Being a food stylist, I adore cookbooks particularly with fabulous photography. I don't care much about the recipes really, as I rarely try them to the letter. Of course, the ideas that these books provide are always considered, but more often than not, I tweak what I have tasted and tried and reformat it as mentioned in some books. The food styling though, provide more appeal to me. Details such as the plates used, the propping, and the garnishes however simple, come out magnificently with the right lighting and treatment. Australian publishers such as Donna Hay and Marie Clare provide such distinct personalities and styles that brings me in awe and almost always hungry. I learned that when they style their plates, it is with bare hands and no complicated gadgets are used to achieve the look that they want.
Another book which I tend to buy are kitchen idea books. I love looking at the photographs and forever imagining how else I could improve my own kitchen (that is, when I finally have the time and finances to support it). My recent purchase was one of Small Kitchens by Evergreen. My own kitchen, it being petite will definitely benefit with how over a hundred kitchen ideas are shown in this book.
The convention I attended also provided a venue for a "meet and greet" with some celebrity chefs which I definitely had no plan to miss. It was the best time to buy at discounted prices. My long-lost boyfriend (yeah, right) Ming Tsai was there, as well as Gale Gand of Sweet treats. Though I have yet to try their recipes in the book, Simply Ming and Blue Ginger provide fusion and asian inspired recipes while Gand's Just a Bite brings timely single-serve creations for dessert lovers.
Other than cookbooks, coffee table books is also part of my collection. I had to wait to get my copy of Memories of Philippine Kitchens by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan for a couple of weeks. As a proud Pinay, I had to have this one which highlights the reason why Filipino food should be given worth the attention similar to how our regional counterparts have been given. Another book given by a friend is My Life in France by Julia Child which narrates how one of my culinary idols developed her passion of French cuisine and food in general. Meanwhile, short story collections of Claude Tayag in Food Tour is another easy read for those who want to know more about Filipino food finds and cuisine, in Claude's candid (and funny) approach.
With so much to read, being ill may not necessarily mean being bored at all.
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