Mixed Plate: A Mushroom, a Boat, a Whale, and a Walrus Walk Into the Kitchen...

Tis the season for cookbooks in bloom! I know most people fall into one of a few categories when it comes to cookbooks: A) The Casual Collector, usually gifted most of their books by friends/family who know them best, and the books' subjects tend to lean towards specialty desserts or general party-planning ideas; B) The Hoarder, a ravenous collector with a discerning eye for quality-written recipes and techniques, happily giving up valuable living space in lieu of several overstuffed bookshelves bowing from the weight of those damn heavy Modernist Cuisine tomes; C) The Recovering Cookbook-aholic, one who has purged their library of books they realistically know they won't cook from, they're worried about the Hoarders TV crew showing up at their house (again), so their collection is meticulously curated with only books they know they'll use regularly. While I've never let my books edge me out of house and home, I do have a Fear of Stuff, so I tend to fall within the C-category. Which is why when I do add to my cookbook collection, I'm extra-picky, and extra-excited when I find not only one, but TWO new books that I think deserve a spot on the shelf.

Shiitake dan dan noodles, care of Becky Selengut's "Shroom" - Photo by Wasabi Prime