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aem

wrote:
> is a wireless laptop in the kitchen. i just bought a wirless router and
> discovered how much an advantage it is to have tha laptop in the
> kitchen. i can search for recipes and pick the ones that suit what i
> have available in the kitchen... anyone else ready to throw away their
> cookbooks?

Not a chance. A good cookbook is a lot more than a collection of
recipes. A good cookbook offers a point of view, information about the
food beyond how to cook it, instructions about techniques, suggestions
for alternatives and variations, and sometimes an accompanying
narrative that places a dish in a broader context. If all you want is
a recipe, fine, go to the web and wade through 15 versions of recipes
with no clues as to why one will work better or worse than another.

As to recipe sources in the kitchen, I suspect my house reflects
reality more than your notion that there is a "best" way to do it. My
cookbooks are in the bookcase closest to the kitchen, except for those
that are on the table next to the reading chair, or in the bathroom.
There is also the "recipe drawer" full of newspaper/magazine clippings
and computer printouts (many of which have handwritten notes added),
and then there's the pc with its 'Food' and "Recipes" subdirectories
under Documents. It's certainly less than completely organized, but it
works beautifully as an invitation to serendipitous pleasure. -aem