Happy Birthday, To Me!

Ok, it's not really my birthday. But today in the mail I received a little present I bought for myself.

Now that I work for a cool book publisher that publishes books that I would actually like to read (as opposed to the other publishers I worked for), I've had the opportunity to work on some really interesting books. In addition to the mix of history, pop culture, and health and wellness books that I've worked on, I've now had the opportunity to work on a handful of cookbooks. Working on a cookbook gives you a whole new appreciation for them because they can be so complex and involved. There is just a lot going on and there is so much to think about. So now, after working on cookbooks—through blood, sweat, and (sometimes) tears—I have a mild obsession with cookbooks.

While browsing through Borders one afternoon I stumbled across Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. My lovely co-worker/friend had already mentioned this cookbook to me, so I thought I'd flip through it. It's a huge tome filled with lots and lots of recipes. The best thing about it was that it seemed just right for my skill level. It didn't seem intimidating or daunting or too complex. Let's face it, I'm not a master chef and I don't have the time to spend five hours on one recipe that uses forty-five ingredients. So I'm always looking for something that is simple and quick and easy, yet still yummy. Bittman's book seemed just right. I didn't buy it right away, but instead opted for checking it out on Amazon first because they usually have good discounts, and they had a great discount! I was able to get How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian for about 66 percent off! No, I'm not a vegetarian, but I have an open mind and I like experimenting and trying new things. Plus I have a lot of vegetarian friends that I might need to woo sometime.

Anyway, I can't wait to try out some new recipes. So expect some "Recipe Success!" or "Recipe Disaster..." posts in the near future.