Cookbook memories

What's a girl to do when she doesn't have a single solitary idea in her head as to what to write for her next post?  Why, she heads downstairs to her computer, asking the writing gods to send a decent thought or two her way.  And lo and behold, when she sits down to stare at her blank screen, she discovers that her husband has elevated the monitor with a cookbook.  One of her favorite cookbooks.  Hmmm....favorite kitchen items....

So here we are--a show and tell of some of my favorite cookbooks.  I love cookbooks, mostly for the sweet memories they bring back of vacations or special holidays. They tend to be one of the items I look for when on a trip, and I couldn't resist picking up this cookbook/cd in Door County this past summer.  It has lovely selections and wonderful recipes from famous tea rooms. Baking scones while listening to Satie's Gymnopedies...that goes on the kitchen favorites list!

And the book that is currently propped under my computer screen? It's Jeff Smith's The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American.  I always enjoyed watching his show on PBS, and was sad that he died before he was able to address some allegations against him.  Despite whatever happened in his personal life, his cookbooks are great.  It's not Thanksgiving at our home without George Washington's "raggo" of onions and Thomas Jefferson's apple pudding!  Definitely on my favorite kitchen things list...

The last cookbook on today's list?  My well worn copy of BC's International Cookbook--I have such great memories of my son coming home from grade school, grabbing this book and making delicious Irish soda bread for us to enjoy with a hot cup of tea.  I can still see him sitting at the kitchen table, nibbling on the warm bread spread with butter and strawberry jam and telling me all about his day.  That will always be an extra special favorite kitchen memory!

The week has flown by, my presentation is finished (yay!) and it's time to greet the weekend!  I need to start pulling out my Thanksgiving recipes and planning my menu, and I'm looking forward to flipping through more cookbooks, reliving family gatherings and special times in my kitchen.  And that is a very favorite thing indeed.

We may live without poetry, music and art;

We may live without conscience and live without heart;

We may live without friends; we may live without books;

But civilized man can not live without cooks.

He may live without books,-what is knowledge but grieving?

He may live without hope-what is hope but deceiving?

He may live without love,-what is passion but pining?

But where is the man that can live without dining?

Owen Meredith, (1831-1891)

Happy Friday!!