So I began saving up mid last year for the cookbooks on my wishlist, setting aside a little bit of money from my school allowances and salary in a tiny white envelope which I labeled, creatively, my “Cookbook Fund”. And then when I got into browsing Amazon for cookbook recommendations, another envelope was born, this time labeled “Amazon Fund”. I picked about a dozen books which I decided Amazon offered the best value for, and about 4 months later, I was able to gather enough money to buy my top 11 cookbooks plus an ice cream maker.
Upon clicking that little “Add to cart” button, I was filled with mixed emotions: anticipation, excitement, impatience, nervousness, just to name a few. Ever since I became interested in the world of food, baking and cooking have become more than a hobby for me. They have become one of those things I truly want to adopt into my life- a regular fixture, a habit.
Sometimes I am afraid that all this cookbook buying will be for naught. What if I suddenly become disinterested in cookery, wouldn’t it be such a waste of money? What would I do with all these books? But the thing is, we all need to cook at some point in our lives. Because food is a basic need of every human being, why not be knowledgeable about something you will end up doing the rest of your life? And I’m not even talking about opening a restaurant or bakery. There is no rule about cooking restaurant-level meals in the comfort of your own home, is there? Luckily I’ve always been the type of person who aims to be good at the things I enjoy doing, and I just know that these cookbooks will only motivate me to get better at cookery.
Behold:
The hardest part was actually waiting. Amazon does not ship for free here in the Philippines, so I had to cook up some inexpensive way to get them to me. With the help of one of my Dad’s good friends in California, and a ginormous balikbayan shipping box, I was set. Little did I know that when you send your package via a budget route, it takes nearly forever. It took about 2 months for this package to get to me, but it was so worth the wait! Opening the box felt like I was about to open a magic door. I had my face of wonderment on; all that was missing were the rays of golden light, and possibly a unicorn jumping out from some magical place within.
You’ve no idea how warm and fuzzy I feel inside every time I see these photos, and even more so every time I see my books stacked on my shelf. Honestly, I am going to need a new book shelf. And also I need to stop myself from stepping into any more bookstores for the rest of the year, at the risk of buying more cookbooks. I can’t say I’ve caught the disease of uncontrollable cookbook buying, but it would seem I am on the way there. Must practice restraint!
I’m quite excited to write about my first impressions and thoughts on each of the books, but for now I must answer the difficult question of which one to read first!
