I may have mentioned before that I have mixed feelings about doing product or cookbook reviews on the blog. While it may be fun to receive something for free and talk about it, I never want this space to become so commercialized that nearly every post mentions some product, cookbook, etc. Some blogs are all about hawking any and every free item they can get their hands on, but that is not my thing. My personal policy is that I only accept items for review and giveaway only if I would be genuinely interested in the product myself even if it weren’t being offered gratis.
This recipe comes from the cookbook Big Bowl of Love by Christina Ferrare. I had seen some buzz about this cookbook through other blogs who have reviewed it, and it sounded like a good one that would be right up my alley. When I received an email inquiring about a review, I was very happy to oblige. The moment I received my copy, I parked myself on the couch and flipped through the book from cover to cover. Of course the first thing to draw my attention were the beautiful, mouth-watering photos throughout the pages. This didn’t surprise me at all because the photos were taken by the talented Todd Porter and Diane Cu of White on Rice Couple. The contents of the book are in keeping with the title – lots of delicious, homey recipes that would be great for serving to family and friends. The book is well rounded and doesn’t focus on any particular course or cuisine, with categories ranging from appetizers through dessert. It includes everything from classic dishes like deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese, and brownies to more inventive things like caramelized carrot soup with green apples, grilled marinated swordfish steak with mango salsa, and meatballs with spaghetti squash.
Normally when deciding whether or not to purchase a cookbook, my choice ultimately comes down to whether or not I would make the majority of the recipes inside. In this case, the answer is a resounding yes. As with the last cookbook review I did, I decided to figure out the percentage of recipes I would consider making. This time it came out to 73%- a pretty solid number, if you ask me. When choosing a recipe to give the book a test run, my mind of course tended toward typical Annie favorites like mac and cheese, etc. Instead, I decided to try something new and different (at least for me), and make these chicken croquettes stuffed with feta cheese atop a simple Greek salad. These are essentially a ball of chicken and mashed potatoes stuffed with feta cheese. The balls are then breaded and lightly fried. Although they sound a bit involved they were actually pretty easy, and a definite plus is that the croquettes can be shaped in advance and refrigerated until you are ready to coat and fry them. Andrew had a blast helping me coat them in the flour and breadcrumbs, and then ate a shocking amount of vegetables from the cutting board while I prepped the salad. This recipe would obviously be best suited for times when you have leftover chicken and mashed potatoes, but I like it enough to gladly prep those ingredients just for use in this dish.
So, would you like to win a copy of Big Bowl of Love? Well, here’s your chance! To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post telling me what you look for in a cookbook. Great photos? Easy recipes? Detailed instructions? Lots of desserts? I want to hear it!
The Rules: One entry per person, U.S. residents only. Commenting will close on Thursday, May 26 at 10:00 pm, EST. Entries that do not follow the entry requirements will not be considered. One winner will be chosen at random and announced next week. Good luck!
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of Big Bowl of Love in exchange for hosting this review and giveaway. Though this review was sponsored, all of the opinions expressed above are mine alone.
My husband wants cookbooks purely for the pictures. I look for good, budget friendly (usually), basic recipes. And also short, but detailed directions. I have 2 picky eaters: husband, and 3 year old daughter. They only eat the very common dinners such as tacos, mac & cheese, spaghetti; So I look for classic dishes that “secretly” throw in new ingredients.
Wow that looks yummy!! I have to have great pictures in a cookbook — without them I’m much less inclined to try something new!
I look for different things. I am, at first, fascinated by the photos. Especially if they are colorful and make the food look delicious! Then I am tempted to buy a book if the instructions are clear and understandable. But the final component would have to be the recipes. If it is filled with recipes I would enjoy making and eating, I’m sold!
Great giveaway! I agree with your view on reviews etc on blogs. I have unsubscribed from blogs where I feel like this is all there is! Glad your site isn’t like that.
In a cookbook, I look for beautiful photos and a variety of recipes.
Hope I’m lucky for a change :)
if there are pictures for most recipes, i’m sold! i also love when there is a section for one-pot meals. i’m not always in a rush when i cook but when i am, it’s nice to have some go-to quick and easy recipes on hand. with pictures!!
The things I always look for first in a cookbook are the ingredient lists! If I have to go to a thousand speciality stores just to cook one recipe (and it seems to be a recurrent theme) then I know that the cookbook is just not for me!
