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That is a very good question. I once met a lady in the back of a fabric store; they had a selection of Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks. I was reading one of the books, this delightful lady said "Oh you read cook books like novels, then laughed looked around and in a conspiratorial whisper revealed a dark secret. "So do I!"
I think secretly I would like to be able to cook like my mother. She was a fabulous cook. The only thing preventing me is 1. I don't have her passion for cooking 2. I hate cleaning up my messes 3. It takes time to do it right. When I was young and Mom tried to teach me to cook she became exasperated and said, "Child you had better marry a man who can cook otherwise you will either starve or have to eat out of cans."
Most of the men I dated were great cooks. The microwave was invented and a host of food that can be quickly prepared in it. The down side - "Its not home cooking." They also invented the "Slow cooker". Food prepared in it has lots more flavor. So I didn't starve.
I know you are wondering if Dan cooks. He doesn't!
Getting back to my cook books. My all time favorites are the Gooseberry Patch books and Taste of Home books. I like easy and flavorful. Easy is the operative word. I also like these books for the short memories the writer shares. Its like getting a peek into the cook's life. I have often been touched from the memories they share and sometimes have been inspired to try the recipe.
In 1983 I bought a Keepsake cookbook from Current Catalog. Each page had a place to write the recipe where it was from and a memory connected to it. Most of the pages are now full of wonderful recipes. It is one of my most cherished possessions. And you thought all I did was read them.
