Personalized Cooking
I got an awesome email yesterday from a reader in response to my plea for new recipes. She gave so much detailed information and even took pictures to go along with the email for visualization. I just loved it! As soon as I finished reading her email I immediately emailed her and asked her if I could share it on the blog. I loved her enthusiasm and excitement throughout the entire email. Her love for cooking is apparent and her suggestions and tips were exactly what I needed!! Instead of re-capping her email in my own words, I am going to copy it in word for word for you to enjoy!
Thanks so much Renee!!
"Natalie- I have been meaning to write you since you posted requesting recipes. I want to share a tip with you that has helped to make me a great cook, not to boast! I use a 3-ring binder for all recipes I come across. The book has grown into 2 parts as I began to collect more and more. Anything from Shape mag or Vegetarian Times, newspaper clippings, recipes I come across in a blog (that I format in a word doc and print), even recipes I find online that I jot down on paper… all get taped into my binder in the appropriate section. I punched holes in sturdy resume paper so it can handle lots of page turning.
The beauty of this is I can discard recipes that stink by peeling them out. But I can also jot notes down about recipes I love— changes I made, if I made it for a special occasional, seasonal favorites, etc. I love knowing I always make my delicious "Summer Chili" around the 3rd week of August. I like knowing I tripled a hummus recipe for a party and it didn't affect the final product. I even put tips for the next time I make, things like "try adding walnuts" or "needs more fire/spice next time."
Food to me, and cooking, is such a brilliant way to spend my time. It nurtures my body, and my husband's, it nurtures my creative side, and my soul. It's meditative for me. I have a radio/cd/tape player and I love letting myself get carried away with meal planning and cooking.
Anyways… if you're interested, here are the sections in my books
- Apps and Sides
- Soups
- Chili and Stews
- Salads
- Sauces and Dressings
- Bread and Muffins
- Breakfast
- Veggies
- Entrees
- Eastern (Indian, Chinese, Thai, etc)
- Pastas
- Seafood
- Bev.s and Cocktails
- Desserts
- Info
The "Info" section has been so helpful! Everything from how to use herbs, what exactly is agave nectar, terms from a Japanese pantry, cooking beans, a chart with types of grains/their nutrients/flavor/how to use it, sources of iron, freezing herbs, adapting recipes to a slow-cooker, types of tomatoes, and you get the picture.
Over recent years I have taken time gently move recipes to group them.. for example: Mexican dishes in the entree section, broccoli recipes paired up in the veggie section.
I've found Target has really cute binders that are perfect for a cookbook. Just be sure to get one where the top cover falls flat when you open it so it lays nicely on the counter.
If you ever want a specific kind of recipe, let me know. I wouldn't know where to start in sharing!
Bon Appetit!"
-Renee
(Renee and her hubby at their rehearsal dinner)
Thanks for the email Renee, and thanks for letting me share it! I loved hearing about your passion for cooking and I love, love, love your personalized recipe book! I have tons of cookbooks that I never use because they are full of a lot of things I never eat. What a great idea to personalize a book with all the things you love. How great to have notes and tips to yourself about what you liked or didn't like about a certain recipe. This is something that would help me tremendously and get me more excited about cooking. I have added making a personalized recipe book to my list of things to do! Thanks so much for the inspiration and excitement about cooking Renee. I will admit that I've had a lot more fun cooking and experimenting now that we are in our own home. I have been trying new things and taking time to get it right, instead of rushing through it like normal. Monday I made ground turkey meatballs and they rocked. I was so proud of myself! I think learning to be a good cook comes with patience and practice, slowly but surely I'll get there! Creating a personalized cook book is one step in that process and I can't wait to get started!
Thanks again Renee for the creative idea!
QA: Do you have a personalized recipe book to keep track of your recipes, do's, don'ts, and everything in between?
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Morgan @ Life After Bagels on 2009.12.10
That's an awesome tip . . . I really like her binder!
Morgan @ Life After Bagels´s last blog ..Here It Is: My Food Inc Review
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is on 2009.12.10
Ohmigosh I love this idea! I do not keep ANYTHING written down, and that is why I am so thankful for my blog. You wouldn't believe how often I use it for recipes.
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is´s last blog ..Whole Wheat Stromboli’s + Beginner Plyos.
Jodi on 2009.12.10
I was able to find an already made recipe binder at a local kitchen store. It included the section tabs and plastic covers incase of any spills. It did cost a little more than if you were to just buy a regular binder, but i use it sooo much I thought it was worth the splurge! Love, love, love it!
Cindy on 2009.12.10
why yes I do. I actually have a binder in my cookbook section and it's FULL of printed, hole punched recipes to try… and I write all over my cookbooks! stickies you name it.
notes notes notes.
What a great tip from Renee!
and I too love kitchen time…
Cindy´s last blog ..Grumbly Elf
Karyn on 2009.12.10
wow that's such a good idea. i need to actually write recipies down rather than just A) relying on someone else to cook or B) just going off the top of my head if i ever do cook haha
Karyn´s last blog ..Still Feelin’ Good
Bekah on 2009.12.10
I do the exact same thing! I got tired of cookbooks full of recipes I never made, so I decided to make my own cookbook. I do the same as Renee with notes and removing recipes you don't like. I also grade my recipes on the traditional A, B, C, D, E scale (I'm a professor so that comes naturally!!), so basically all the recipes in my personal cookbook are A's or B's. If it falls below that, it's not good enough to waste my time on! The only other thing I do is put my pages in sheet protectors so I can wipe them clean from spills!
Emily on 2009.12.10
I too have a binder. It's especially awesome for keeping my magazine pile down—I often find there's only a handful of recipes in each worth keeping. In addition to my physical binder, I signed up for an account at evernote.com There you can clip portions of websites, or entire pages. I have tons of recipes on my Evernote account from all the blogs I read. Then when I finally get around to trying them, I print them out (or bring my laptop to the kitchen, but that can be dangerous!)
Emily´s last blog ..A Few of My Favorite Things
AnnQ on 2009.12.10
Such a great idea.
My BF's Mother made up a fabulous cookbook, and has it divided up that way.
Additionally, she put family pictures on every page — it's adorable!
AnnQ´s last blog ..If an Engagement is broken off, who keeps the Ring?
Betty on 2009.12.10
Great Idea. I'm excited to start my own personalized cookbook.
Betty´s last blog ..Rainy Day
Katie on 2009.12.10
I love this!
When I first graduated college, I was a nanny/housekeeper/cook (essentially a professional mom for someone else's kids) and the REAL mom had a cookbook just like this, and I always used to to make their family's meals. I had forgotten about it until now, and I'm so ready to make one of my own!
Thanks for sharing!
Stephanie on 2009.12.11
Oh yes, this is one of the best ways to get organized… I totally have 1 of these binders too! (I used diff colors of construction paper like a kiddo haha to make it all purttttyyyyyyy) And you can make your own notes there if you make any changes to the recipes so you know for the next time around
Awesome!
Stephanie´s last blog ..Reverse!!
Kasey (Fit For Wellness) on 2009.12.11
I love this creative idea… definitely going on my "to do" list as well!
Kasey (Fit For Wellness)´s last blog ..Shrimp White Wine Pasta