Your First Cookbook

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I was never given a cookbook. My mother was the cook of the family, but she mostly went by magazines such as Family Circle. All of my cookbooks were bought by myself. I basically taught myself to cook though, before the cookbooks because I just naturally had a love of cooking.
 
mom sent me off to college with paperback editions of THe Joy of Cooking and THe New York TImes Cookbook. Both have been with me since as first reference sights, at least.
 
Have you noticed how many of us are using elastic bands and tape to keep our favorite cookbooks together???? Thank God for these inventions!!!!!
 
My first cookbook was whatever was the current edition at that time of The Settlement Cookbook. My mother gave it to me when I married. I later inherited her dilapidated copy ( I think a 1938) that had been given to her by her sister-in-law when my parents married.

I'm sure mine came with a dust jacket. But somewhere along the way, it disappeared. And at some point, I guess the cover of the book sustained damage. Way back then I must have thought it was a nifty to idea to cover it myself. I used the shelf paper that I had lining my cupboards. Certainly a unique copy. :LOL: Recently I purchased a very nice copy with a dj from the 1940s.

As for buying old cookbooks, I do it routinely, even though my NY resolution is to stop. I buy many of my books on eBay but caution novices that it can be a minefield. You really have to check out the seller, ask questions, and request proper packaging. Sometimes, in spite of all that, the book arrives either not as described or damaged during shipping -- or both. Oh, and if you prefer your books not smell like an ashtray, ALWAYS ask about tobacco (and musty) odors before bidding.

Sometimes I actually find better prices (no bidding wars) and service on book sites like abebooks.com, biblio.com, as well as several others. Amazon (their independent sellers) often has a good selection of older cookbooks. I do use alibris also but bristle a bit at their including tax. :LOL: The other sites absorb that cost.
 
My first cookbook was a Gold Medal Flour cookbook. The flour bags had an offer and you just mailed a request for one.
The recipes were of course for baking. It was from this little book that I learned how to make bread, pie crust, oatmeal cookies.
 
When I was about 8, someone gave me "Miss B's First Cookbook." I think I made "Shrimp Wiggle" out of it.

I honestly cannot remember the first cookbook I bought for myself, but one of the first ones my Mom gave me when I first moved out on my own was "Thoughts for Buffets," which I and every one of my cousins -- all great cooks -- still use to this day!
 
As a cookbook collector, it's difficult to remember where it all started, but I'm thinking it had to be three: the two 3-ring binder "Better Homes & Gardens" & "Pillsbury" cookbooks - given to me at my wedding shower back in the mid-70's, & "The Vampire Cookbook", given to me by my mom, a kindred horror movie fan. "The Vampire Cookbook" has normal recipes, but the dish titles & ingredients all have goulish names. Definitely a fun little book.
 
When I was a wee lad of about 10 years, Mum got me the Five Roses Flour cookbook. Now, all those (18) years later...I can't find it and it upsets me. At least they've got it online, now.

Thank you Internet Masters!
 
My first was something like "Help I'm at College and Mom's Gone". I'm sure I'm butchering the title, but oh well. It helped me get started on some of the basics, like hard boiling eggs =)

Nowadays I typically use either this site or allrecipes.com. It's usually pretty easy to find a recipe close to what I want, and then I can modify it by adding more spices or something simply like mushrooms.

My mom gets mad when her recipes get changed without trying them as given, so I just don't tell her what I do to them... hee-hee ;)
 
I just got my first cookbook this year at Christmas from my roomate. It's "The Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book", so technically it ends up being a present for both of us ;)
Up until now I always used my mom's cookbooks and recipes.
 
My first, and only, cookbook is THE first cookbook: The 1896 Boston Cooking School Cookbook by Fannie Merritt Farmer
 
The Better Homes & Garden checkered one - wedding gift in 1966. Also, inherited my mother's American Woman's Cook Book - on the front it says Edited by ruth Berolzheimer - The copyright I believe is 1942. Bizarre recipes in this book - hard to believe people are fatter now!
 
i believe my first cookbook was a companys coming--think it was casseroles,and the other was salads. A wedding gift --way back when(haha) 87--but my favorite and most helpful is one i used so much i have lost pages ---front page,back page...it is a spiral bound . and there is no name left on this book to tell you what it is. it was so helpful to me when i was first starting out--it has cooking secerts,terms,how to do things..
 
My first and still favorite cookbook is the one my hubby gave me when we first got married: the Betty Crocker Cookbook..lots of pix, no recipes for crockpots or microwave cooking!!!
 
I bought my first real cookbook last week on Amazon.com, Bo Friberg's "The Professional Pastry Chef" 3rd Edition. I've bought a couple of those Ethnic Recipe cookbooks you see on sale for $2 outside of Borders and Barnes & Noble, but they're very specific and not very comprehensive. There's also a Better Homes and Gardens Book around here that I use a lot, but its not mine, and I didn't buy it either.

Friberg's book is about 1200 pages long, and has literally hundreds of recipes for desserts, pastries, breads, etc. They are also accompanied by step-by-step instructions on how to create the masterful presentations, and the chemistry, history, and sanitary concerns for your ingredients, equipment, and workspace. Alot of the the techniques are advanced, but Friberg makes them achievable to even amateurs, provided they have the right ingredients, equipment, and a bit of patience and willingness to learn about what they're making. I've had this book for only about 4 days, and I can't seem to put it down!! Great book for anyone that loves desserts, breads, and pastry, and creating some masterul, delicious, and beautiful creations in your kitchen.
 
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