Ilva, fellow Babe, fantastic cook, photographer extrordinaire (think she's paying me to say all that?) and author of Lucullian Delights has asked us to share our most treasured cookbooks.
I've been thinking about that since she first made the announcement back in January.
The deadline is tonight.
I just couldn't decide. I have rather a lot of cookbooks, probably over 300 - or so.
How could I choose a favorite? And wouldn't the rest feel hurt?
They're all favorites for one reason or another; one recipe or type of food; the stories or the pictures.
Then I realized that almost all of them, should disaster fall, could be replaced. Not easily, but possible if I scoured the used book shops.
Except one.
This one could never be replaced.
It was a gift from a favorite aunt for my 8th Christmas. She wrote a note on the inside cover.
That makes it irreplaceable.
After many hours of reading the stories and pouring over the recipes the binding started coming apart.
My father repaired it (as he did most things) with black electrician's tape (the duct tape of the era). I can't begin to recount all the things in my parents' house that were repaired, temporarily or not, with black electrician's tape. And, no, my father was not an electrician.... He just found the tape useful.
That makes it irreplaceable.
Want a peak inside?
Each recipe had a story with it - some familiar, others not.
The recipes were simple - some familiar, others not.
I remember desperately wanting to make this Peach Snow - but never did.
I remember spending a wintry Sunday afternoon with my mother 'pulling' this taffy. It was, of course, exceptional taffy.
Another Sunday my mother made the fudge for me - I was too little, she said. (My mother loved making fudge)
I did get to make this salad, though, all by myself! (no cooking involved)
I made the blueberry muffins when I was old enough to bake - 2 or 3 years later. I think I started baking on my own when I was 11.
Not that I'm biased or anything.....
But isn't that a wonderful first cookbook?
This was my second cookbook:
I got this one from another aunt for my 11th Christmas.
It looks new, because it is. It's been reprinted and my original was loaned to a neighbor's child and never returned. I missed it. It has the best recipe for chocolate fudge frosting.....
Visit Ilva's blog in the next few days to see lots of 'treasured cookbooks'
Thanks, Ilva.... This was a fun trip down memory lane!
