Welcome to Thursday Coffee Hour. This is an open topic thread so help yourself to the goodies and sit a spell and let us know what is new with you. As you know I love to cook and am actually writing my own cookbook. Like many people my age I took Home Economics in school. Talk about a colossal waste of time. I learned more about sewing from my Dad and cooking I learned on my own.
I got my first cookbook when I was 8 years old. It was Betty Crocker’s Boys and Girls Cookbook and was a gift from an Aunt who knew me well enough that she decided I would be a good cook when I grew up. My first adult cookbook was Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cookbook. I still have both cookbooks plus my Mom’s older version. You could say I grew up with Betty Crocker. I collect cookbooks now. I think the most useful cookbook I own is Sunset’s Easy Basics for Good Cooking. I have Joy of Cooking but find I use other cookbooks more than that one.
I grew up watching cooking shows. Like most people I started with Julia Child and Graham Kerr. Some shows I watch for entertainment value but some chefs I’ve actually learned from. Martin Yan and Rick Bayless taught me Chinese and Mexican cooking. I watch America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country although I do have a tendency in my own cooking to go not so butter and fat heavy as they do.
My niece is asking that when I finish the cookbook if I will write a second book on how to cook with simple recipes. I’m seriously thinking of doing that.
So we all have to eat to live. Who were your influences in cooking? What are your favorite cookbooks? Do you watch cooking shows and which ones are your favorites?