The Year of the Cookbook

I started collecting cookbooks the moment I moved out of my parents home.  My mom isn't the type of gal that "cooks". Growing up, her specialty included cheese grilled ( I know - I call it grilled cheese too), chicken noddle soup and black bean soup.  Did you ever see the movie Mermaids with Cher?  That was us, every meal was set up like a cocktail party.  I wouldn't change it for anything.

I went though the evolution of cooking. Starting with Rachel Rays 30 Minute Meals and 100 Things to do Potatoes. By my mid-twenties I had graduated to the Joy of Cooking and the Barefoot Contessa books.  This is where I peaked.  I not only stoped exploring new and different books, but I stoped wanting to try new things.  I woudl try a new recipe here and tehre, but over the past few years I've kept to the standards.I blame the slow food movement. Yes, I believe we should eat good, clean, as local as you can get it, and unprocessed foods. But I'm a working woman and cant spend all day cooking.  I need my food fast.

Until now!

My auntie P bought me the Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food cookbook for Christmas.  And just like that the spell was broken.  I sat and read the first few sections right away and had to make myself put it down. 

This amazing book not only has great recipes, but it tells you what to buy, how to buy it, and how to store it. If you are a local, you may already know that  Bi-Rite is a great grocery store in the Mission (San Francisco).  You can find their site here.  Couldn't you just live in that store?