I can’t tell you how to buy the best cookbook for you and your family. Oh wait, no. That’s exactly what I’m about to do!
Just kidding. What I’m actually going to do is share how I choose cookbooks. To be honest, I would buy ALL of the cookbooks if I had enough space to store them and time to really use them all. But because I need space to actually cook in my kitchen, I have to be selective about what I buy. So when I’m flipping through cookbooks on a date night at Barnes & Noble, these are the things I’m looking for.
Do the recipes fit with our overall way of eating?
We tend to focus on fresh, whole foods with lots of veggies and minimal processing. More salads than sandwiches, more zucchini noodles than pasta. Don’t get me wrong – I love carbs and I don’t have a problem with eating them. However, we make protein and fiber the priority, and that just naturally lends itself to not eating a lot of processed carbs.
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How many of these recipes will I actually make?
As much as I love cookbooks and am proud of my collection, I’m also very practical. I want cookbooks I can use and that will get me excited about cooking. My general guideline is that if there are 7 recipes I definitely want to make, and a few that I’m willing to try outside my comfort zone, it’s a go.
This is, of course, is hard to do with online shopping. If I can’t flip through book to see the recipes, I’ll start with reviews. That usually gives me some insight. If it looks promising, a lot of time, I’ll see if our local library has a copy. I love checking out cookbooks from the library to see if it’s something I want to add to my collection, especially if it’s something outside my norm.
Will my picky kid eat any of this?
This doesn’t rule out cookbooks for me. It is, however, a bonus. If I find a cookbook and even 2-3 recipes make me think “J will try this,” I’m buying it on the spot.
Can I get the ingredients from places I already shop?
There are rare occasions that I want to make something special, and I’m willing to go ferret out a specific or unusual ingredient. But in my daily life, I’m bust with a job, a household and a family, so convenience is key. I rely heavily on weekly curbside pickup from HEB, with monthly trips to Costco and Trader Joe’s. If I can’t what I need from those places, I’m probably not going to make it.
Does it have pictures?
This is one of the reasons I’m obsessed with… well, everything Half Baked Harvest. The pictures are gorgeous and it makes me want to cook (and eat) all of them. Granted, I do not have Teighan Gerard’s skill and mine never look anything like that… but a girl can dream, right?
This is also really important when I’m trying to involve kids in cooking. Mine is just learning to read, so when he’s helping me choose recipes, he’s going by what looks yummy.
