Make room on your bookshelf for current cookbooks. The Internet won't give you everything you need to know in the kitchen.
Many years ago when I discovered online cooking sites, I decided I no longer needed food magazines or cookbooks. Every recipe I wanted could be found online. I even threw out my old treasured Cooking Light, Gourmet and Bon Appetit Magazines. This was during a time when I was on a clutter rampage, and I was following the organizational rule that said if you can find it elsewhere, don't save it. Well, those organizers don't know everything, especially when it comes to cooking. While it's true I rarely need back issues, I missed the arrival of a new cooking magazine each month. I could stretch out on the porch with my magazine and find inspiration. The same is true of cookbooks. Reading the author's thoughts about the recipes she'd created, or for what occastion she served a meal opened the door to new possibilities in my own kitchen. I took pleasure in reading it, and received a gift of inspiration that might encourage a dinner party or new recipe of my own. I still use the Internet as a valuable resource, but there's nothing quite like sitting with a real book in your hands just for the sheer pleasure of it. For more dinner party inspiration, read this recent review of Chef, Interrupted. I hope you'll enjoy it from someplace really comfy.
