analysis paralysis" - comparing recipes in different cookbooks and web sites, to the point where I cook nothing. Or just burritos every day. This cookbooker community is so awesome - totally supportive and helpful. I just hope I can keep the momentum. Having grown up in RI, this week I'm focusing on a Rhode Island cookbook I've had for years, but not really used. This is fun.
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I would love to join this. A structured challenge sounds great to me. I found the group that was cooking along with Around My French Table on the Dorie Greenspan page and thought that sort of thing is just what I need! Then found Cookbooker, and am realizing what a great site this is, and could be, if more of the listed books had actual reviewed recipes! So yes, I'd love to add to my use of the books and magazines I've got, add to (and be inspired by!) the content here, and make some darn good food. So yes! I'm going to try to do reviews on more of my favorite recipes, and then 3 new ones from each book.
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Welcome - this is a really great community - and I look forward to reading your reviews.
(AKA Queezle_Sister) -
LL -- I meant to ask ... do you have a strategy for achieving your goal? Are you going to focus on one cookbook per week and cook three recipes from it in that week? Or some other approach.
I sat down yesterday to think about how I wanted to approach this -- and had a hard time even picking the book I wanted to start with -- maybe I'll just forge ahead with no strategy ... guess I really should start with those books I have never cooked from. I am intrigued by the the idea of cooking from some of the older French cookbooks (Elizabeth David, Richard Olney, etc.) I have had for awhile and mostly read for inspiration before selecting something from Fine Cooking or online for that night's dinner. -
AJ - For me, its easiest to focus on one cookbook. Over the past 2 weeks, I've focused on a Rhode Island cookbook that my mother gave me years ago, and which I'd never used. I had intended to stop at 3 recipes, but made it up to 5 recipes (and will probably make a couple more things from it in the next week). I might end up being slower at reaching my goal if I cook more than 3 per book, but that doesn't bother me. I will, however, this week select another cookbook that I've never used, and focus on that (in addition to Moosewood). Its my nature to be over-analytical, and I get bogged down comparing recipes in different cookbooks. If I know I'm going to cook out of a particular book, my life is simplified.
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Update on my personal cookbooker challenge. I now think that 3 recipes (from each cookbook) is too few. At 3, I'm just getting to know my cookbook (again), and curious about whether the sampling is representative. I'm now going for at least 5, and having the tested recipes be in several of the cookbook's sections.
I'm pleased to have now posted at least 5 new recipe reviews from 3 cookbooks. Its great to feel that its hard to tear myself away, and I'm especially delighted to get to know The Savory Way again! I also think that after testing 5 recipes, I can probably write informed book reviews. -
OK, I would love to join the challenge, and go for 5 recipes per cookbook. Yes, but deciding where to start could be paralyzing, perhaps I will go with the books I have owned the longest. Thanks for the motivation.
(AKA Peckish Sister) -
So glad to have you join me, PS. Its easier to do this personal challenge in between the official cookbooker challenges. My motivation is to know my cookbooks better (and round out COOKBOOKER's reviews), and so I am focusing on dusting off and opening the cookbooks that huddle in the back of my pile. For example, Savory Way and The Greens cookbooks -- these amazing books intimidated me 20 years ago when I got them. For me, the problem is stopping at 5, and moving on to another cookbook. Its a great problem to have.
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I realized that the place to start are the cookbooks that I have a few reviews from already and that contain recipes that I always think about cooking and then don't. How do you mark those recipes in cookbooker?
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I enter the recipe and then click "index only". Then I can find it as a listed recipe with no actual reviews. My problem is moving on to a different cookbook. I'm so in love with The Savory Way that I have not been able to stick with another different cookbook.
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What @LazyLurker says. Once indexed, you could add them to your recipe folder - it's the little folder icon that says 'save' next to the email icon on each recipe. The folder itself is a little clunky; I'm going to clean it up soon, but this is a place you can flag recipes. Perhaps we could even make categories - faves, to-cook, etc.
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I really like the "save", which I use when looking at other people's reviews. For me, I know if a recipe is a fave or a to-cook, and just having that list as inspiration is great. In fact, I really love everything about cookbooker!
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Now that the Moosewood Cookbooker challenge is over, I would like to keep cooking vegetarian, but change over to the Vegetarian Epicure. I see that 12 other people own that book, but I seem to be the only one with the second book. Does anyone want to cook the Vegetarian Epicure with me?
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I'd love to join you on this, PS. That used to be my favorite book - before The Savory Way bumped down. I have some favorites I'd love to revisit, and then review here. I don't know the second book - I'll look into it and see if any of our libraries own a copy.
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Hi Everyone
I think this is a great idea. I too feel guilty about some of my neglected cookbooks. I don't have a hope of getting to them all this year, as I keep buying more, yet I go back to my favorites time and again. I commit to cooking a meal from a different book in my collection each week for the rest of this year. A meal will usually be 2 or 3 recipes-a main plus a dessert, appetizer or beverage. The exception will be vacations and illness (It looks like another surgery in my future). This is really exciting. How do we do this-do we post here? The Cookbooker is my first online group. -
Greetings, @Cadfael - I'm so glad to have your interest. So far, what I'm doing is to cook enough recipes to feel comfortable with reviewing my cookbook, then moving to a second book. @Peckish_sister has joined in, and we found a couple cookbooks in common that we are concentrating on. For example, right now we are trying to cook from Vegetarian Epicure (which doesn't appear on your list, I think). At first I thought 3 recipes would be enough to feel that I know a book, but now I think its more like 5 or 7 to give a serious review.
