We are obsessed with ourselves. We spend time and money and energy attempting to better understand ourselves: We go to therapy, we read self-help books, we get our astrological charts read, we take online quizzes. But the truth is that there is no answer, there is no singular self we can wholly know; there is only change and process.
So here we are: obsessed with an unsolvable puzzle, and hungry. Like, really really hungry. We are hungry for everything, sometimes (much of the time?) even ravenous. We crave deep connections and meaningful relationships, a sense of comfort, ideas that inspire us and make our brains hurt with growth, enjoyable engagement with our bodies without judgment, laughter that is so honest the sounds from our mouths surprise us, a feeling of security in the world. Online quizzes will not bring you these things. But cookbooks can, if in small doses. They are comestible self-help.
What Two 200-Year-Old Books Can Teach Us About Southern Cuisine
Excited About Ina Garten's New Show?
First we must acknowledge that cookbooks are books. This is not a dumb statement, though it may read like one. A wall full of cookbooks gets a different treatment than one of novels or a poetry collection, because cookbooks, to many, are practical books. And they really are: They teach us techniques, introduce us to new ingredients, encourage us to expand our palates, riff on old ways of doing things, and promise us new ways of doing things that with time will become old ways. This is very much practical.
Cookbooks contain everything.
But cookbooks are not simply manuals. Cookbooks contain everything: time and space and history and culture and politics and weather and human relationships and the way families are structured and the way societies are structured and economics and humor and art and an endless supply of human personalities and voices. Cookbooks contain all realities because cooking contains all realities. We read and then we cook and then we eat, at which point we have truly consumed our books and their voices and lessons.
What Happens When an Ex-Teen Heartthrob Takes to the Kitchen
From Our Shop
Iconic Cookbook Set
$250
More Colors Shop Iconic Cookbook Set Now
This is as true of cookbooks that we agree to consider “timeless classics” as it is of cookbooks written by country music stars or television personalities or firefighters in a small Texas town. It is as true of cookbooks that are meticulously researched and recipe tested and proofread as it is of comb-bound community cookbooks that offer vague measurements and half-clear instructions. The books that speak to us do so because of who we are and what they contain, just like self-help books.
There are cookbooks for everything.
We are moved by books that connect us to times and places and people that are gone or far away. We are moved by books that remind us of a small, quiet part of ourselves that doesn’t often get light. We read old cookbooks to learn about the way things used to be, how people in the past lived and related to each other and made bread from scratch every day. We read cookbooks from cultures other than our own to learn about them and to be transported to another world, whether that's Yucatan or Taiwan or Minnesota.
A Restaurant Cookbook That Finally Gets it Right
17 Wacky-But-Wonderful Tips from Alton Brown's Newest Book We read cookbooks written by oddballs and obsessives to hear another voice in our heads, to laugh at jokes and engage earnestly in one-sided conversations and feel less lonely. We read restaurant cookbooks because we have eaten at the restaurant and wish we could go back or we know we’re never going to get there and want to be there anyway. Books on soup will make you feel warmer, entertaining books will give you energy, baking books will make you feel calm and composed (or anxious and fidgety, depending on your disposition). There are cookbooks for everything.
Join The Conversation
Top Comment:
“I've always loved books in general-cookbooks are special. The are like a journey with someone. And reading it at different times, I'll be drawn or see some things differently than I did the last time-just like with a good novel. A recipe off the internet is much less connected. ”
— JulieQC
Comment
Sometimes we are searching for something to cook, and directions for how to do so. But sometimes we are simply looking to feel connected: to ourselves, to others, to history, to culture, to our bodies by way of the rumbling in our bellies that inevitably comes after reading a recipe for cinnamon rolls or lamb curry or mapo tofu. This is why cookbooks matter: They offer us a view of the world that we couldn't otherwise have and in doing so, they help us better understand, figure out how to become the best version of ourselves or how to pretend to be someone else for a moment, and, lastly, feed ourselves and others.
Sarah Whitman-Salkin is an editor and writer, and the founder of the online bookshop Classics Cookbooks.
FAQs
This is why cookbooks matter: They offer us a view of the world that we couldn't otherwise have and in doing so, they help us better understand, figure out how to become the best version of ourselves or how to pretend to be someone else for a moment, and, lastly, feed ourselves and others.
