re: Just Got My Hands on a Hard-to-find Local Cookbook!

Yep, I’ve got Mrs Alzina’s books, and a whole cache of obscure LA community cookbooks. I collect mostly east of Atchafalaya basin community/fundraiser books. I often get them from friends and acquaintances who pick them up at thrift stores or used bookstores for me. Honestly, I don’t cook out of them: they’re more historic foodways documents and cultural artifacts than useful cookbooks. It is very interesting to look at trends, fads, and commonalities from one community and time period to the next.

For savory cooking, I am not really a recipe follower. I read cookbooks for inspiration, then riff as I like.

Baking is another matter....I prob have 30-40 baking books, almost all authored by bakers. The most battered are Reinhart’s Bread Bakers Apprentice, Robertson’s Tartine Bread, and Forkish’s Flour Water Yeast Salt. Plus all of Dorie Greenspan’s books.

Most recent purchase: Andrea Nguyen’s Pho cookbook, which just won a James Beard award.