The thing I look for in a cookbook are easily obtainable ingredients. I hate things that require me to drive to several stores looking for ingredients I’ve never even heard of. Great pictures are a plus as well!
I love flipping through cookbooks to find recipes that my family will enjoy. It has to have pictures with the recipes though or I will not buy it! :)
Ingredients I’m familiar with and pictures that show me what I’m working towards.
I love cookbook with lots of photos. I am more likely to make a recipe if there is a photo!
When looking at new cookbooks I decide whether to buy or not by looking at the photos and the layout of the recipes. If the instructions and ingredients are too cluttered then I know I will have a hard time following it and just give up.
Thanks for hosting this giveaway, those croquettes look amazing!
One requirement for me in cookbooks is pictures, lots of them. That’s why I love food blogs, I get to see a picture of the end product for all recipes!
Annie, I am like you in deciding whether to buy a cookbook or not. I look at how many of the recipes I would actually make. I actually make a list of everything I would like to try, and if it’s the majority, I think it’s definitely worth having!
On a side note the dish you prepared looks wonderful. We just had Greek for dinner tonight, we love it!
In a cookbook I’m looking for ingredients that are familiar and can be found at a standard grocery store. I still get a bit intimidated by the unfamiliar and tend to avoid those recipes altogether! I would love to try this cookbook out!
I like colorful pictures but the recipes have to be good!
I look for different things, easiness of recipe, how many recipes in that book will I use if I purchase, different recipes that are unique in the stuff that we’ve tried the past. our rule in our house is we typically try 1-2 new recipes a week. We love variety and that is the best way to get it.
Who needs a cookbook when you have your blog? heehee. I’m a sucker for the pictures, I can’t bring myself to make something if I don’t know what it looks like!
Great photos will suck me in every time! I have bought many a cookbook simply because I love the pictures of the food but I also look for detailed instructions. There is nothing I hate more than vague instructions that leave me with questions. BTW…your photos are one of the many reasons I love your blog!!
I too look for cookbooks that have beautiful pics and recipes that I would actually make! We love trying new recipes in my household!
Oh yum! I look for recipes that have mostly common ingredients, creativity and of course photos. Love the photos.
I look for a cookbook that has photos for most of the recipes and recipes that don’t have a mile-long ingredients list!
enticing pictures, healthy meal ideas, ingredients i usew, recipes i would actually make
Thanks for the giveaway! If this is a cookbook you like, I am sure that I would like it. I agree with you on choosing a cookbook. A cookbook has to have a lot of recipes that I will try. If the cookbook is filled with a majority of recipes that I will never use, I will put it down even if it has beautiful pictures and rave reviews. I have a couple from famous chefs that I have never made more than one or two recipes from. Now instead of going to alot of my cookbooks, I check with your blog first. :)
I would love a copy! This recipe looks like a salad my husband would actually consider a meal! As far as cookbooks go, I don’t like when they are too busy. I have a certain Food Network cook’s cookbook (R.R.) and it is so busy inside with type everywhere that it gives me a headache to even look at. And, I must admit, great pictures of the food really helps draw me in. But overall, the recipes are the most important factor.
Pictures-I always look at those first before I read the recipe. Since I just started cooking/baking, an easy skill level is important for me too. Thank you so much for the chance to win!
Photos are great in a cookbook!
I look for good photos in a cookbook. I really want to know what the end result is supposed to look like. Beautiful photos also make me WANT to make it.
i love pictures lots of pictures! i want to be able to see what the end product will look like!!
My favorite cookbooks have a lot of vegetarian recipes, or recipes that can easily be adapted to vegetarian, and great pictures.
Simple recipes (ones that done require 500 ingredients one normally doesnt have)
GREAT photos (photos get me all the time)
Other than that, I love cookbooks all around!!
I’d like a picture of each recipe and instructions that are easy to follow. I also look for user-friendly ingredients that I can easily pick up at my local grocery store.
Any hints or suggestions re: shelf life, storage, and leftover prep are great as I cook one night and am too weak at math (and lasy!) to fraction proper serving sizes!
Great giveaway! I love the pictures first but like to see personal information included. Like did the recipe come from a grandparent? The cover of this book is good, it sparks an interest to pick up the book! Who doesn’t like a nice fresh salad?
I look for recipes that use ingredients that are easy to find and not too fancy
I really like pictures in cookbooks…the pictures are usually what captures my attention and makse me want to try something!