Why do people still use cookbooks? ›
Recipes are passed down from generation to generation, and a lot of heart and soul goes into curating them. Cookbooks allow us to dive into those traditions and the culture while educating its readers about the importance and joy of cooking.
Why is a cookbook important? ›
Cookbooks don't just teach and expand the culinary knowledge of the reader. They're not just instruction manuals. They let you in on someone's life or a country's ways and means sans actual travel. More importantly, cookbooks are central to food heritage and national cultural history.
Are cookbooks a good way to learn how to cook? ›
Many recipe books include measurement guides and conversions as well as explaining techniques. They cover the 'why' behind the 'how' of cooking methods. Having this information and using it as a textbook when cooking can help you learn faster and avoid making mistakes.
What to do with cookbooks you don t want? ›
If you're looking to purge cookbooks you rarely use, consider donating them to a charity (like Better World Books or Books for Africa), a thrift store, a library, or a used-books vendor.
What are the demographics of people who buy cookbooks? ›
The following characteristics are common among cookbook buyers: 3 out of 10 women collect cookbooks, 68% of all cookbook buyers are women, and women with a higher income will spend more for cookbooks.
Does anyone buy cookbooks anymore? ›
In 2017 roughly 17.8m cookbooks were sold in the US alone. Nielsen BookScan data shows that cookbook sales in the US grew 8% year-on-year between 2010 and 2020, with sales numbers boosted even further by the pandemic. We don't usually, however, actually cook from cookbooks.
Are cookbooks necessary? ›
Another reason to invest in a cookbook or two is because there are often general tips in cookbooks that will make you a better cook. If you follow a bread recipe and constantly end up with gummy bread or bread that doesn't rise quite right, it might be your technique that needs refining.
What makes a cookbook special? ›
The Author-Food Connection
Just like a musician penning songs about their own life experiences resonates with fans, an author who uncovers their own connections to the ingredients and recipes in their cookbook is sure to create a magical, memorable experience for their readers.
How many recipes make a good cookbook? ›
The standard expectation is that a cookbook should have between 70 and 100 recipes, but larger compendiums have at least 200.
And they really are: They teach us techniques, introduce us to new ingredients, encourage us to expand our palates, riff on old ways of doing things, and promise us new ways of doing things that with time will become old ways. This is very much practical. Cookbooks contain everything.
Do cookbooks make money? ›
Both large and small groups can make huge profits with cookbook fundraisers. Cookbooks easily sell for 2–4 times their cost, allowing you to earn $500 to $50,000 or more! We're so sure you'll make money that we back it with our No-Risk Guarantee.
Why would someone cook the books? ›
Cook the books is a slang term for using accounting tricks to make a company's financial results look better than they really are. Typically, cooking the books involves manipulating financial data to inflate a company's revenue and deflate its expenses in order to pump up its earnings or profit.
Where do people keep their cookbooks? ›
Serious home chefs own dozens of cookbooks, which means installing a bookcase or shelving unit at the end of a kitchen island is a good investment. Or if you already have a wine rack or other bottle storage in your island, you could also turn this into a DIY project by repurposing it into book shelving instead.
Is there still a market for cookbooks? ›
But do cookbooks still sell? Yes, they do. In fact, it's a burgeoning and competitive market. But that's just another reason to make sure that you do everything possible to make your cookbook the best it can be.
Are cookbooks worth buying? ›
A cookbook might teach you how to diagnose and correct your technique. Take, for example, the cookbook “Salt Fat Acid Heat,” which breaks down cooking into the basic elements. Once you understand the way certain elements work together, you can walk away a better cook. Using cookbooks can also simply be a delight.
Why do people love cook books? ›
I love Pinterest as much as the next Millennial, which is how I know there's a real glut of subpar recipes online. A cookbook, in contrast, is typically years in the making. Each recipe is carefully developed and tested and cross-tested, often multiple times, to ensure that the reader can re-create the dish.
Do people buy used cookbooks? ›
Secondhand Book Websites
Thriftbooks.com and Secondsale.com are just a couple of my go-to websites for pre-owned cookbooks. I've saved almost $20 on a single cookbook in pristine condition. These sites often run deals like “buy three, get one free.”
