I grew up during the electronic boom. I remember a time when you had to visit the library for information while learning how to use a word processing program on the class computer. I walked to and from school without the security of a cell phone. I knew how to answer a phone politely, make a phone call and send an email; with feeling. I am part of a paper age where the feel of a book in hand provides comfort under lamplight.
So it goes to reason that I also adore my cookbooks; the hard covers, softcovers and magazines that take up too much space on my shelves. The most used recipes are splashed, splotched and scribbled on. There is a certain enjoyment in flipping through pages full of delicious looking food; searching for just the right recipe that will use up ingredients already in my cupboards. I had to stop for a moment when my husband asked why I was looking at cookbooks at the bookstore. Why? Why not? Where else am I supposed to get recipes? Hmmmm
Well, seeing as dear hubby and myself run blogs with recipes he was confused as to why I didn’t just “look up what I wanted on line”. Very valid point he has made. But. Well. Because. Yep that was my answer. So like any woman trying to defend her spending habits I took to google to ask if cookbooks are a dying breed.
Why Electronics Just Don’t Cut It
To my delight (and hubby’s surprise) cook book sales are up! Yes you read that right. With this amazing thing called the internet at our fingertips we are still buying paper. Why? And does it translate into other paper products?
Cookbook sales are up!
Translate: nope! Fictional paperback book sales are down as virtual sales rise. So what makes cookbooks so special? For one the point I made above. My fav recipes are covered in spills. Who wants to spill anything on a $300 + device?
Two, I have tried using my smart phone, my tablet and my computer. The biggest issue is they turn off! Or at least hibernate, then with floury fingers I have to reinitiate. This happens several times in the middle of trying to create something; thus what was supposed to be fun and relaxing has turned into a frustrating experience. Now I know I can just change the setting so that the screen stays on for the 30 minutes, but, I don’t want to (I would just have to change it back again)!
My next thought in following a recipe is standards. Sorry my fellow bloggers. I have poured over tons of internet recipes; often they just don’t measure up. Without an editor sometimes things get posted missing an ingredient or the wrong measurements. Also it’s only the word of the writer. I have read over so many recipes and thought to myself “no way this is working out”. Not to say I am the best recipe developer ever. In fact my food tends to be on the bland side, it’s not for everyone! All I’m saying is that when you find a recipe in a book or magazine it is has often gone through multiple tests with many different people sampling the finished product. It is tweaked and resampled and tweaked again. Of course in saying this I use books and the internet about even.
Why I Still Buy Books
My books offer a comfy feeling where I can browse through the pages with a cup of tea and get some inspiration for meals to come. When I want something specific I hit the web. You type in some keywords and get a hundred or more results. This is awesome! I usually choose 5 (sometimes more or less) open 5 different tabs and read each blog through. Pick out what I like and don’t like about each recipe then make my own version of the dish. Knowing what my family and I like means the dish will work. I then write down what I did and keep that in a binder to be made again.
Some things to keep in mind when reading internet recipes (and magazines for that matter) the country you live in makes a difference with your ingredients. Take baking: Canadian AP flour is extremely different than American, you can’t just use an American recipe if you live in Canada; adjustments have to be made. All of you saying “awwwww” right now have just realized why some recipes that are high rated don’t work for you! Dairy products have a very different taste which affects the end results! And of course sizes; my mother-in-law brought me sweetened condensed milk from the states so I used it in my cheesecake recipe and wondered why it was too soft…turns out their cans are bigger than ours! Made for a cheesecake that wouldn’t set. Now I make the adjustments but I had no idea it was something to check for.
Moral of the story? Use what makes you happy! I can justify my cookbook purchases but yes; I rely on the kindness of bloggers too! Both have their place on my shelves. Better yet: buy the cookbooks by bloggers 😉
6 of my go-to Food Bloggers
While these are not all gluten free I do enjoy their recipes, switched up of course!
Buy Cook Books on Amazon
Purchases made by following these links help keep this blog up and running. I sincerely appreciate your dedication 🙂