I love going to second-hand bookstores. Specially those places which sell really old books. It’s in these places that one would find gems. Like a very old cookbook.
While second-hand seller BookSale can be found everywhere I go here in Metro Manila, it’s very seldom that I find a nice old book on their shelves. I much rather love the lesser known sellers. Those mom-and-pop, just one branch shops are the ones I’d rather go to for old books. Like Pick a Book in Robinson’s Metro East Cainta. So far I’ve found old cookbooks there that have struck my fancy. Very cheap and yet in such good condition.
Take for example this first edition of the Moosewood Cookbook.
Moosewood Cookbook (1977) -- At long last I have you!
I first came across this while looking through Heidi Swanson’s recipe journal, 101 Cookbooks. I was looking for brownie recipes and she mentioned the book. The way she described this award-winning vegetarian publication made me wish I had a copy of it. I never thought that a couple of years later I would find a first edition copy of this book near the supermarket. I was ecstatic! At 100 pesos (2 USD), I immediately grabbed the book without a second thought.
Recently I visited the shop again and found two more old cookbooks. One is the first volume of The Best of Bon Appetit (1975) and another is Better Homes & Gardens Meals in Minutes (1963). Total price: 80 pesos (1.70 USD).
I love these old cookbooks. Looking at old recipes lets me realize how making like Potatoes Au Gratin could change through the years. And for some reason, the flavors from an older version seem much more delicious than the newer versions. Then again, perhaps it’s just me.
Tags: books
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