A Collection of Books (Food, Nutrition, & More)
A fellow Blogger gave me the wonderful idea of sharing my books to the world. You see, I love going to other people's homes and checking out their bookshelves. I often head straight towards people's books... It says a lot of a person and even more if they don't have any books (by choice, not economics). I encourage guests to my home to browse my books but I think it's me who's more interested in books at the time. My favorite types of books are reference books, cookbooks and nutrition books.
I have decided to share my book collection (probably minus a few in the car, closets, lost, stolen, etc.). I hope I can start another "trend" just like my Where the Magic Happens kitchen post.
I am showing you all the above books because they are my most recent purchases and I bought them a few days ago after I photographed my shelves. I am so excited about the sea veggie book. At first I was more interested in the sprouting book, but I seem to not be able to put down the Sea Vegetable Celebration. (Personal side note to Dreena: I bought these on the same day you made your Kelp-amole, as I call it, and funny how you wanted to get into sea veggies more too!). Sea veggies are super-healthy and I'll probably do a seperate post later. In the meantime I bought lavar, kelp and dulse, yum.
The above cookbooks are not on my bookshelf. They're on the shelf above the sink in the kitchen. An old friend from high school gave me the holder. It says, cow: "eat chicken". pig: "eat chicken". sheep: "eat chicken". chicken: "eat dirt". He he. I love all these cookbooks. I keep them here because it's better than a pile (in which I am good at creating). The black binder is my recipe book. It's printouts, cut-outs, my own made up recipes, etc, and I keep them all organized. Not as organized as Jess' folder, so-I-hear.
Not pictured is "The Art of War", some dictionaries, Spanish-English dictionaries, and some little books. Moving on to the real bookshelf. It's also in the kitchen, but in the "dining area" which is our basketball-playing-area. Let me know (in the comments) if you can't read any titles/authors and you want information. Also, feel free to click on the photo for a larger view...
Note: below there are 2 books not mine: the cigar book is Ray's. He collects cigars (well, and smokes them but he doesn't buy crappy ones). The other book was for Ray's history class or something like that, the Slave Narratives book. I haven't read those two, but I have thumbed through the cigar book.
The books below are in the computer room. They are some of my college textbooks (I'm graduated). I saved some others but these are my most relevant to "real life" and I love microbiology too.
And all these magazines are a combo of a few: Vegetarian Times, Veggie Life, Eating Well, Animal Times and about a 4-year Nutrition Action that I got for free for my mom subscribing to it. I also have some AJCN (clinical nutrition) journals.
How come when I go to the library after so much time I think to myself, "why do I let so much time go by before coming back here?". Maybe because I forget of the wonderful and joyful feeling of being in the library, getting to rent up to 50 items at a time, and all for free! I just took what I could carry. Plus, I plan on going back more often, and next time branching out from the food/cooking isle. These are the books I rented:
*Made with Love stories, recipes and crafts from Grateful Dead fans (all foods cooked on the road at festivals, awesome stuff)
*Freelance Foodcrafting I got this book because I may want to check into renting a kitchen around here (or commercial space in someone's kitchen) and starting another business.
*Main-Dish Grains this book was super-cute and little and has simple whole-grain dishes with minimal ingredients. The book is only about 50 pages
*The Uncheese Cookbook I just wanted to see what all the hype was about (from fellow bloggers, vegans). I decided I am glad I don't own this book but I may try one recipe. I don't miss cheese.
*Raw This is a great book for recipes and the coffee table. The photos are wonderful and I don't have a dehydrator, but now I want one. I recommend checking out these recipes or at least see how artistically prepared these meals are.
*3 Bowls: Vegetarian Recipes from an American Zen Buddhist Monastery - sounds awesome, is awesome.
*The Enchanted Broccoli Forest -I've seen this book before and I like the recipes a lot. I also like the particular font used in printing, and it looks as if someone with great handwriting wrote the whole thing out.
