Very Happy

I love buying books. Especially cookbooks. It makes me very happy.
So this week I am very happy.
7 times happy!

I already have 112 cookbooks (after giving away 5 cookbooks this week) and don’t get me started on the food magazines. Dozens of those. I’m an addict, I know.

So I bought 5 new cookbooks for an average price of $16 per book – how cool is that?!
While you can buy cookbooks for lower prices in all kinds of online stores and at Costco, my preferred store to buy food-related books is Jessica’s Biscuit. It is the only store I know where you can buy cookbooks at such low prices + get FREE shipping + receive an extra FREE cookbook as a gift + a FREE yearly subscription to a food magazine! That actually brings the price down to about $11 per item! Is that a sweet deal or what?!

The service is great too. You can actually talk to a living person if you need help and find their contact info in a few seconds – it’s in their logo (and not spend 2 hours trying to find it like I did last time I shopped online at a store, starting with A... and needed customer service. What a waste of time).

So what did I buy?

1. A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes by David Tanis (for $22.75 instead of $35)

This is the book for anyone who wants to gather and feed friends around a table and nurture their conversation. It’s not about showing off with complicated techniques and obscure ingredients. Worlds away from the showy Food Network personalities, Tanis believes that the most satisfying meals—for both the cook and the guest—are invariably the simplest. Home cooks can easily re-create any of his 24 seasonal, market-driven menus.


2. Lunch Lessons Changing The Way We Feed Our Children By Ann Cooper (For $13.77 instead of 22.95)

This recipes-filled guide offers delightful alternatives to the school lunch frustrations, and helps parents help kids learn how to identify and appreciate healthy foods and make better choices about their lives in the future.
Packed with step-by-step activities including 100 recipes arranged by season--this family resource brings parents and kids together in the kitchen to learn exciting and wholesome meals ands an empowering approach to food and health.


3. The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters (for $20.98 instead of $35)

Culinary phenomenon Alice Waters proposes an entirely new way to cook and eat--simple, local, sustainable, and, above all, delicious. With 20 lessons for teaching core principles and over 200 flawless recipes, this is the basic handbook that every cook, new or experienced, must add to his or her collection this year.


4. Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes by Mark Bittman (for $11.37 instead of $18.95)

In sections that cover everything from appetizers, soups, and sauces to meats, vegetables, side dishes, and desserts, Mark Bittman’s Quick and Easy Recipes from The New York Times showcases the elegant and flexible cooking style for which Bittman is famous, as well as his deep appreciation for fresh ingredients prepared with minimal fuss. Readers will find tantalizing recipes from all over, each requiring basic techniques and only a handful of ingredients.


5. Making Of A Chef Mastering Heat At The Culinary Institute Of America by Michael Ruhlman (for $12.80 instead of $16)

Ruhlman learns fundamental skills and information about the behavior of food that make cooking anything possible.

6. I got Gourmet Ireland cookbook (free)
7. a full year subscription to Gourmet magazine (free)


The kids got a new toy too. They are happy and playing with the books' box for hours...




And, a message to my friends:
Next year, when you buy me cookbooks for my birthday (always a good and safe choice for a gift. You can’t go wrong), don’t go to Barnes and Noble or Borders and buy a book for 100% full price (usually $35 per book give and take a few $). Go to Jessica's Biscuit and save money on your purchase. And buy food books there for you too.


For those who are wondering what’s in it for me?
Yes, I get a % of the sales. But it’s not coming out of your pocket.
And nonetheless, you get a sweet deal.
But if you know another store where you get a better deal, do tell and share with me and the other readers. Thanks.


Recipes from the books will come soon.
I have already tried the Chicken Tagine with Pumpkin and Chickpeas recipe (OK, I admit, with a few shortcuts). Next one on my list is the Lamb Osso Buco with Orange, Lemon, and Capers recipe.
Tonight maybe I’ll make Pasta with Alfredo Sauce from Mark Bittman’s book.

I’ll keep you posted,
Nurit