I like to have ingredients I can find in any supermarket, nothing fancy or shmancy…Easy to prepare and not taking a year to make…tasty and full of flavor and easy on the pocketbook too..something that everyone in my family will nibble on and for me ingredients that are healthy nothing with anything added that will make it taste off and also food that looks tasty and crisp…..
Pictures, pictures, pictures! I’m a very visual person, so the photos are important to help me figure out what I’m making.
I need pictures. I am a very visual person. So if some recipes in a cookbook don’t have photos, those never get made!!
I love new ideas in a cookbook yet I tend to make classic recipes a lot. Creativity is always a plus when reading a cookbook :)
I love detailed photographs to help me see what my dish needs to look like at different stages.
WHen I look for a cookbook I make sure they have fantastic photos and easy to undesratnd recipes. NOthing too complicated but enough for any tom, dick or harry to understand.
My wonderful mother-in-law (who passed away some months ago) and shared a love of great cookbooks. She didn’t cook much, but liked to read them like novels! lol! My cookbooks, on the other hand, look like they’ve been through a war because I use them so much! I look for ones with great pictures – I like pics for each recipe! After all, we eat first with our eyes, right? :o)
I look for recipes with ingredients I have at home and that are readily available in my area. I also look for simplicity in at least a good deal of the recipes – I just don’t have time to make complex recipes everyday.
I do find that pictures are extremely useful though – it helps in determining whether or not I have the proper finished product!
I look for ingredients that are easy to get and use when choosing a cookbook. I also usually prefer cookbooks that include recipes for all categories. I can search online for a specific recipe in if I know what I want, but I enjoy cookbooks for when I am looking for inspiration for dinner or side dishes, etc.
I thought pics were important til I bought Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything” and it became my fave cookbook. Now I know I need many recipes that utilize the ingredients that my family will eat, that are easy to follow, and consistently produce good results!
I love a cookbooks with lots of photos. And easy recipes.
I’m a sucker for a cookbook with lots of beautiful photography and stories, like Rebecca Rather’s cookbooks. I enjoy flipping through and deciding what to make. These days with three kids under five, I’m mainly drawn to delicious recipes with either minimum prep or prep that can be done ahead in stages.
I look for pictures and the “type” of food. This one looks great! Thanks for the giveaway!
Great recipes with no fussiness. Photos are a must!
When I’m considering purchasing a cookbook, I generally want it to be written by someone I trust to have taste similar to mine. And I want the ingredients to be easily acquired.
I like to flip through and make sure I’d actually make the majority of the book’s recipes also! I have picky eaters, so I’m very choose-y with cookbooks. This looks like a good one!
I love to see how the photos look before testing the meal. I’d rather a dessert cookbook, everything just is too drool over !
I have so many cookbooks that when choosing any new ones I am incredibly picky. I like books that are visually appealing with interesting takes on preparing and serving foods. I especially love cookbooks that offer plating suggestions. For desserts, I always prefer books with photos of the finished recipe.
Like you, I look for cookbooks that contain mostly recipes that I’m likely to try. However, I like to have a few unique recipes mixed in as well, as those are often the most inspiring. Great photos with most of the recipes is definitely a bonus, as well!
I love cookbooks that have a little bit of a story to them – like Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cookbook. To me it’s very fascinating to learn why people cook and eat the way they do.
I always look for short ingredient lists and great pictures!
I look for great pictures in a cookbook so I know what the recipe is supposed to turn out like. I also look for recipes that are not too complicated.
I look for two main things in a cookbook (aside from recipes that sound like I’d enjoy them): good pictures (so I know what my finished result SHOULD look like) and relatively-easy-to-find ingredients. I don’t live in an area that has a lot of exotic ingredients, so recipes need to be something I can actually make!
Great photos are a must! I want to know what I’m cooking :)
I like being able to see what the meal will look like, so the pictures in a cookbook are the biggest selling point.
I look through the recipes and make sure they look like something that I would enjoy and something that I would actually make.
I love good pictures in a cookbook. I like seeing what the end result should look like. I also like ingredients that are easily found and instructions that are detailed.
Cooking for one most of the time ~ looking for easy prep, economical ingredients and leftovers are a bonus I prefer great photos, but not mandatory. When cooking for company, I pull out all the stops, if I can afford.
I want something new, something I havent tried before, but most of the ingredients must be familiar. I love looking through the pictures and deciding what the first meal will be from a new cookbook. I could spend hours at williams sonoma’s cookbook counter!