*Hungry Planet I am so happy that I found this book. I asked 3 people for it for my birthday. Didn't get it. I also couldn't justify buying a book for $40 that wasn't a textbook for school, and I'm done with school. I love this book and read the whole thing yesterday. The photos are vivid and there's details, broken down information about foods, money, culture, customs, etc. Please go to the library or bookstore and check this book out. It's the best book I've looked at (minus cookbooks) in a while. It made me do a lot of thinking (more like reminders I already knew) and I'll save my thoughts for their own post some day. I feel strongly about the contents of "Hungry Planet". It's by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio- so you all can read this book.
Edit to add: In the first photo of the whole bookshelf I forgot to mention the newspaper(s). I have some NY Times saved from 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, certain scientific discoveries, and a few other things that I am forgetting to mention. I also have thin little books on vintage clothing, Scientific Vegetarian (which is a super-thin but very awesome book), and more...
Back on to the rented books.
Edit to add #2: I made the bookshelf that my books are on. Well, I didn't make it. Rather, I bought a really crappy bookshelf, bought some latchy-things to hold the shelves better, sanded almost every square inch, and painted the shelves. If you look close I also hot-glued some shiny guys to create some flare. Not that a combo of purple and hot green isn't enough flare for me.
Back on to the rented books... for real this time!
One of my favorite books in which I will someday own...
Fin.
25 comments:
So glad to see you shared your library with us ! We actually have many of the same books.
I will have to take more pictures now : ) Not all my books though, it would take way too many pictures to do that, but you see I have been collecting books twice as long as you have (smile) which is one benefit to being old !
Johanna, Thanks for the comment! I've been collecting for a while, but I wish I had some of my childhood books.
Patty, you are the one who inspired me! Thanks so much and I look forward to more of your photos. I enjoy reading your blog daily, even though I may not comment.
I look forward to the years to come and see what books I find. I love certain "new" books, but what I really love is older books. I have a few of them, and now that I am mentioning it, I don't have photos. I have some early 1900s clothing books too (I collect and sell vintage clothing and accessories).
yeah, i love looking at people's books when i got their house. i found it interesting that you had "football for dummies" :o)
Karla, Football for Dummies was a gift (and a joke) but I did learn a lot from what I read of it...
I do like football now but not because of the book.
I love looking around other peoples houses! Inspired by you, I'm going to post pictures of my house soon. I have a lot of the same cookbooks as you do, including the Sea Vegetable Celebration one. (I got it recently and haven't made anything from it yet.) I really love The Enchanted Broccoli Forest book, and I just have to put in a few words on behalf of the Uncheese Cookbook: I don't miss cheese either, but the spreads in this book are to die for! I recommend making the Chick Cheeze. I don't have The 3 Bowls cookbook, but I'm placing an order on amazon later and it's on my list!
i borrowed this from the library and enjoyed it, although coming from a country it profiles (australia) and having lived in some of the other countries it also includes, its very americanised and america-centric and not really realistic.
be_, yes, you are right, they are AMericans that wrote the book. They also wrote it from their perspective and were comparing many countries and customs to America, and I am not saying this is an end-all-say-all book. Not at all. It's just interesting and nice to look at the food photos and learn about their reasons for eating foods (some of the reasons at least) and there were only 30 families in 24 countries interviewed anyway.
Hahahaha - Why Big Fierce Animals are Rare - Arizona State Freshman Biology class. Geez...I still have that book too. Never read it, but intended to one of these days (yeah, it's been 6 years - oh well). Nice to see your books - I also go straight to people's bookshelves; I love it!
Me, I have a lot of books and most of them I bought USED. Many of them were only 25 cents to about $6 each. But then there are some I bought that cost more, but I do love hunting through used bookstores and seldom buy anything new. Although Dreena's Vive le Vegan and TEV are awesome ones to buy new. I consider it an investment!
Crystal, yep, you're right about the ASU freshman bio class. It's a book that you can tell hasn't been read all the way through. I probably slacked off around midterms and for me that was 6 years ago.
Thanks for the comments everyone!
Leslie, thanks for the book tour -- whata great idea. I'll be sure to check out Hungry Planet from our library.
It's funny- I just moved and dragged box after box of books to my new place. I wondered if anyone else was obsessed by books.
I am an art teacher and the textbooks were huge. Art and education books, plus the cookbooks, and dog books, plus some favorite children's books. I fill three tall book shelves (and am very tired)
Leslie - I am very jealous of this big collection! I get too cheap to buy books and it's sad, really, but I'm working on it, slowly.
