Is there such a thing as too many cookbooks? And is too many cookbooks a good thing or a bad thing? Even before I began working with Eat Your Books seven years ago, I had a cookbook addiction. I love everything about them. The covers, the recipes, the photographs, the history, the culture of other cuisines - everything.

Who needs to use their back door? The back door is right next to my office - so I justify using the space.

Then Eat Your Books happened, and the addiction grew. When I took over managing the indexing portion here, I came across so many books that I had to have! There are books everywhere and I want them all but I can no longer justify the staggering weight of these thousands and thousands of glorious titles. I even had an avalanche in my office that blocked my office door and my husband had to cut the door in half so I could get in. I joked and said I always wanted a Dutch door.

Over the last few weeks, I have started a serious purge. Purges before were not those of a fully committed nature - yes, I parted with hundreds of titles but this time is different. I am now committed to decreasing my load to under 1,000 books and probably less which means thousands of books are going to friends. It makes me happy that so many of my friends want the books and I know where they live - my friends and the books, too.

If there is a crevice and a book can fit, in it goes

My strategy for this massive purge goes something like this: Priority is given to pastry and more complex baking titles. Next books that I have used and will continue to use - RecipeTin Eats, Milk Street titles, Marion Grasby books (I love her and her mom has a new title out Mama Noi: Secrets from an Asian Mama's Kitchen) and several others. Favor will be given to Asian cuisine and certain Italian cookbooks. After that, if I have room on the five cookbook cases I'm keeping while we're here in Colorado, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I will have another treacherous bridge to cross when we make our move back to the Atlantic coast - I will need to get down to three bookcases. Lord help me - I'm nearly a minimalist.

I do not even want to mention my cookware and baking collection. Like Scarlett O’Hara, I will think about that tomorrow.

The last weeks on Eat Your Books

Since our last roundup, Darcie has written these articles:

Darcie’s weekly food news antipasto is shared every Sunday and the tag #foodnews brings up these information-packed posts from the most current to the first one. Darcie can be followed on Instagram at darcie_bakes.

Since our last roundup, I have posted the following:

My Instagram is thecookbookjunkies.

Jenny and the EYB Team

Recently Indexed Titles

Our team of member and pro indexers are working hard indexing titles, both new and old. Below are just a few highlighted titles that were recently indexed. Remember the most current indexed titles – will always show up at the top of the EYB Library and your Bookshelf. Recent indexed magazines can be found here. For information on member indexing, please see this roundup with more details.

Member Photo of the Week

Passion fruit roll-up cake from More Than Cake: 100 Baking Recipes Built for Pleasure and Community (page 97) by Natasha Pickowicz submitted by member Astrid5555

Have you uploaded any of your own photos yet? Learn more! Please remember to update your profile with your Instagram name if you would like to be tagged in any photos that we share!

Featured Online Recipe

How to make the perfect pasta primavera (page 18) from The Guardian Feast supplement, April 29, 2023 by Felicity Cloake

Add The Guardian Feast supplement to your Bookshelf for 4,516 additional online recipes See our Help Section which explains how to add a Magazine to your Bookshelf

Featured EYBD Preview Recipe

Pineapple kesari from My Thali: A Simple Indian Kitchen by Joe Thottungal

We currently have 6,455 EYBDigital Recipes indexed. All can be added to your Bookshelf.

EYBDigital Previews

Recently, we uploaded our 1,588th EYBDigital Preview where a selection of full sample pages are available including the titles below.

Learn more about EYBDigital Previews.

Note: All Preview recipes are indexed, whether the full book is indexed or not. Any Preview recipe can be added to your Bookshelf.

Cookbook Giveaways
Click on the Blue Link below to enter

  • Enter our worldwide contest to win one of two copies of The Kids Book of Challah by Rochie Pinson. Contest expires May 13th, 2023.
  • Enter our US contest to win one of three prize packages including a copy of Gesine Bullock-Prado’s newest title My Vermont Table: Recipes for All (Six) Seasons. Contest expires May 14th, 2023.

The cookbook giveaway roundup shares all current giveaways including those open worldwide and to other regions.

View Past Weekly Roundups