Cookbooks vs. the Internet

By Ariel

I am a child of the internet. I literally do not remember a time I did not have access to it, maybe pre-second grade? In any case, my life has been seriously impacted by computers and having information at the tips of my fingertips (what do you mean, you had to look stuff up before? In BOOKS?) So that leads me to ask a very important question: Do you buy cookbooks when you have access to millions of (free) recipes on the net?

It's a battle for me. On the one hand, I love books! I love looking at glossy pictures and a great layout in a cookbook just makes me happy. On the other hand, I'm cheap. Do I really want to shell out $20-$30+ for a book when I can search for the dish on the internet for free? I'll admit, free wins just about every time. 

I do have visions of a beautifully stocked cookbook shelf in my kitchen, with gorgeous pictures that I can flip through on a lazy night. I also have a ton of Martha Stewart Living that I don't want to part with, so they could be included in my cookbook party in my kitchen if I ever accumulate enough books to have said party.

And so I am torn. Do you buy the pretty books that catch your eye (and your appetite?) Do you have a good argument for one side of my cookbooks vs. internet struggle?

Comments

[Julie]

Lately I've been getting cookbooks at the library. I have the same dilemma - I love just looking at cookbooks. but, really I don't have room to keep them anywhere, either! I have gotten so many good recipes from the internet, too. Both are great - cookbooks & internet!!

[Sharon]

I mostly use the internet, but occasionally I'll come across a cookbook that I absolutely MUST have. I just ordered one the other day, actually. I'm a sucker for the pretty pictures.

[Elsha]

I like the idea of cookbooks (and I own several) but often I just end up looking online until I find a recipe that includes ingredients I actually have.

[ellbee]

I've actually been thinking about this (and books vs. e-readers, the internet, et al) lately, as Borders is going out of business and I still have a gift card from there lying around. I came to the conclusion that I just can't justify buying more fiction books in print, since my ultimate goal is to (eventually!) have my 1000+ book library on my Kindle. What I did decide was that I would use that gift card to buy a cookbook or two (as much as I HATE the fact Borders is closing, I have to say YAY for sale prices!)
I love having real cookbooks in my kitchen. I've got a sheaf of internet recipes I printed out, but that's just so wasteful in the long run (I know I could just bring my laptop into the kitchen, but I'm MESSY.) Plus, nothing beats flipping through a good cookbook and salivating over the pictures. I'm not going to stop reading food blogs and printing out recipes, but I'm going to focus more on finding new and used cookbooks that spark my creativity!

[Cassyand]

I love the ability to use both! I search the internet a lot for recipes when I know what I want but I enjoy leafing through a cookbook to get inspired! I keep a few special books around but I still use the internet the most.

[Carrisa]

I have a small collection of cookbooks. Mostly church cookbooks from various family members and of course, Pioneer Woman's. But I pretty much use the internet every time. When I find a recipe I really love I print it off and put it in a sheet protector in a three ring binder. It's a really cute binder though!

[Fromaliciawithlove.wordpress.com]

I love buying cookbooks, but NEVER USE THEM. I always use recipes off of the internet, but I can't stop buying them! It's a sickness.

[Katie]

I love buying cookbooks, and when I find a chef/writer whose recipes consistently turn out well, I hang on to that one! (Examples: Giada de Laurentis, Sara Jenkins) I like having them because it gives me the confidence to try something unusual that I might skip right over on the Internet. The Internet is good for recipes when you need to use up a specific ingredient, or you've been assigned a specific dish to make for an event, or tracking down a specific recipe you used to have but lost in a move (grrrr). But cookbooks are more fun for inspiration, getting new ideas, meal planning, and learning about cooking techniques in general.