My Battle Against Recipe Hoarding (Issue #75)
How I find things I want to eat and ensure I *actually* make them.
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Hi friends!
Today, I want to discuss my plight against something every aspiring home cook knows far too well – the recipe graveyard. To the Sincerely, Celisia Dictionary™!
Recipe Graveyard (noun)
A collection of untested or unused recipes that have been set aside due to lack of time, motivation, or other distractions, symbolizing the failure to bring culinary ideas to life.
The recipe graveyard is not a singular place, but rather anywhere good intentions of cooking go to die.
Examples include:
An unsorted saved folder on Instagram, full of cooking reels (similarly, the TikTok “liked” tab)
The stack of printed recipes collecting dust on a shelf
The cookbook you bought on impulse, spine still uncracked
The Notes App (deeply unorganized, never to be looked at after pasting a new link into a growing list)
As a foodie who wants to actually cook, the recipe graveyard is my nemesis, and I’ve spent years carefully developing systems to keep my dreams of cooking alive. And in many ways, all of that started with my first cookbook. It was a purchase driven by a hope that if I could constrain my choices, at least for a little while, I could more reliably choose something to make. I also (like most people my age) love romanticizing the analog, “old-fashioned” way of doing things. The tactile experience of a cookbook called to me, and I answered that call.
Since then, I’ve developed a little collection of books that I return to again and again. They haven’t kept me from simultaneously collecting recipes all across the internet, but at times they’ve really grounded my search. Cookbooks take the guesswork out of recipe selection because they allow me to develop a broader connection to the author and their work. When I open a cookbook from a recipe developer I know, I trust that no matter what I choose, chances are I’ll like it.
When searching for a new cookbook, it’s really helpful to know what you’re looking for in the perfect recipe. For me, that’s convenience. Most of the time, I need something I can cook quickly and easily. If all my options look like they’ll take all night, the few clicks it would take to order Doordash are simply too tempting. “Easy dinners” and “quick meals” are some of my favorite phrases, and an ingredient list void of obscure/esoteric grains, spices, and produce is the key to my heart.
Looking for inspo on which cookbook to start with? Check out my “Cookbooks I Love” list on Bookshop! Want to try a few recipes before committing to a whole book? My go-to hack is to request the e-book through my library via the Libby app. That way, I can preview the recipes for free on my phone or iPad, and if I really love it I’ll buy the physical copy. Want to use a physical cookbook without getting it dirty? I swear by *this cookbook holder. I use it pretty much every day and really couldn't live without it. The sleek bamboo design blends well with the rest of my kitchen, and I can even prop my iPad on the stand for digital recipes.
To keep my cookbook shelf alive and well, I swear by my subscription to Eat Your Books. Inside my account, I can add all the cookbooks in my collection, and they create a digital record of my recipes and the ingredients needed to make them. AND they have a comprehensive search function where I can sort by ingredients, and cuisine, and even read reviews! Cookbook collections are not immune from becoming a recipe graveyard, but this app helps me get maximal use out of the ones I own.
Now, what to do about digital recipes? I recently pulled the trigger on a NYT Cooking subscription, and I’ve enjoyed it so far. Their program offers a free trial, so you can check out a few of the recipes before committing to a full subscription. It’s only been a few weeks since I took the leap, but so far I’ve cooked six recipes!
A few favorites:
Cherry Tomato Labneh Dip (gift link) by Ham El-Waylly
Slow Cooker Chipotle-Honey Chicken Tacos (gift link) by Sarah DiGregorio
Chile Crisp Fettuccine Alfredo With Spinach (gift link) by Genevieve Ko
Gnocchi With Hot and Sweet Peppers (gift link) by Ali Slagle
Each recipe has a comments feature, which is great to read through for more ideas on how to customize recipes, and/or adjust them based on what other users did or didn’t like. For example, when I made the gnocchi recipe above, the steps called for putting both pans of ingredients in the oven at the same time to roast for 25 minutes. However, the comments warned that this was actually a sure-fire path to charred gnocchi — a misstep easily solved by halving its cooking time. Since NYT has such a huge subscriber base, most recipes include tons of comments, and I love that I can rely on crowdsourced tips + tricks!
Also worth checking out: The “Recipes in Action” section on the NYT Cooking App homepage, which features tiktok-like cooking videos from the recipe developers themselves. You can only access a few of these videos on the front page every day, which I love, because let’s be real —the endless scroll is one of the biggest contributors to my digital recipe graveyards.
The last tool I want to put on your radar is ReciMe, a great tool for organizing TikTok and Reels recipes. The app lets you import a link to any video recipes but you can also upload pictures from your favorite cookbook, and the app will automatically convert it to a digital format. It’s all super aesthetically pleasing and includes the ability to organize recipes in folders and generate shopping lists.
Have I kept my life completely void of recipe graveyards? Absolutely not. But with the help of these tools I’ve at least kept a solid portion of my collection alive, and my camera roll is full of the food pics to prove it! 🍽
A round-up of things to watch, read, and listen to as you head into the weekend.
Podcast: The Wirecutter Show
Wirecutter is my go-to resource for the best detailed and nuanced product reviews. I’ve used their recommendations to help me decide on everything from flatware to my ergonomic keyboard and computer mouse. Recently, they released a companion podcast, with each episode structured around a specific topic. The first episode was about how to do better laundry (how to get out tough stains, myths about laundry, etc.), and I found myself engaged the whole way through.
The Atlantic: Why Dining Rooms Are Disappearing From American Homes by M. Nolan Gray
Modern homes are doing away with the dining room, and it might actually be making us more lonely. At my last apartment, my kitchen barely had space for a table, so a formal dining area was a must when searching for our house last spring. Open concepts are increasingly popular, and some apartments don’t even have space for a proper table and chairs! It’s an interesting read, and I’m definitely team “bring dining rooms back!”
Substack: “What are your most treasured cookbooks?” in
byI loved this for two reasons: 1. The photos of well-loved cookbooks
includes throughout the piece, and 2. The rich comment section, FULL of recommendations from readers of their most beloved cookbooks. Check it out!
A collection of photos from days gone by, featuring the chaotic memories behind the image.
I’m definitely a “camera eats first” kind of person, so enjoy this delicious tour through my camera roll!
Things to try + share in the group chat.
This Spicy Garlic Lemon Butter Shrimp with Parmesan Corn Polenta by @halfbakedharvest looks like the perfect comforting and cozy dish as we enter colder months.
A few weeks ago, I tried the oft-raved-about Trader Joe’s pre-cooked polenta tube for the first time. Using this TikTok as inspo, I made a creamy, cheesy polenta with salmon (the video version included chicken). I made a few changes based on what I had on hand, and it turned out perfectly. For more inspo on how to make the most out of Trader Joe’s polenta, check out this Reddit thread!
Last week I dove deep into modern internet leftist culture to really ask the question - Has our obsession with “accountability” become a dangerous distraction? Check it out here.
Have a great weekend!
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Thanks for mentioning that post, Celisia. I loved the way everyone piled in with their favourites!