I got tagged a while ago with this meme by Sam from Becks and Posh and I didn't get a chance to write it up yet. Bad food blogger. Well I don't have a huge collection of cookbooks, I tend to work more from memory and inspiration, but at times it's good to have a certain book at hand to refer to. I also find that a cookbook can be a great read when I'm not looking to get into anything technical or don't have the time to read involved fiction or something that takes a good deal of focus. The short nature of the recipes, descriptions and stories makes it easy to stop at almost any time and consume a cookbook in small chunks.
So, on to the questions!
1. Total number of books I've owned.
Oh, boy.. good question. I'm bad with numbers.. Maybe 80.
Actually, I just took a count. It's more like 15. Boy, I really overshot with the 80! (Read the above link to get the joke. Or don't. Either way).
2. Last book I bought.
The New Best Recipe: All-New Edition with 1,000 Recipes
We picked this one up in at Powell's when we were in Portland. It was a steal at $19.99 and no sales tax to boot! It's a huge tome with the "best" ways to make practically everything. The amount of research the America's Test Kitchen team does is amazing. I'm glad to have access to all the inside tricks to get THE best version of whatever it is you're making.
3. The last book I read.
The aforementioned "The New Best Recipe".
4. Five books that mean a lot to me.
1. El Gran Libro de los Antojitos Mexicanos (The Big Book of Mexican Appetizers) by Patricia Quintana
We got this book last year as a present from Erika's sister and her family. The book is a big collection of some traditional Mexican appetizers and alot of contemporary ones. It's really awesome for when you're entertaining.
2. Jacques Pepin Celebrates by Jacques Pepin
Excellent basics for American/French cooking as well as some really great ideas for presentations. Jacques is the master.
3. Mexico One Plate At A Time by Rick Bayless
Erika and I love Rick Bayless and how he brings the real Mexican dishes and flavours to the rest of North America. We really like how he tries hard to distinguish between authentic Mexican food and Tex-Mex, which is good in it's own right, but it's not “real“ Mexican food. This book is a great starter for the North American home cook.
4. Molto Italiano : 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home by Mario Batali
We picked this one up a month or so ago and it was part of my not-so-surprise birthday presents. I like having "authoritative" compendiums such as this one and Rick Bayless' book above that cover the spectrum of a particular cuisine. Then I can use these recipes as jumping off points for my own creations. I'll let you all argue how authoritative Mario Batali is. I personally like him very much. Chipis on the other hand, not so much. I guess it has something to do with the vests and the long hair.
5. La Tradicional Cocina Mexicana y sus Mejores Recetas (The Traditional Mexican Kitchen and It's Best Recipes) by Adela Fernandez
We got this one while on vacation in Oaxaca a few years ago. It's a more traditional book but again it serves as a good reference for when you're making something authentic. The cool thing about this book is that each page is split in two with the Spanish text on one half and the English translation on the other side. So it's not only a great cookbook but also a good text for English speakers who don't habla el español tan bueno (like me).
5. Which five people would you most like to see fill this out in their blog?
1. Roland Tanglao from VanEats.
2. Derrick from Obsession With Food.
3. Domestic Goddess.
4. That Canadian Girl.
5. Everyone else has already been tagged, and I mean everyone! For a very well researched history of this meme check out the Pumpkin Pie Bungalow.
And even though I'm near the top of the list I didn't get tagged THAT long ago.