I’m a cookbook addict. I own more than any human being probably should, and have a hard time stopping myself from buying a new one. I’ve bought cookbooks for years, from the original Betty Crocker to the Joy of Cooking, to Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa cookbook series and even the Food Network stars’ favorites’ collection.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
The one featuring the Food Network stars has little interviews with each of them, that ask those quirky questions like what their favorite foods are or where they most like to vacation. There are photos of the chefs at home, photos of them cooking, and big smiling close-ups, like a regular Sports Illustrated for food.
None of this really helps me cook any better, of course. Knowing what Alton Brown makes for his kids for dinner doesn’t make my steaks come out any more tender, or lend a new flavor to my broccoli. But for the author in me, it gives the books that added dimension of story, that fun little window into people’s souls. I know it’s all been written and polished by marketing people and publicists, but still, it’s nice to have that extra human touch.
Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup
I do make the recipes, of course. I’m not just a cookbook addict, I’m also a food addict, LOL. 
I spend an inordinate amount of time in my kitchen, replicating the recipes I find on those pages, hoping to have them not just taste like the originals, but look like them too.
Why?
Food, I find, is fun. It’s a creative outlet much like writing. I don’t get so fancy as to make separate sauces just to decorate the plate, or buy herbs that will just sit on the plate and get tossed at the end of the meal, but I do try to make a good presentation–even if it’s not perfect, and not exactly the same as what Ina or Emeril would do (and even if I have to improvise because I burned something or forgot an ingredient). My kids are unimpressed. All they want to know is whether the meat under that parmesan crust is chicken or fish. My husband is the kind who puts barbecue sauce on everything. My efforts are pretty much unappreciated by everyone except me. 
But…I still read the cookbooks, create the meals, expand my family’s palatte, and create a story with most dinners. I’m hoping that when my kids grow up, they’ll remember dinners at our table, and maybe have a few stories of their own to tell, or some memories to share with me. They won’t be as canned and perfected as the ones in the cookbooks I’m reading, but that’s okay.
The stories I’m really interested in are the ones in the Jump family cookbook, anyway. They’re the ones that make me laugh, and bring true joy to my heart, because they have all the ingredients of a messy, imperfect family, barbecue sauce and all. 
Shirley
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Oh, I can watch cooking shows all the time, but in the end I still hate cooking. My favorite cookbook?
CHEAP. FAST. GOOD.
That’s the title. Not kidding.
Well, anyone who has read my novels know I love food (though I don’t cook much). My characters are always eating (I think what people like to eat tells me a lot about them).
I think I’ve got food and/or cooking scenes in all my books. I especially like the series like Diane Mott Davidson’s that come with recipes. Best of both worlds!
Do you happen to have the recipe for the parmasean chicken? It looks really good!!
I love the food network and I love novels with attention to food – like anything Stacey Ballis writes, “Bet Me” by Jennifer Crusie, and “Midori by Moonlight” by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga.
Food and cookbooks is a big theme right now on author blogs! I was saying to a friend the other day that I find some of the author recipes I see a tad intimidating. I’d like to see a REAL working author’s cookbook, geared toward those busy writing days when even a 30-minute meal is far too great a commitment. Hmmm.
I’m a lucky woman; my XY is the cook. He likes the Cook’s Illustrated which has not the stories but the science behind the skillet. Fascinating stuff.
Lisa, I’m both terrified and intrigued by the working author’s cookbook idea. I can see the chapters now… Breakfasts while brainstorming. Recipies for revisions. Desserts on deadline.
I loved Susan Mallery’s Buchanan series as they featured a family from Seattle in the restaurant business. Then of course, Her Falling for Gracie and her Sweet Spot Sister Series featuring a bakery.
I loved Susan Mallery’s Buchanan series as they featured a family from Seattle in the restaurant business. Then of course, Her Falling for Gracie and her Sweet Spot Sister Series featuring a bakery.
P.S. – Sorry, forgot to tell you great post!