About

'Too Many Cook Books' is a food and family blog, by mother & daughter team Sue & Kate. Born from the desire to spend more quality time together, cook through Sue's vast collection of recipe books and to motivate Kate to write and bake, we began to form the idea for a blog that took a simple approach to transporting recipes from page to table.

From fussy eaters and fail-proof student recipes, to baking and chefs that don't quite cut the mustard, 'Too Many Cook Books' aims to share with you our journey through the books we know and love and share our belief that good food can bring the family together.

Our best ideas and conversations often begin in the kitchen while Sue cooks and Kate 'helps', drinking wine and listening to Donny Osmond. We invite you to enjoy our blog in a similar manner (Donny optional.)

A word from Sue:

I admit it, I am an addict and I have too many cook books. My collection, if it can be called that, ranges from obscure 1950's efforts through worthy healthy eating and vegetarian tomes, to the glossy works of today's TV chefs.

The trouble is, I now have so many that even if there are recipes that I want to keep in my repertoire I can never find them... For years I have maintained a "Do-Do" book of recipes that have met the family's approval. I am up to two volumes but it is never enough.

Kate thinks that a blog is the best way of recording my efforts to weed out the books that are not earning their place on the shelf and build a useful record of the recipes that work.

I am a family cook so I am looking for recipes that are: healthy, hearty and economical; one pot if possible (or easily prepared); and can be adapted to suit particular dislikes, eg cheese (my 18 year old son) and vinegar (Kate).

& A word from Kate:

When I was younger, the only meal I would eat was sausages, pasta and broccoli cooked plain - nothing added except a smidgen of butter. Although things have much improved, I still cannot stand vinegar or mayonnaise and still struggle with most forms of vegetable. For my mum, this must have be exceedingly frustrating, and it is her patience and persistence throughout all my years that has allowed me to enjoy food and become interested in the preparation of our family meals. Most recipes are either vetoed or given the thumbs up by myself or my brother before Mum can even think of putting the dish in front of us, so most of the recipes on this blog will cater to the fussy eater.

Since going to uni in 2010, I have become a much more adventurous and confident cook and have also started to fall in love with baking (rather than just eating the results). Although my collection of cook books is growing, it is a paltry effort when compared with my mother's library of recipe books which have been as integral to my growing up as her actual cooking.