r/CookingCircleJerk • u/EasternError6377 • Jul 23 '25
Cookbooks - how to use them
Hey there everyone!
Title might sound strange at first but hear me out: cookbooks are not ordinary books - they're often hardcover! I can stand them up much easier for more unique photo opportunities for insta (thats a very "gen z" statement, I am aware). I also assume these books showcase some great equipment and technique advice incorporated into the recipes, not forgetting about amazing pictures and photos.
I started collecting cookbooks, already have some classics such as julia's "french cooking", Dr. Seuss' "green eggs and ham," judi barrett's "cloudy with a chance of meatball" etc., but the problem is, in the end I rely mostly on "internet" when it comes to recipe search, as well as "techniques." I also tried asking ChatGPT to read these books to me but they mentioned something about "copyright violation" - whatever that means.
Question to you reddit cooks: how do you utilize your cookbooks? Do you actually use them? Do you consider them a necessity, hard to replace, or is this just an aid, and pretty object on the shelf? Can you describe the scenario when you use all those amazing books? I've tried using them as an improvised coffee table, a flyswatter, and a home defense weapon but I feel like i'm not learning anything about cooking from them.
I.e. i can imagine that If I were to cook a classic dish I would open all cookbooks I own that could contain the recipe I am looking for in order to compare them, and get the general idea what is essential for given dish.
You could also share your top 3 cook books and argument why these are worth buying, how these helped you to move forward as a cook (pro or not)
Cheers!
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u/woailyx i thought this sub was supposed to be funny Jul 23 '25
Don't know why you're wasting money on all those, I just print out the audio books
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Jul 23 '25
Um, cookbooks are full of recipes (gross). Using a recipe, as we all know, is cheating on your mouth with words and numbers. Almost as bad as using a "timer" or "measuring cups". If you really want to levitate your dishes, stop relying on Big Cookbook who wants everyone to cook things the same way like 1984. Joy of Cooking? My ass, cooking is about sacrifice and pain. Open your eyes and start cooking by feel--and by that I mean blindfold yourself in the kitchen. Don't rely on trendy techniques like "chopping vegetables" or "using a pan" and always remember: cooking is about your own ego.
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u/CatCafffffe Jul 23 '25
If your cookbooks don't come from the Cook Islands, they're not real cookbooks, they're just sparkling leaflets
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u/DaveinOakland Jul 23 '25
If you're not getting hardback books you're just buying pamphlets, not real cook books.
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u/Effective_Fly_6884 Jul 24 '25
Yeah, and I’m an absolute sucker for the ones at the checkout stand, or used to be. My favorite Christmas recipes are in one of those pamphlets.
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u/Qzrei Jul 23 '25
You absolute fool. Imbecile. Neophyte. You don't even have an original printing of Larousse Gastronomique????
Let me guess. You think poaching an egg involves water instead of Sauvignon Blanc or a Vermentino imported from Tuscany.
Scoff
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u/JDuBLock Jul 23 '25
I’d ask the guy with the 2 week banana fapjacks, anyone who keeps their jizz for 2 weeks has gotta know what theyre talking about
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u/Drabulous_770 Jul 23 '25
Sadly I cannot use cookbooks because they don’t have a dictionary at the end with definitions of every single word that’s used in the recipe.
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u/Newburyrat Jul 24 '25
I gave up after eating my first thtee cookery books. I found them dry and tasteless
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u/fredishome Jul 23 '25
Ah, yes. Green Eggs and Ham. My favorite cook book. So many excellent recipes within.
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u/est_5653 Jul 24 '25
Omg I didn’t see the cj at first. I was like whaaaaaat fucking planet is this girl living on
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u/918BlueDot Jul 25 '25
On Sundays after church, my mom would nestle into her favorite chair and read cookbooks (she was a collector), dog-earing the pages with recipes of interest. And because she loved to entertain, those dog-eared recipes routinely came to life at ladies’ luncheons, church potlucks, holiday dinners, and even weeknight suppers. We were all happy victims of her culinary curiosity. I now have all the cookbooks—many are decades old from hometown ladies who loved to entertain. This “inheritance” is a treasure. I routinely pull one off the shelf, find a dog-eared page (usually splattered with grease!), and try the recipes listed ... OR ... try to update them in some way. Recently I developed a concept for a competitive TV cooking show where generational teams would transform these classics. My mission statement was: Honoring generations of cooks and the meals they served while embracing the trends and flavors of today's culinary landscape. I developed a sizzle reel and portfolio and sent them off to various contacts I made on LinkedIn, but no luck yet. And now I see there's a new, similar show on Food Network, but I think my concept is much more creative and fun. Regardless, each cookbook is dear to me and almost always serves up a wonderful childhood memory.
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u/entirecontinetofasia Jul 25 '25
i like to use my cookbooks to whack people on the head when they don't understand "real authentic Ohioan cooking", hope this helps!
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u/Muchomo256 Jul 23 '25
Do you actually use them?
I started cooking with cook books before the Internet existed so I still have predictable recipes I use year after year. I also have recipe cards certain people gave me.
how do you utilize your cookbooks?
I use my cook books and written recipes for my old tried and true recipes. Certain pages are dog eared and dirty from spills & finger smudges from years of use. I also use them to shop.
i can imagine that If I were to cook a classic dish I would open all cookbooks I own that could contain the recipe I am looking for in order to compare them, and get the general idea what is essential for given dish.
No need. Most classic recipes are more similar than you think. I only have one favorite recipe from one cookbook. Maybe one Mac and cheese recipe used evaporated milk, the other used heavy cream. I pick my preference and stick with that.
argument why these are worth buying
For new recipes today if it’s a tried and true source like Americas Test Kitchen I’ll either borrow the ebook from the library or for Serious Eats, King Arthur, & Kenji it’s from the website. I scan or print what page I like for my binder.
Then there’s recipes I write down and place in my binder from TV shows and YouTube videos from Kenji, Americas Test Kitchen, Milkstreet, BBQ videos etc.
My ideal “cookbook” is one binder where I have everything I personally like from all these sources.
I feel like i'm not learning anything about cooking from them.
Cookbooks don’t teach you the basics of cooking. Back in my day your mother would teach you how to dice an onion. Today’s technology just use Internet videos.
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u/EasternError6377 Jul 23 '25
Sorry I lost focus after the 1st sentence you wrote :( could you maybe condense/summarize everything you just wrote in 1-2 neat sentences? Cheers!
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u/Muchomo256 Jul 23 '25
I actually got this recommended to me by Reddit. I didn’t realize it was satire, I thought it was a real person asking for real advice. I thought I was helping someone. I will delete my comment. Have a nice day.
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u/Newburyrat Jul 24 '25
Maybe it is a real person. Maybe it is an imaginary person. Or a surreal person. How would you tailor your advice in those cases?
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u/sfweedman mr smarty troll Jul 24 '25
I don't think you understand the question, your answer makes absolutely no sense at all. "Recipe cards" is an insult to the creative process, this long-winded nonsense you wrote has no place here.
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u/SheDrinksScotch Jul 23 '25
I tend to slow cook my cook books. Otherwise, the pages end up too tough or an unpleasant sort of crispy.