I like cookbooks that have good classic recipes with “normal” ingredients – nothing that I can’t find except online (since I don’t live in a big city with a whole lot of selection). Great photos are also very helpful since I am big on presentation – if it doesn’t look good, who wants to even try it!!
I love a cookbook with a picture for every recipe but I must say that after reading your blog, I bought my first cookbook with very few pictures (The New Best Recipe). I love it because it explains so many things with tons of detail and really helps me learn to be a better cook. Thanks for the great blog….I look forward to the days with posts and have shared your site with many of my friends. We are all trying to figure out how you do it all….you are amazing. We all LOVED the cookies you just did for the wedding. My best friend and I are going to have a cookie making day with our kids this summer and try to teach ourselves and them how to decorate like you do….cross your fingers!!
This recipe is right up my alley, love greek salad and love feta! I always like easy recipes that are good for the whole family. I’m looking forward to trying this cookbook.
Any cookbook I buy HAS to have plenty of full color photos. Otherwise, I think it’s more like reading a textbook. Photos are a must! One of the many reasons I love your blog!
Pictures! The pictures totally win me over!
i look for lots of desserts/baked goods, simple food (i would starve at a fancy-smancy restaurant)and big beautiful pictures.
I look for gorgeous pictures and yummy recipes. I also try to find things that I would make often and don’t seem too involved. I have enough cookbooks with great recipes but that are so time consuming or involve ingredients that I need to purchase especially for one or two recipes. I need to now round out my collection with things that I would make on a weekly basis.
I look for great pictures and ease of recipes. The pictures are the most important though!
I’m a sucker for good photography… and bonus if there are step-by-step photos of the recipe coming together.
I definitely want to see a picture of the finished product, but I also want a recipe with easily found ingredients.
I look for recipes I’d like to make, & coherent instructions. I’m an experienced cook, & should be able to read a recipe & then just take quick looks while I’m actually cooking. A friend gave me a book that is so over-written that I can hardly follow a recipe while cooking. If I struggle through something & like it, I rewrite it so it’s more user-friendly.
I always look for easy and FAST recipes.
I look for photos along with the recipe as that assists me in knowing what the final product should look like. Also I like to ensure that some of the recipes are those that I know the products, ingredients, etc., or else it scares me away :)
I love cookbooks with great photos. I want to know if my final product looks like it’s supposed to! :)
I read cookbooks like novels. Love the pictures. I like family friendly recipes that don’t take too long to make but still taste great!
I love great pictures and easy healthy recipes but I really buy all kinds!! Cookbookaholic right here!! ;)
In a cookbook, I look for new ideas using fresh ingedients.
I like pictures! I want to know what it is supposed to look like when I’m done!
I like photos and recipes that don’t call for 1,000 different ingredients!
The first thing that i look for in a cookbook are pantry ready ingredients. I like being able to whip up meals with ingredients that are already on hand.
Photos are key in my cookbook selection. While I perfectly capable of cooking recipes without a picture, a cookbook packed with photos will result in me flipping through it over and over.
Easy-to-read formatting!!! Beautiful pictures help too.
When looking at a cook book, like yourself I look to see if I would ACTUALLY prepare more than half the dishes in the book. Recently (now that I am pregnant with our first baby) I have been on a mission to find recipes that I can quickly and easily make and the WHOLE family will enjoy! Right now the little gal in my belly enjoys mostly everything mommy eats, but we both know in time she will be as picky as the next! Let’s hope she shares the love of food just like her mommy!
Thanks for the opportunity!
I look for recipes that use common ingredients, ones that I either have at home already or that I know are used often and I wont be wasting the leftover from one recipe…I also love great pictures!
I love recipes with photos and easy to follow recipes.
I love great photos. I don’t mind complicated recipes but recipes that can be followed. After spending money for ingredients and the time to prepare something, I want the recipe to come out right.
I always need to have beautiful pictures in cookbooks. It sounds silly, but I don’t really want to put time into making something that I don’t know what it looks like!
I first look at the pictures to see if anything draws me in. Then I am like you and want to make sure that the majority of the recipes are something I would make, otherwise it is not worth the money or shelf space for a few recipes. I also like it when there is detailed instructions, the hardest part is know if you have the right consistencies or when something is done.
I look for great pictures and recipes that are unique and easy to follow.
