A Cookbook on a Kindle? That's Crazy!

I've been lucky to have a kindle for the past two years and while I have enjoyed the convenience of it's use, I much prefer a good old fashioned book!  Somehow, there is no way to replace the turning of a page or the weight of that book in your lap or even the use of really beautiful bookmarks.  I know there are many who are e-reader converts and believe that everything will eventually go this way...even textbooks.  I fall into another category.  I believe that some things are just perfect the way they have always been and should not be messed with. 

For instance, the cookbook.  I happen to have a large collection of cookbooks and as much as my husband hates them, they're not going anywhere.  I do clear out several each year for the annual library book sale but the reality is that I do that to make room for more!  There's nothing like thumbing through a cookbook with a pile of post-it notes and marking those recipes that you would like to eventually try.  And when you do get around to making that recipe it just seems to be 'right' for all sorts of cooking debris to land on the page and leave it's mark.  I know when I look through an old cookbook that has a stained and worn page that there is a 'winner' recipe contained on that page!  I'm big on making notes on recipes as I cook and many of my cookbooks have handwritten notes in the margin and what is better than being given a cherished cookbook from a family member that is heavily laden with remarks in the margins?  I highlight and take notes in just about every book that I read so maybe that's not the best example.  The size of the cookbook is another concern for me.  In general, many cookbooks are larger than your typical novel to accommodate the photos, directions and additional index items most cookbooks contain.  There is no way that any e-reader can translate the beauty of a perfectly well laid out and photographed chapter into the small screen and even if you opt for the larger screen I-Pad the book itself still has more character!  I will always feel more comfortable using hands covered in any amount of flour, cooking oil, etc. turning pages in an 'old-fashioned' cookbook than depositing the same on a piece of expensive electrical equipment.  

Remember, the cookbook you get off your shelf will never have to be charged on your kitchen counter and take up one more precious outlet!! 

Here's an amazing video of Julia Child talking about our first cookbooks!