That's probably our biggest difference, Jfain. To me the recipes, per se, are secondary. I'm all about the food---where it comes from, how it's used in different cuisines, how it's culturally influenced (and the reverse), etc.
I read cookbooks the way other people read novels. The recipes, as such, are merely guidelines to me. Other than when I have to when writing a review, I can't remember the last time I actually followed one exactly. But I can spend hours happily reading the author's notes and comments and historical asides; all of which helps me understand the underlying roots of the recipe.
A good example is Cajun and Creole Cooking, by Edie Hand and Col. William G. Paul. I guarantee the recipes will all taste pretty much the same, the way they're presented. But the introductory material, particularly the section on the evolution of cajun and creole cuisines, is worth the price of admission.
I read cookbooks the way other people read novels. The recipes, as such, are merely guidelines to me. Other than when I have to when writing a review, I can't remember the last time I actually followed one exactly. But I can spend hours happily reading the author's notes and comments and historical asides; all of which helps me understand the underlying roots of the recipe.
A good example is Cajun and Creole Cooking, by Edie Hand and Col. William G. Paul. I guarantee the recipes will all taste pretty much the same, the way they're presented. But the introductory material, particularly the section on the evolution of cajun and creole cuisines, is worth the price of admission.
