Books for Cooks

I am do not like the title "chef".  Call me a cook, taste maker, sultan of sauce, master of mixes or guru of the grill, but not chef.  A chef is what I am striving to be.  You see, I am self taught in the kitchen.  I awarded myself my first toque.  Every time I step into the kitchen, I am looking to learn something new which is probably why I have such a vast cookbook collection.  So when I heard about the Bi-Annual Cookbook sale at the James Beard Foundation, I canceled my morning in preps for the rummage.

Embarrassingly enough, the only thing I knew about The James Beard Foundation before becoming a member was that it was a big deal to win an award from them.  HA!  This institution is a foodies' dream!  There are classes, private dinners, lectures series, and a New York-block long list of monthly events with a staff of some of the keenest culinary minds.



The book diving began early Saturday morning.  I hopped #2 express train to downtown - the only way to travel. Patting myself on the back, I walked past the long line outside to get in and flashed my membership card to get in - members do not wait - and I had a one-half hour head start.

Their Bi-Annual Cookbook sale is a lip-smacking delight of recipes in some of the world's best cookbook.  Interested in classics?  There's a book for that! 

Want something uuuhh...different?  There's a book for that! 

Looking to get a bargain on recent best sellers?  There's a book for that!

The elbow-to-elbow room had spiraling stacks of early prints and recent volumes.  Priced from $1 to $20, these post-recession friendly prices got the best of me. 

 
There was even a collection of "FREE" vintage food magazines.

 

 

Before I left, I seriously contemplated some attractively priced silver and stemware.

The end result? 

Six (6) great finds:
Earth to Table 
The conscious cook
Taste buds and molecules
The new book of soups
Kitcho - Japan's Ultimate Dining Experience
Summer in a Jar

 

 

This is surely to keep me in the kitchen and inspired to recreate and deviate from the stack of composed recipes.  Betty Crocker has nothing on me!

Bon Apetite!


Mr. Foodtastic