Weekly Geeks v9.14: Cookbooks

I am digging this weeks Weekly Geeks. We get to talk about cookbooks and I love to cook. I even have another blog that deals completely with my recipes, but more on that in a few.

This week, the WG girls gave us a bunch of questions regarding cookbooks, so I’m just going to answer those questions this week so I won’t ramble to badly.

Describe your cookbook collection. How many cookbooks do you own? A lot? Just a few? None at all?

My cookbook collection used to be really big.  I love finding new recipes and I was getting cookbooks left and right for awhile there.  Then I realized that I started using various internet recipe sharing sites more and I decided to downsize my collection.  Now I have about 7 cookbooks total and they are kind of specialized, which is why I still have them.  I have the standard Better Homes & Garden Cookbook as well as a fabulous Bisquick Cookbook that I use pretty regularly; but I also have one for a slow cooker, two for a bread machine (although mine decided to jump off the counter) and one that is completely filled with cookie recipes. I’m not sure what the other ones are right now.

Do you even buy cookbooks? Or do you gather family cookbook compilations and/or recipe files instead?

I do not buy a single cookbook any longer.  I don’t see the need to.  You can pretty much find anything online and all you have to do is print it out.  With a printed copy, you don’t have to worry about food splattering on the pages or anything like that.  If the copy gets dirty, all you have to do is print off a new sheet.  With a book, you can’t do that. I do still use my Better Homes & Garden Cookbook, but that has all of the really traditional recipes in it.  We’re talking the “from scratch” recipes.  So I do still consult it on occasion.

Do you like to collect certain types of cookbooks? Say, from certain chefs? From places you visit? From a particular food group or style?

Not particularly.  Well, I do collect specialized cookbooks if you want to call that a type.  It’s so hard to find slow cooker recipes online (it’s getting better) that I was having to consult my Slow Cooker book for awhile.  They’re still not easy to find, but it’s getting easier.

As for certain chefs, I like watching them cook on TV, but a lot of their food involves a lot.  I’m a fan of Top Chef, but all the work they put into those dishes for just a little amount is mind boggling.  There’s no way I would try something that fancy.  Not just for the hubby and me.  It would be completely lost on us.  Now, that isn’t to say that if I do come across something interesting, I won’t try it, but it can’t be too complicated.

There really isn’t a particular style or food group that I prefer to cook in.  I think desserts are easier, but I’m willing to do anything.  I like to experiment, but I hate wasting food and we seem to do that a lot, so I’ll wait until we have company before really trying my hand at a particular dish.

When buying cookbooks, what do you look for? Does it need to have pictures? Spiral binding? A specific type of font?

I really don’t buy cookbooks, but when I did, there wasn’t a certain style it needed to have.  Granted, spiral binding is way easier to consult when you’re laying the book on a flat surface, but it wasn’t required.  As for pictures, I like having pictures with my recipes.  It gives me an idea of what it’s suppose to look and if I could maybe substitute something.  Neither the hubby or I like mushrooms, so if I see it in a recipe, I need to know if I can take it out or not.

What is your favorite cookbook? Tell us the story behind it.

My favorite cookbook would have to be the Better Homes & Garden Cookbook since it’s the one I do consult the most.  Whenever I want to experiment, I generally consult that first.  Sometimes it’ll have an easier way to do something, something I haven’t thought of, but most often I don’t know how to start off the recipe until I look at that.  It’s given me some pretty good ideas, so that’s why it’s still around.

Tell us about your most well-used cookbook. Is it different from your favorite cookbook? Or are they one and the same?

My most well-used cookbook is probably the one I have online.  I was storing all of my recipes in this database for awhile, but then my family wanted in on it as well and I found it easier to start Open Source Cook.  Now I post whatever recipe I’m currently playing with online and then they can play with it as well.  My sister also posts her own recipes and I’ve been putting up all of my old family recipes, which my mother is loving.  I’ve been trying to gather all of the family recipes from all points (grandmother, aunt, mother, etc) and I’ve been adding them as I get them.  My mother has been finding recipes that she used to have as a child and hasn’t seen since, so this was actually a really good project to start.

Take a picture of your collection. How and where do you organize it?

My cookbooks are on the bottom shelf on one of the bookshelves in my office.  No they are not in the kitchen because I don’t use them all that often.  Plus I don’t have room and with only seven cookbooks, they really don’t take up all that much space.

Share a recipe from one of your favorite cookbooks. Include a picture if you can.

I really don’t have a favorite recipe, but there are a few that I do make a lot.  One is my Guacamole and Salsa recipes.  My husband loves both of them.  Something we used to make a lot of (before the bread machine killed itself) was the Chocolate Chip Bread and that is phenomenal, I will say that.  Love it.  Oh yeah, I also make No-Bake Cookies about every 2 weeks.  Or whenever Jesse runs out of them.

However, right now, there is a recipe I’m playing with.  It comes from the Pampered Chef and it’s called Strawberry Pastries.  It’s actually really easy to do, but I think I’m going to change it up a little.  I’m thinking of using the pudding mixture from the Strawberry Cream Trifle recipe in place of the whipped topping.  I’m not sure how it is going to turn out, but if you’re curious, you can check Open Source Cook later this week.  Anyway, here’s the base recipe for those interested.  It’s not up at OSC yet, but I’m waiting until I try the variation.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pkg (17.3 oz/450 g) frozen puff pastry sheets (1 sheet), thawed
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) sliced almonds, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar
• 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) thawed, frozen whipped topping
• 12 large strawberries, sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Unfold pastry sheet onto flat baking stone. Combine almonds and sugar; sprinkle over dough. Lightly press almond mixture into dough.
2. Using Pastry Cutter, cut dough lengthwise into three strips; cut strips crosswise into four squares for a total of 12 squares. Separate squares evenly over baking stone. Bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; cool completely.
3. Split open cooled pastry squares; arrange half of the strawberries over bottoms of shells. Top with whipped topping, remaining strawberries and tops of pastry shells.

Yield: 12 pastries

Nutrients per serving: (1 pastry): Calories 60, Total Fat 3.5g, Saturated Fat 2g, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrate 6g, Protein 1g, Sodium 15mg, Fiber 1g