I'm intrigued to hear more about cooking with see veggies.
Vicki, Thanks! Let me know what you think of the book.
Karen, I've moved about 6 times or so just in AZ and dragged my books. I was last on the third floor (we don't have elevators here) and the books were terrible to lug (I'm small so I fed pizza and beer to some of my big friends).
Jess, don't be cheap. THink of every book as wonderful information that you can always have on hand. I can't even count how many times I just run over to the shelf for a quick reference or answer. Go find some cheap books at thrift stores, used book stores, etc. THat's what I do and you can get free ones, some like 10/$1 and up, but you get the idea, right?!
And about the sea veggies, I'm super excited about every part of the sea vegetable deal. Nutrition, cooking with it, and all that but I have yet to get past the fishy sea smell. I am going to try rinsing it but right now I just tossed 'em up on the fridge because my nose doesn't reach that high up and I put it in the pantry for about 5 minutes and it made me feel like I wanted to puke. Ugh. I'm gonna have to get past this whole "smell" issue or else you won't be seeing any of this. Did I mention I bought kelp/cayenne mixture to use as a seasoning? I haven't had the guts to break the plastic seal yet!
i see many of my books in your collection! That was super cool to see. i am big on second-hand books as well. i loooooooove books and reading.
You are so right, you can tell much about a person by the books at his/her home... and a lack thereof also speaks loudly!
Of course, i have so many books, if you came to my place, you'd end up there for a few days!
Some are intimidated by my "collection" - my sister calls my house "the library" - but i wouldn't have it any other way. i like to give books away and lend (or give) my own out whenever i can.
Very cool post! Thank you.
Break the seal! I can season vicariously then : )
Leslie, I have done and did it - thanks to you. My little kitchen has been blogged. I stopped by to tell you this and I saw you blogged your library to. You are way inspiring, but girl... your trend setting way is looking to keep me busy... enjoying it here tho'.
You have quite an interesting book collection. I could come by andd sit by your shelf easliy for a weekend. I am a book person too. Although many of mine have to do with family life (all aspects) and homeschooling, the majority are cookbooks. DH built me a BIG shelf at the bakehouse so I can store them all. But then I do rotate the stock I keep in my kitchen, upstairs office, and by the main level computer desk sometimes. I would have to travel to blog my books.
I do plan to blog the bakehouse sometime around the beginning of May, this will show some of my cookbook collection. The Mollie Katzen, Enchanted Broccoli Forest looks good to me. I have one of her books and really like it. I'm also a library book sale kind of person and have been known to travel far for a good sale. ALso, the first place I check at consignment store is first the kitchen section and then the books.
Oh PS ... about the sea vegetables. I have both kelp powder and dulse.. yes, very fishy. Fortunately they both keep a very long time. I bought them to try a sea vegetable casserole (with a "tuna" casserole feel). I have made a sea vegetable chowder also. I was never a fan of fish even as a meat eater and I have to admit I'm not a fan of this either, I haven't been able to train myself to like it even for the sake of it's nutritional benefits and I truly have tried. I store both of my products in a large, airtight, heavy freezer bag, sealed, so that I can stand the smell of it.
Kleopatra, Thanks for the comments once again.
Dori, I'm on my way over to you after this, can't wait! I have been thinking about asking you to take photos of The Bakehouse! I'm looking forward to it.
Dori (again), it's gonna take some time with the sea veggies. I've never been a fish eater and I haven't had meat since I'm a kid. I don't eat fake meats, fake cheeses or anything that is suposed to be something that it is not. Yuck. I will have to get some courage here, as you aren't making it seem any better to me (he he).
Oh, and the first place I run to in any sort of "store" or bookstore is the kitchen/cooking/nutrition sections!
Hey Leslie:
My library located a copy of Hungry Planet at another branch and will be in my hot hands early next week. You say you will someday own it...is that one checked out from your library? Looking forward to seeing it on your recommendation.