I do like your idea your idea of a meal a week.
I think Andrew doesn't mind us posting here. I've done that a bit -
Thanks for your interest - and best wishes for your health.
Lazy_lurker (AKA queezle_sister). -
I don't mind at all! Please, this forum is yours to use and develop. As long as you are not plotting bank robberies, anything about food, cookbooks - life, really - is fair game.
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Its been 2 months since I posted my personal challenge - to focus on specific cookbooks in my collection, and cook enough to fell I understand them. Once I understand and have an opinion about a cookbook, I then write up a cookbook review. My goal is to work through all the cookbooks I own, and eventually write reviews on all of them.
Initially I thought I could get by with cooking 3 recipes from each cookbook. I now think that I need to review least 5 recipes, and really the number should be closer to 10. I also think I have to cook from several different chapter so I sample a variety of recipe types.
I started with my Providence and Rhode Island Cookbook, and in 2 months, have also cooked from Savory Way, Giada at Home, Moosewood Cookbook, Vegetarian Epicure, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, and Not your mother's casseroles. That is 7 cookbooks that I now feel as if I really know!
I'm pleased with my progress. While I need to catch up on writing my cookbook reviews, I'm as excited as ever with the new found wealth on my cookbook shelf. I welcome anyone to join me, and to chart their progress with me here.
On a final note - I have also found it more efficient to focus on 2 or 3 cookbooks at a time. While I await the start of the next formal challenge, I will move on the next title that catches my eye. -
Just chiming in here -- I love buying new cookbooks, but I really need to use the ones I buy. So I'm committing to cooking 2 or 3 new recipes a week from a cookbook after I buy it over the course of a month (so adding up to 8-10 recipes). As LazyLurker says, I'm hoping that will add up to enough recipes to give the book a good review. I'm also going to try to cook from as many different chapters as possible. I've got 2 cookbooks in the queue right now, Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen and Tupelo Honey Cafe Cookbook. That's a lot of Southern cooking, but fortunately I live in the South, and summer is a great time to cook Southern and take advantage of all our fresh veggies.
If I enjoy this, I might follow up with older cookbooks I have that have been languishing. Great idea! -
Sturlington - awesome! I got so involved with the smitten kitchen challenge I have not been pursuing my own challenge recently. You have revived my interest in moving through my cookbooks, and I'll have to figure out which ones I was working on. You are an inspiration to me - I look at your blog sometimes, and am inspired by your great cooking.
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Aw, thanks, LazyLurker!
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Thanks for all the ideas and info on how to save recipes and notes.
My personal challenge is, like many of you have expressed, to use the cookbooks I have for their intended purpose. Just listing them on my bookshelf here has made me aware that I have a few I've not even cracked open!
My "Survive Yet Another Hurricane Season" (I live in Florida) is three-fold - use up what I have (before the expiration date) , save LOTS of money, and use my cookbooks. So there will be LOTS of zucchini and beans and rice in my future as I'll only be buying fresh vegetables. -
SelahWrites - so great to have you here on cookbooker. For me, this is a great community and it has led to better, and healthier, eating.
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Thanks! If, for example, you mean healthier as in lowering cholesterol, then I can be your go to gal. Plant based diets have ZERO cholesterol. Challenge me to veganize any recipe or find a vegan version any time! I SO enjoy it!
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The current challenge for Leeka and I is to use Vegan Fusion World Cuisine and The Indian Slow Cooker (which I read last night from cover to cover) Both have gorgeous photography and both are brimming with ideas for lovely salads and exotic spice blends. It should be an adventure.
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Oh thanks! THAT will be a huge help.
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Leeka and SelahWrites - I don't have those books, but it would be fun to join a cooking effort with both of you. I'm largely plant diet (with occasional concessions for my family), and I'll definitely take you up on your offer to veganize recipes - thanks!
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I'm up for it as well. I think I added Queezle Sister as a favorite thinking it was she.
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Just glancing at the review of the raita reviewed by Queezle Sister, it would be so simple to sub soy yogurt and get the same results, only vegan.
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After my sister signed up for cookbooker, she convinced me it would be fun if we both changed our log-in names to include "sister". Sorry for the confusion -- Andrew, if you'd like to change my name in this part to Queezle Sister, that would be great - to reduce confusion. Thanks, LL/QS
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Thanks Andrew! QS, I looked at your bookshelf and don't think we have so much as a single book in common! Do you want to take the challenge to blogs or websites?
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Leek and SelahWrites -- I will try to borrow Veganomicon from my library again. So nice to have you on board. I mostly set this up to force myself to work through my cookbook inventory. I have variable success, but by being public about my need to at least try all my cookbooks, I'm making a better effort than before.
I'll put the book on reserve today! -
oooooh! Veganomicon! One of my fav's!!! Isa got me past my fear and dread of tofu! Isa showed me how to make gravy using beans! Isa made me make cupcakes and dominate the world!
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Its a fun motivation, isn't it? Some mornings, my daughter asks me "can I have something reviewable for breakfast?" Unfortunately, those dessert recipes, so tempting, don't help me lose any weight...
My reserve book is in - but I cannot make it to the library till the weekend, but by next week I'll be cooking for sure! -
My borrowed Veganomicon is back, and I've started. Thanks Leeka and SelahWrites - this will be fun.
I wonder if its possible to write to all the owners of Veganomicon and invite them to join us? -
That's great - thanks! L.
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