It’s been a slow week online for me what with a friend visiting from out of town, but I’m awake early today, so here’s the weekly Booking Through Thursday:
Imagine that everything is going just swimmingly. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and all’s right with the world. You’re practically bouncing from health and have money in your pocket. The kids are playing and laughing, the puppy is chewing in the cutest possible manner on an officially-sanctioned chew toy, and in between moments of laughter for pure joy, you pick up a book to read . . .
What is it?
This may seem like an odd answer, but I’d grab a cookbook. I don’t often have the time and energy to indulge in making recipes out of the more complex cookbooks I keep around, so I’d take advantage and make a fancy dessert or something similar. If this happened tomorrow, I’d probably pick up one of the following:
- Elizabeth Falkner’s Demolition Desserts (one of my review books, and it makes me drool looking at it)
- Janice Henderson’s White Chocolate
- Marcel Desaulniers’s Death by Chocolate
- Bruce Weinstein’s The Ultimate Ice Cream Book
- Peggy Cullen’s Caramel
- Michael Turback’s Hot Chocolate
Even if I didn’t have time to cook I’d probably pick one of these up just to daydream wistfully about elegant confections.
Edited to add: Today’s book review is of David Gibbins’s Crusader Gold.
Hi Heather! Thanks for visiting earlier! 🙂
I have not thought of cookbooks! And I think it’s a great idea!
PS: All those mentioning of chocolates makes me drool, hehe.
I would never have thought of cookbooks, but then I don’t like to cook 🙂
I guess if I wanted to just look at something and wish I could make it, I’d go for a knitting book.
Happy BTT!
Cookbooks would not have popped to mind for me. But now that you mentioned it…that is definitely the time when I find myself perusing them.
heather, that’s a great answer!! I personally don’t really READ cookbooks (I’m much more of a picture-looker!), but I do love to cook!! And I really have never bought a lot of cookbooks, but I have a lot that were gifts to me. A couple of my favorites are the Soprano’s cookbook (lots of Italian) and one that my best friend Aaron bought me, that is solely chocolate cakes!!
Ever year for Christmas, my favorite aunt buys me a cookbook. She has for the last 10 years anyway. They are the yearly collections from Taste of Home!! I just love them! Not only do they have recipes for all the normal favorites, like appetizers, entrees, dessets, etc….but they have sections that plan entire meals for special occasions and even a section for potluck favorites (that make a dish that is usually a lot larger than a standard dish). Perfect for my family events!!
Oh, that’s a great answer! And can you come live with me? 😉 Mmmmm…Chocolate *drool*
A cookbook would probably just make me hungry, so I’d pick up a light hearted mystery like one of the Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries by Tamar Myers.
Nothing wrong with reading a cookbook – I do that myself.
Hmm, books on chocolate. Now that’s a great idea! 😉
Sounds like a perfectly reasonable thing to me! Share the joy through good food . . . perfect.
Melody: Hmm. Come to think of it, both joy and sadness make me crave chocolate and similar foods. No wonder I have difficulties with my weight. *grin*
Mei: Knitting sounds like fun too!
Debi: I just so love cooking. What can I say. 🙂
Stephanie: I find myself browsing through some cookbooks over and over again, just drooling over the recipes. Those collections sound wonderful!
Chris: lol! We drive our friends a bit nuts because we bring food for every occasion, often cookies or bread because it travels well. I think we’ll need to figure out how to transport other things just to vary things a bit…
SciFiChick: In truth, I think I’d read just about anything when happy. Cookbooks just struck me as the one thing that I’d go for when that happy that I wouldn’t have as much energy for at other times.
aaronsmusic: I rarely read a cookbook in the same way that I read other books—front to back continuously—but I often browse through, read tips and commentary and recipe notes, and so on.
Pam: It’s always time for chocolate!
–Deb: There’s nothing more fun to do with good food than share it. We do our greatest periods of cooking when we have friends visiting.
Haven’t thought of that, although it sounds delicious! ^_^ I wouldn’t say no to chocolate.
It is hard to resist the cookbook track, though I don’t really peruse them much. [I’m very much a raid them for successful recipes and transfer them to 3×5 card type.]
