Keeping Track of Cookbook Recipes

I have dozens of beautiful cookbooks and I use them all the time. Some of them have provided recipes that are now 'regulars' that we eat fairly often. I've found others that make great potluck dishes or holiday treats.

Since many of these books are so lovely, I can't make written notes in them. I just can't bear the thought of 'writing' in my cookbooks.

BUT, it is important to a) remember those dishes that I've already attempted to make, b) remember anything I did to deviate from the ingredients or steps and c) whether or not we enjoyed that recipe enough to make again.

Using my computer, I make a 'Cheat Sheet' for each of my cookbooks AND an additional running index.

The cheat sheet is one piece of paper (printed from an Excel spreadsheet I created) that lists each recipe I've made in that book, the page it's on, notes, and a rating...10 equals LOVED it and 1 equals hated it. That page is folded to fit and is inserted in between the front cover and the first page of each cookbook.

In addition, I created a 5 column spreadsheet called 'Recipes to Make Again' that lists recipes, recipe categories, quick descriptions, cookbook titles and page numbers. This is a running list that I store on my computer and can open any time. If I'm searching for chicken, I just use my 'Find' feature and I can easily find what I'm looking for. I also like the fact that I can sort by category, cookbook, etc. as needed.

My 'cookbook system' has made it so easy for me to find exactly what I'm looking for and to ensure I don't make a recipe we didn't like...twice.

Comments

[Nancy Rathbone]

My first husband used to complain that I would make a great recipe and then never make it again. It was because I could never find it again. This would have made a difference.

[Rakisha]

For recipes that I find in a magazine or those little supermarket aisle recipe books I scan the pics and type the recipe into my Living Cookbook software program. I've found that I don't need to save the whole book for one or two recipes. I also take advantage of saving recipes online on my favorite websites. I think it's a great idea to track recipes made and to make on a separate sheet, I usually end marking up the index pages in my recipe books.

[Joyce]

I am a cookbook collector and one of the things I find most interesting are the comments someone has written in the books. I will almost always purchase a book that has several notes from the original owner. Don't be afraid to "write" in your books. Someone else may find that extra special.

[Teri]

When I come across a recipe that I find interesting I try it and if I decide that I will make it again I then copy it onto a recipe card to put in my recipe file box, If I don't like it I don't bother copying and then I have only tried and true recipes that I know we like. I also put either one or two asterisks by the recipe to tell me that I have tried it and liked it or not to bother.