Ranking the Cookbooks I've Borrowed From LAPL
And other things from the past two weeks...
My friend Bri is obsessed with the library. If I am a patron of the arts, she’s without a doubt a patron of the public library. She shows up to every used book sale the Los Feliz Branch has to offer and continues to build her TBR (to be read) collection by the day. She regularly visits the local little libraries that look like tiny homes on mailbox posts. She even has her own dedicated book review Instagram, @bookinitwithbri. She loves books, but most notably she loves free access to books and learning. Combined with her opinions and passion for the library, and that person, Mychal from Tiktok (very wholesome creator who now has a PBS show - very full circle for their life), I finally got a library card. I mean - it’s literally free.
This choice was made as a result of me being interested in so many, many cookbooks.
My list kept growing and I genuinely did not want to afford to buy that many nor store them. From Alison Roman, Claire Saffitz, and all of my favorite restaurants dropping cookbooks, I simply could not and cannot keep up. Plus, with a subscription to the New York Times and Bon Appetit, owning so many cookbooks just didn’t and doesn’t really make sense either, other than to support my favorite chefs (ehmmmm Molly Baz). After I had rented a typical book, probably by Emily Henry or something, I rented my first cookbook. I rented Dessert Person by Clarie Saffitz, because I am a dessert person after all. I tried her chocolate cake and the blood orange aesthetic looking one and found myself content enough. I didn’t need the book after all, I thought to myself. that I might rent it again or I may not, nothing in that book truly changed my life, so I continued to rent. The next cookbook I rented mildly changed my life.
It was the Bavel cookbook that gave me confidence from who knows where to make what they label as farm cheese and featuring my Ralph’s version of Za’atar. The cookbook that introduced me to lamb neck shwarma and the options in which to pickle, well, anything. Since then, I don’t add my cookbook wants to Goodreads, I simply put them in the requests function of my LAPL app and I read those cookbooks like it’s my own personal research. Flipping through each section like a chapter in a book as though I am going to come up with something so unique and game changing in my own kitchen or start a restaurant. This concept is one that I do not have any current aspirations of doing. After watching The Bear and honestly even feeding a group of friends, I do not think it’s for me. While I do like to make a moment of cooking all day, wearing my gorpy Merrell Hydromocs (Gorpy Crocs) and blasting Kaytranada and Jungle, I do not think that is the full-time job for me. It would ‘take the joy out of it’ as they say. Whoever they are. Tangent aside, I love cookbooks and they are my version of a coffee table book. I love cookbooks even more now that I can get them from the library, FOR FREE!
So here are all the cookbooks I have acquired (and returned!!! don’t worry!!) from the library, ranked from favorite/would buy/did buy to least favorite/would not purchase:
Keep in mind I’m just a normie, home cook and my opinions do tend to change. Hear me out, I’ll hear you out! I swear.
Bavel - 5/5, I did purchase/gifted rather. We actually did this book for cookbook club one time and I will have to spotlight cookbook club another time but wow we really out did ourselves. Here’s what we made from the book: hummus, pita, lamb neck sharwma, red zhoug, pickled cucumbers, pickled beet turnips, Carrot salad with a Meyer lemon yoghurt, a chicory salad with a calamansi vinaigrette (think like an orange blossom extract but different), and that Persian mulberry cake that’s featured a couple pictures up. WAS CRAZY!!! but I cannot wait to keep using this book. What I like about it is the fact that this book pushes you to become better. It’s like when I have a challenging knitting pattern and you have to figure out a solution. This book requires you to figure out a solution. It asks you to potentially find a substitute if your local grocer doesn’t carry it. IT requires that you be patient and see how the dish unfolds. It also asks that you read the recipe a couple days ahead of time, just because the recipe might require that you take your time aka 3 days, to complete the recipe and execute it to the fullest.
Six Seasons - 5/5 - PURCHASED! I think everyone should own this one actually. Seasonal cooking is something I did not pay enough attention to and this book is super approachable and has such a range of recipes. Veg w sauces. Roasted veggies! Veg w meats! Versatile. Love! Also really good flavors so far and I feel like there’s a good amount of seasoning which is key.
Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook by Shola El-Waylly: 4/5 - This is my most recent borrow that I picked up actually because one of my old students recommended it to me after she had made a Pavlova from this book. Being a middle school student, she said the book was easy to understand made difficult recipes approachable. This is exactly what I am finding in this book. It’s very approachable and contains a diverse range of types of recipes. Some are classics others contain a fusion of cultures which is so fun and why I loved Sohla in the first place!! I dropped a star on this one just because this book still feels so new to me. I feel like I will really have to spend some more time with it to give it an accurate review. I have only tried her Green Goddess salad dressing so far (VERY GOOD) and the Cannelini Beany Melt… which I will get to later in this post. Honestly considering adding this book to my cart, or my local bookstore basket.
Bestia - 4/5 - The famed Bestia… Where people in LA go to add bone marrow to any dish their heart desires. I have attended this restaurant, found it to be delicious therefore checked out this book also because I love Bavel (same owners as Bestia) so much. This cookbook felt pretty complicated to me and was heavily time consuming, each recipe potentially taking a couple days to complete i.e. butter topped banana bread, that I actually did end up making. This recipe was amazing, really. I did have to go through multiple processes of roasting bananas and then waiting for those to cool down, then making brown butter (easy at this point) and then generating all these other things. It was amazing but I currently have been loving Molly Baz's Banana Bread/Cake Recipe. I might rent it again but I will probably not be buying.