At first, I was a bit overwhelmed thinking about our books...so many...and in several locations. In our dining room, we mainly have artists' collections that we've picked up at various museums along with some crafting books. In the den we have poetry, dog books, parenting books, kid's books, and travel books. Downstairs, I have most of my childrens' books, which barely fit in an oversized closet (when I was teaching, I'd buy my own collections) along with teaching guides. In Art's studio, he has some of his law books and he is very interested in water issues and so has a bunch of those. In the kitchen, I have some cooking books -- but not that many. I've only recently become interested in cooking. Then there are boxes of books in the garage that we still have to go through and organize. A couple weeks ago, Art went to the library book sale and picked up a complete & first edition of "Harvard Classics - the five foot shelf of books". And, we both still have most of our college books. We really love books! Terrific blog idea -- thanks! :o)
hey, I was wondering if you actually use all of those cook books (I was shocked by how many you have)? Do you usually cook for yourself every night? I'm almost out of the dorms and free from cafeteria hell and have browsing the vegan cookbooks for awhile now. I'm wondering which one is your favorite or what you would recommend as a starter (especially for a new relatively new vegan who isn't the best cook). I keep hearing that the best one to start with is one in the How It All Vegan series. Thanks for the help.
-Teresa
I am a lover of books, too and I've to say it's contagious because my kids have more books than toys. The library and the bookstore are two of their favorite places to go. I just looked at my library account and we have 27 books checked out right now.
Thanks for sharing your book collection with us, Leslie. I would have love to do the same, except our books are like Vicki's and Dori's -they're all over the house, built-in shelves, bedrooms, living room, even in the garage. (We even have them in the bathrooms!) It's overwhelming just thinking about taking photos, so I admire you for doing this.
>>>"It says a lot of a person and even more if they don't have any books (by choice, not economics)..."
True, and that's why I like checking out other people's bookshelves, too.
But more, in so many homes with kids, I notice there are no lack in video games, movies, toys, etc, but books. That doesn't just say much about the people, but OUR FUTURE.
That red book was the first sprouting book I read, borrowed from the library.
You might also like this book we have in our coffee table called "Material World" if you enjoy Hungry Planet.
I'm supposed to be on blog break right now, but had to stop by here to make sure I'm not missing anything like a birthday or such! Have a great weekend!
Vicki, many people seem to have their books all over their house. Many parts of my house are not organized enough for me to display my books how I would like to. Tell me how you like Hungry Planet.
Teresa, I laughed when you asked if I actually use the books! Why yes! The Candle Cafe and Artful Vegan book are most complicated and I tend to use those for basic guidelines or special occasions. They were both gifts (one by request). If you scroll through my recipes you will see I got on a Vive le Vegan and TEV roll because I love Dreena's recipes. They are good starters, they have simple and *common* ingredients and not too complicated recipes. I would highly recommend How it All Vegan by Sarah Kramer (and Tanya Barnard) because that was my first real vegan cookbook and I have yet to put it down (7 years later or whenever the book was out). That book has many options of recipes for similar meals, for example, about 10 pancake recipes, etc. I hope this helps a bit. I think there are some books about *simple vegan recipes, *newly vegan, *maybe that "vegan cooking for one" book (is that the correct title?).
Kai, nope, I haven't had another birthday in the past few weeks! You're crackin me up (again). Thanks for the visit and I am not in the least bit suprised that you have 27 books checked out. THat's wonderful, and based on what you talk about and show, your children are wonderful and it's because you are teaching them life and you know that all the video games and tv and junk isn't good. It scares me how many children play those games and for how long and same with the TV. Talking about OUR FUTURE scares me. Thanks for being a person/mother who is contributing to good in the world.
Oh, and I've heard of Material World and I am interested in renting it. I have yet to see it in person though.
Wow, I would love to hear more about the sea vegetables book. Now you've got me wanting to do some google research...
Thank you for showing us your personal librairy. Like you, I enjoy having a look at other people bookshelves. It helps to understand your background when you create or/and make a recipe, and give me ideas for next shopping. I've got The Uncheese cookbook and like it, especially for cooking to non-vegan people (we haven't got vegan cheeses in France...). I don't really know if it do taste as animal cheeses as I quite cheese for a too long time to remember.
In France, we're spreading a questionnaire from blog to blog about cook books. I've answered only half of it (vegan cooking isn't very commun here, so it's better to make all the comments I can).
How is your cat after his surgery ?
See you !
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