Counter Cookbooks

What I’m reading (okay looking at) these days.

The reasons these three cookbooks rank counter space are diverse. One is functional, one is beautiful and one is inspiring.

All of Mark Bittman’s cookbooks are great but I especially love How to Cook Everything Fast because obviously it’s about cooking fast, which is important to me. The downside is there are a million recipes in this behemoth and ZERO pictures. It is not one you sit down and peruse through for mindless fun.

Martha Stewart’s Hors D’Oeuvres Handbook starts with dozens of pages of beautiful full colored, meticulously staged photos of all of the recipes. And this is from back when she was fresh and inspired. You know, before prison.

And finally, one you might not have heard of, The Just Bento Cookbook by Makiko Itoh. Even though the pictures in the directions are black and white, the format, layout, and recipes are fantastic. And not in an overly done make you want to kill yourself bento way like so much crap out there. These are realistic everyday meals.

PLUS I just saw she came out with The Just Bento Cookbook 2 this month!

So there you have it, that’s what I’m randomly perusing currently.

Oh and if you’re wondering what the heck the other stuff is, it’s a Japanese lucky cat, waving in good fortune, a coffee time coloring sheet, a monster sculpture my oldest made, and a caterpillar to butterfly card from a McDonald’s happy meal I took from my youngest because I think it’s so cool.

I am such a Renaissance woman.