Malibu Farm - 3.5/5 - My mom owns this one and same with one of my mom’s best friends aka my aunt. The jury is still out on this one. I found the cookbook vague and some of the recipes lacked flavor. But overall still a good book? Just not a necessity for me.
Dishoom - 3.5/5 - This cookbook is truly a book, evidenced by it’s cover already. It’s complex and very wordy really, but I do have a recipe from this book now that I make all the time, Banana Date Porridge. This recipe is hardy and delicious, making me feel nourished and ready for anything the day wishes to throw at me (don’t throw anything plz). I won’t be buying it anytime soon but I might rent it again either for cookbook club or to discover more recipes.
Gjelina - 3.5/5 - I will probably rent this one again. They had a recipe on making garlic confit that is phenomenal and now I have bottled golden garlicky flavor at my disposal. I also can’t wait to go to their restaurant.
Dessert Person - 3/5 - I wasn’t wowed and truly I would prefer to just watch sweet Claire make her baked goods on YouTube and I will follow along with her there. These recipes were pretty complex too. A fun, aesthetic book but not something I feel I need on my shelf at the moment.
Dolci - 3/5 - What is it with people wanting to turn cocktails into cakes? My friend Mattie got me this book called Cakeography and in that book they were suggesting Aperol Spritz cakes and Pimm’s Cup loaves. Interesting… This cookbook while aesthetic, fell flat for me. Maybe I don’t have the same nostalgia as her regulars in Brooklyn, NY where you can find her in her shop called Ciao, Gloria (which I do hope to pop into one day!) I do need to try more recipes from it, I will admit. I did try her Rice Krispie Treats and I’m excited to test out her butter cookies and Morning Gloria cookies too. We will see - there’s still more to be discovered in this book but so far I do not plan on purchasing this book or renting again. Even if Nancy Silverton offered her praises in the cookbook bylines.
Alison Roman’s Dining In - I’ll have to rent again to give a score. I think I honestly forgot to open it but one of my friend’s is a huge Alison ‘stan’ and another is an ‘opp’. As the kids say. My friend who opposes Alison claims that her Nothing Fancy, is in fact too fancy for the averge middle American, but after she made her Lemon Tumeric Cake, she started to have second thoughts. Cookbook club will be doing an Alison Roman book next so I will keep you updated on my thoughts then.
Reviews of my latest attempts in learning/Hobbying:
Pools and Swimming 5/5
During that heat wave, swimming was essential. Especially as my apartment does not have air conditioning, submerging in water of some kind was dire. I don’t know if pools can be a hobby but I highly recommend in case you somehow forgot.
Bean Toast: 2.5/5
Now this recipe is from Sohla’s book. It is truly just ok. I would not really recommend it but, I also do not hate it. Just know I will not be making it again. Felt a little forgettable in my opinion and I know that because I forgot about it and threw away the leftovers from the week before yesterday soooooo….. PLUS! I have just had other bean toasts that are better. My sister actually had sent me her marinated bean recipe the other month and I think that takes the cake! Even over the divorce salad!! Maybe I will link it one day…
Becoming a member of a museum: 4.5/5
I went to the Norton Simon during Labor day weekend for the first time. I had heard such great things about this museum especially being that two of my favorite couples in my life went on their first dates there. But, we cut our timing close with closing, not giving us enough time to truly check out everything. Now, I can be a fairly stingy person at times, so I was beginning to think that our ticket might not be worth it… Hesitantly at 4:00, I purchased my $20 ticket supporting the arts. I felt rushed - not a rush - and began to overthink how we would soak up this museum in less than an hour. That was until one of the museum docents told me about the teacher discount for members… Intrigued, and with my other friend also being a teacher, it was an easy choice. I mean we would break even with our membership in just 3 visits. With a second swipe of our credit cards and roughly $40 dollars more, we became true patrons of the arts. Exhaling, I knew I could enjoy the visit more fully knowing it would not be my last. This only loses half a point just because I haven’t fully immersed myself in the museum yet. Excited to be even more cultured and prance around this museum like Degas' ballerinas. They have a new exhibit opening on Friday, September 20, Plugged In: Art and Electric Light, that I am so excited to see in person!
Aside from that things are seemingly mellowing out. Maybe? Still training for that half marathon. Still working on not overcommitting and finding balance.
BTW! I finished my Scrunchie Bag by Loupy Studio!!
It was such a fun pattern that challenged me yet, meditative at the same time. I will say I did forget about continuing the I-Cord edging part of the way through but this bag is very forgiving when it comes to mistakes. Thank you to Evvia for the beautiful design and I can’t wait to try out the shorts pattern that’s in development!
Until next time - I’ll write about darning or being a bridesmaid. Send me cookbook recommendations while you wait <3
XOXO,
Lynn
No cookbook recs, but pulling out my calendar now to pencil in a night dining with you ✍🏾✍🏾✍🏾