I’d probably read whatever I’d checked out from the library– rather than relaxing with a comfort book, total contentment would probably drive me to learn something new. So maybe I’d dive back into the Federalist papers, or read about a historical period, or follow up some thought or theory mentioned in something else I’d read. Hmmm… tricky question.
I’m afraid the only time I would want to read a cook book is if I need to fall asleep quickly. 😉 Cooking makes me grumpy. I wish it didn’t. I envy those who find enjoyment and pleasure in cooking.
DeN: Chocolate is always good! Although—and I hesitate to admit this, because I know it’s heresy—I prefer caramel.
Scott: Yeah, this is a tough one. I was so tempted to say, “anything! Everything!”
Literary Feline: *grin* I don’t know what it is. I just love making good food, even though it isn’t always so good for my waistline. And it’s a hobby my husband and I share together, so it’s something fun we can do together.
A great dessert is always a good thing when you are reading! I’m not much of a cook myself, but I admire those that are.
Bit of a chocolate theme going on? Although I love cookbooks and to cook, I bake all the time, so sitting down to read is my luxury!
I don’t need to like cooking to read cookery books, so I can just enjoy them! I don’t think I’d read ONLY books on cooking with chocolate though…I love to read about Mediterranean food, it makes me really happy.
Daphne: I can’t resist the cooking. *happy sigh* And it does go so well with reading!
Daisy Cat: I think I just have chocolate on the brain because I’m currently reviewing Michael Turback’s Mocha *grin*
GeraniumCat: Normally I’m not limited to desserts. I think my current cookbook reading has influenced my selection. 😉
What a woman! I should be grabbing a cook book… The only time I follow a recipie is at Christmas when I want to recreate my grandmother’s carrot pudding with hard sauce. Well, it happened once. I’m not much of a cook.
I don’t order in, okay? I typically make dinner in half an hour, while supervising my son’s homework. If I cover the four food groups, that stuff I’m putting on plates is food by definition, right?
Thanks for the book suggestion by the way and happy BTT.
this is a great answer! not anything i thought of at all – but it seems perfect for the circumstances!
My mom is a big fan of cookbook! Cooking makes her utterly happy and browsing through cookbooks makes her day. Great answer!
Cereal Girl: The funny thing to me is the connection in a lot of people’s minds between womanhood and cooking. I’m SO non-womanly. I’m not sure I own a single skirt or dress, always dress in jeans/shorts/T-shirts, and have no children (I’m in my mid-30s and probably still a tomboy of sorts). And the cooking is a joint hobby with my husband, who’s an equal partner in the dessert-making, bread-baking, and so on. So I see nothing wrong with a woman who doesn’t do much cooking. 🙂
alisonwonderland: I do have strong associations between happiness and cooking. F’rinstance, some of my earliest memories of my relationship with my wonderful husband involve delicious homemade hot cocoa with spices, vanilla, and so on. So food-making and happiness go naturally together for me.
Alice Teh: I’m addicted to cookbooks. *happy sigh* Speaking of which, I should get around to reviewing a cookbook today…
My cooking style matches Cereal Girl’s– it’s usually something I can get rolling quickly [though time in the oven’s not a big deal, mixing time is] then return to the couch to read with Jennifer while it cooks away.
Desserts are an indulgence– both the baking and the eating; I enjoy spending a little more time and energy on them. For me, it’s different than just dumping food on the table for dinner. That’s something you have to do… dessert is something I want to do. Usually. If not, brownies from a box are quick…
Scott: I agree on the dessert front. Last night we made a dessert from the Mocha book we have for review. Layered tapioca, homemade chocolate ice cream, and coffee. Wow. And surprisingly easy, since things like the ice cream are set-it-and-go.
Yummy yummy! When I was in grad school, I would cook to destress. I was always bringing my classmates/friends cookies, cupcakes, cakes, pies, desserts; as soon as I finished all my essays/exams my last semester I made all my close friends a tin with christmas goodies. Hubby doesn’t have a sweet tooth, so I haven’t baked since then.