Three Things: Cookbooks

I’ve mentioned before that Ina Garten’s cookbooks are among my very favorites, and thanks to months of scouring Amazon, discount bookstores, Costco, and the like, I’ve almost completed my collection of the Barefoot Contessa series. Garten’s emphasis on simple, just plain GOOD food made with quality ingredients really appeals to me.

Sweet Paul Eat & Make, a collection of recipes and kitchen crafts by Paul Lowe, the creator of the quarterly magazine Sweet Paul: Chasing the Sweet Life, is another gem that allows true food to star. Lowe says, “I really don’t care for visual perfection. I want the food I cook and the crafts I make to look like a real person made them. My philosophy is very simple: few ingredients, easy steps, and amazing results.” Love that! I probably won’t recreate any of the crafts, but I definitely will be making many of the recipes!

An impulse purchase from the pop-up discount bookstore next to Old Navy across from Perimeter Mall, Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods is an homage to farmers, artisans, community programs, and retailers in the local food movement. The creative, inventive recipes are categorized by season and region.

What are some of your favorite cookbooks? Do share!