Steve Wertz wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 16:43:02 GMT, Cindy Fuller wrote:
>
>> I have a quasi-rule of thumb: Ten cents per recipe unless the
>> explanatory text and ingredient glossary merit otherwise. I won't pay
>> for high amounts of pretty pictures or egotistical fluffery. Those
>> guidelines pretty much rule out most books by Food Network celebs, with
>> the exception of Alton Brown.
>
> I don't measure the worth by number of recipes, but rather by the
> amount of narrative text that teaches you about the
> ingredients/recipes, where they come from, and how they're used.
> This would seem to indicate that the author knows what they're
> talking about.
>
> This leaves out pratically all FoodTV celebrity's books as
> they're just slapped together with no rhyme or reason.
>
> -sw

In Ireland, I was struck by the very high ratio of celeb cook books to
real ones. Once you eliminate the generic, useless ones (all those
recycled endlessly cheap knockoffs similar to those you see for under
$10 at Borders), the ratio must have been around 9 - 1.

The bookstore I noticed ithis in was Easons, though, which is more like
Waldenbooks than Borders.

I tend to agree with you more than Cindy, but as the pile increases, her
view might make more sense!

Ian