Oh the Joy!

Remember a week or two ago when I wrote about the fascinating recipes in an ancient version of the "Joy of Cooking", and how I said I needed to get my own copy of this highly-regarded cookbook? Well, I have it and I can hardly believe that I did without it for so many years. See, I have this thing about jumping on bandwagons. I get my feathers up when someone suggests that I read the latest bestseller, or go to the cinema to see the hit new film. I don't like to follow these trends. I'll admit that I often do end up reading the book or seeing the film, but it's usually a few years after all the hoopla etc.

Joy of Cooking recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, so I guess it was time for me to give in and see what all the fuss was about. I have shelves and shelves of cookbooks on every topic from Thai to Italian and I love them all but I confess to not being really that much into cooking. Sure, I'm a good cook, and I can follow most recipes without being intimidated, but I'd much rather sit with a cup of tea and read the recipes and stare at the photos. Beautiful coloured photos make me drool and those are usually the cause of my buying a new book.

But-- Joy of Cooking has NO photos! There are a few (very few) simple drawings but absolutely no Food Porn between its covers. So guess what?? Instead of merely flipping the pages, I have been cooking!! This book honestly inspires me to cook. Maybe it's the overwhelming number of comfort food recipes, or the perfectly laid out and easily followed recipes. I don't know for sure, but this book makes me want to cook.

Sadly there are no recipes for possum, woodchuck or beaver in this version, but there are a few pages on cooking the modern version of game. So if I ever get my hands on a rabbit, some elk or cariboo, or a bear or a boar, I will turn to my new favourite cookbook and know that I will find exactly what I need.

I highly recommend the Joy of Cooking!! (I truly don't know how I lived this long without it!)