Cookbook Count

So I have a lot of cookbooks.....like A LOT! I have a cupboard and a counter full of them. But I almost never use them.

I think I'm doing a disservice to both the trees that gave their life and the writers of the book when I only use one recipe. Soooooo I have decided that I am going to cook my way through them all!

I'm making myself some rules to follow so I don't go nuts or wind up eating 6 different kinds of lasagna out of a church group cookbook! I imagine I'll change, add, delete some of these as I go.

1. I will do one of any variation of a recipe. So if there are 5 variations of one recipe, I will choose which one I like best and make it. Who needs 5 kinds of lasagna? NOT ME!

2. I will substitute parsley for cilantro EVERY time!

3. I will research other substitutions if I really can't handle or get an ingredient.. ....like cooter. Yes I have a book that calls for cooter. And since I can't get turtle/cooter here, I may use chicken.

4. I will try and use every ingredient asked for in any recipe.

5. I will not let my husband help with the rules! He suggested the next one be something about cooking nekked!

6. I will cook....and (gulp) eat bread pudding. I saw that one in the Southern Living cookbook. YECH.

7. To save time I will not cook things I've already cooked in the past unless I HAVE to have them. It will save time and the whole point of this is to try new things right? Using ALL of my cookbooks...not just things like Mile High Biscuits and Homemade Bread from Dining During the Depression. (One of my FAVS!!!)

8. I will not cook tofu. I don't care how it is prepared....there is no "right" way to make it! Oh and the hubby says it will give him boobs....so that is a double NO!

Alright.....Done with that for now!!!
I think I will try and only do two books at once. And I'll make the different so we aren't eating all Southern for weeks. One can handle only so much cornbread unless you are my husband. Then you add cheddar and bacon and one can handle a LOT of cornbread.

I have decided that the 1st two will be Honga's Lotus Petal Pan-Asian Cuisine by Honga IM Hopgood and 100 Best Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles.

I have lots of prep to do before I can begin!!! There are shopping lists to make. I'm going to make up my list of items to purchase and get them every two weeks. So I kind of need to plan menus. I only want to cook for 4 days a week. I'll leave the others open. That way I can go out or  just make eggs when I'm feeling lazy!!!

OOOO and I need a skillet....one of those super cool black ones that I can season. Yep...can't do the southern books without it! Everything is cooked in one of those!

Of course until I'm ready to get "official" I will still make things with the ingredients I have on hand. Like today....I made Humus from The Veggie cookbook and bread from the Depression one....Yea I know I'm not using the Depression one as one of my 1st two...but I LOVE THE BREAD!!!

I'll try to post pics sometimes too.....Today I took pictures only because its kind of the 1st day and all. Don't look at my ugly countertops....its not the kitchen...its the cook!

I know this doesn't count. But....I can't cook without Tim Horton's Coffee. Sadly I am a West Coaster and have to buy it from the internet or beg the few Canadians I know to get it for me.


Now I need to look through the books and see what I have the ingredients for. And figure out what I'll get after payday for the next two weeks......

And.....here we gooooo!