I am a tardy little blogger! 
But here it is. I have had, due to two intercontinental moves in the last five years, cull my cookbook collection drastically on at least 2 occasions. What you see on the shelf represents about 1 /4 of my lifelong collection and only those that made the final cut in May 2004 or that have been recently acquired.
Necessarily they represent only my current cooking frame of mind (for example, my collection of moosewood cookbooks - a staple throughout my university years - was culled in the first intercontinental move in 1999 - a culling I regret now, but seemed right at the time)
If I had to do the intercontinental move again, I would not cull a thing. I am still experiencing that "at loose ends" feeling when I have a vague idea of a recipe I saw in one of my books, and spend a couple of hours flipping through all of them only to conclude it must have been in the copy of Stephanie's Journal that was left behind in Melbourne.
1. Rationale behind what we're seeing?
My cookbooks reside in a cupboard over the kitchen bench. They are mostly the classics and greats I couldn't part with in the last big move, so probably pretty basic stuff, also a few sentimental pieces like the Ukrainian Catholic Women's Guild (of Yorkton) fund raising, self-published cookbook from 1975 (formerly domiciled at my mother's house) and the "Torts and Other Cooked Up Actions" grad fund cookbook from my law school graduating class - containing the best chocolate chip cookie recipe EVER. They are in no particular order on the shelves. My magazines (only Donna Hay made the move with me - she's a trooper, good on ya Donna) are on a shelf above the kitchen counter for ease of access.
2. Most recommended?
Epicurious.com. I love my cookbooks and I love looking through them, But I can't imagine how I ever existed before Epicurious.com.
3. Cookbook that made you what you were?
My mother's dog-eared copy of the Joy of Cooking circa 1960's. When my mum went back to work when I was 8, one of my chores was to cook dinner 2 nights a week. I would sit down with Mum at the kitchen table on Sunday nights after Disney, and pore over the recipes to select what I would make for the upcoming week.
4. Porniest cookbook?
Tetsuya. I love his photos. I love his food. I can't afford to eat at his restaurant. (and couldn't anyway as I don't live in Oz anymore) I just look and drool and dream.
5. Sophie's Choice cookbook?
Sorry. I'm a lawyer. I'm programmed to not answer questions unless am totally sure. I'm also programmed to do my due diligence, so I have made enquiries and will revert with an answer once I am satisfied as to its appropriateness. In the meantime, please sign this waiver.
6. If you were a cookbook, which cookbook would you be?
The Art of the Tart (Tamsin Day Lewis, Daniel Day Lewis's sister)
7. If your cookbook we're extremely valuable, so valuable you might hide it with other valuables, where would that place be?
I love nice things so much that I don't think I could bring myself to hide it at all. I'd be constantly picking it up and flipping through it. I am such a child that every time someone new came to the house, I'd have to pull it out and play show and tell in the same way that my friend's three-year old greets all guests (including the meter man) at the door by announcing, " I have a dog! Do you want to see him? His name is Russ. He's brown but has white feet and he farts a lot".
Again, I don't think I could survive without all my cookbooks!
Posted by: Stephanie | May 20, 2005 at 11:51 AM
What year is the Larousse on the right?
Posted by: anthony | May 21, 2005 at 09:30 PM