By Charlotte Byus
This week I was reading a local magazine, an article about a kitchen remodel a lady was so proud of, the floor-to-ceiling bookcase for her cookbooks. I love cookbooks and I love pictures of food. I have been collecting cookbooks for 50 years, that’s how long my husband and I have been married. My first cookbook was a wedding present. Of course, it was Better Homes & Gardens, the infamous Red & White Checked Binder Book. I’ve still got it and use it often, I’m positive my two daughters will fight over it when I am gone.
There was a time when funds were very tight and every meal didn’t necessarily include meat, I found some paperback cookbooks from The Texas Department of Agriculture that were full of rice and pasta dishes. I still have them too. They have lots of stains and tomato sauce dripping, a sign of true love.
I even collect magazines because of the food pictures. Do you do that too? Nowadays, people are putting food recipes out on Facebook! Not nice, a bit more complicated – I will have to start saving those pretty pictures too.
I guess that will be the new way, no more paper cookbooks. Every meal will start on the internet…how sad. I still long to hold and love my favorite cookbooks. Besides that, what will we do with all the extra space on our counters, book shelves and coffee tables?
[10-5-2015]
Posted in 
Wow loved you story I too have collected cookbooks for years. I love to go on half.com and see what they have for 75cents just too good a deal. I am a addict to cookbooks for sure. Ihave the whole collection of southern living cookbooks and all the pillsbury starting in 1949.Some of my most treasured are my signed ones I have luck out and gotten The Bush family cookbook signed by the President,his wife Barbara and the chef last look the book I paid 75 cents for was worth over 300.00. Along with the brown derby signed by the chef and owner. The waldorf astoria hotel signed and many others. I hope when I retire one day that I can take a cookbook a week and plan a menu out of it. I think it would be awesome fun.I do want to go to the Lamar University and look at there cookbook collection they did a article on it the other day and it sounded awesome so its on my bucket list of things I must go see. Thanks for writing your wonderful article.
This could be my story. First Cookbook, BH&G, wedding gift. I currently have over 350 cookbooks and still collecting. My favorites are the ones published by groups such as churches and community groups in different parts of the country.