I love this cook! She is awesome and so is her show on the Oprah OWN channel! What do I look for in a cookbook? Honestly, the same thing you look for… which is the answer of YES, YES DEFINITELY to the question, “Will I really make these recipes?” I scan the title of the recipe, then the ingredients list. If both of those grab my interest, then I check out the instructions to see if I think I could manage how long it would take to make the recipe. Mostly though I like a cookbook with tons of new ideas that I have not tried before and that sound yummy for my family. I am sure this cookbook has tons of those! I’d looove to win this!
I look for a ratio of more recipes than great photos in a cookbook. I don’t splurge very often on a cookbook, so I’m looking for a great “bang” for my buck! I also look for detailed instructions. For example,I look for the heat setting on the stove, rather than just the time of cooking. The writer shouldn’t assume the reader is as experienced as he/she is in cooking.
I look for easy to follow and appealing recipes.
I am a Cookbook Junkie, yes I must confess…….why? New ideas for the same old ingredients……I glance through and see what titles catch my eye and then read that recipe and then if it has a great picture that is the bouns that seals the deal……I need more book shelves but I would make room for this one!
Love your blog!
I LOVE great photo’s in a cookbook! I feel that if you see something that looks amazing you are more likely to make it than a bad photo or no photo :) I also love easy to read instructions on how to make it!
I definitely love a cookbook with photos of the recipes. It’s what first captures my desire to make (or not make) something! But, the cookbook must also have a majority of recipes that my four kids and (sorta fussy) husband will eat!
I look for a combination of photos and detailed directions in a cookbook….something that makes it impossible for me to mess up!
I look for delicious photos AND ingredients that are readily available!
I’m a sucker for good photos and for recipes that fit on ONE page of a cookbook.
I always look for recipes I’ve never seen before with easy to understand instructions; especially step by step pictures.
As others have mentioned, pictures, pictures, pictures! I like to see a picture fornevery single recipe. I also look at the writing style. I prefer s bit of commentary mingled in with my recipes. I like hearing what the author thinks about the recipe and if they have tips for preparing food.
Looks like a good one! Like you, I tend to see how many recipes I would realistically make before buying a cookbook.
When I look at a cookbook, I look for easy to follow and “normal” ingredients and great photos always help. I love new dessert recipes.
The first I consider before purchasing a cookbook is — are there photos for every recipe — I want to instantly know if I would consider making a recipe by the photo. Then I look at the list of ingredients. The second thing I consider is how many would I realistically make. I have 2 mildly picky eaters to cook for and of course what they won’t eat doesn’t match up! So recipes have to have ingredients that are either acceptable or disquisable. Occasionally, I purchase a cookbook because it’s filled with so many dishes that I personally love that I can’t resist!
i think the most important thing in a cookbook is pictures! if the picture is appealing, it is going to make the recipe be much more appealing and make me want to cook it asap!!
I really need STEP BY STEP picture instructions, I’m always thinking “Does this look like it’s supposed to…?”, having a visual guide is key for me!
I like easy recipes with accessible ingredients. I don’t want to search all over for an ingredient I will only use for one recipe.
I am a sucker for beautiful food photography! In fact, I find myself only making recipes that have a picture with them!
Nothing better than a good cookbook!! My favorites are the recipes that do not require to many ‘odd’ ingredients and that have a picture!
Great photos and easy to follow instructions
My favorite recipe books are ones that read like a narrative. When deciding whether or not to buy I look at length of recipe, ease to make and how many will I try.
Annie, I’m glad I’m not the only one who does crazy cookbook math! I only buy if I know I will make more than 60% of the recipes – or if there is some ungodly chocolate dessert that makes me need to buy the book immediately!
I like a lot of recipes for the money! I also like pictures, but they aren’t necessary. I check out the author because I watch a lot of cooking shows and am familiar with many cooks/chefs! Christina had her own family type talk show several years ago and I was an avid fan. she did a lot of cooking on that show of which i have some of those recipes. I have watched her show on oprah’s network and have downloaded several recipes. Cookbooks are good readers for me. At night i will thumb thru a cookbook and plan my meals for that week. Some months i will pick a cookbook from my collection and use it only for several weeks, making myself try new things and new food items. I love to cook and I love COOKBOOKS!!
I look for cookbooks where I have access to the ingredients, the ingredients can’t be too expensive, and I love to look at the pictures! It is so great when there is a picture to go with every recipe.
I like pictures and recipes that are easy to follow!
I look for recipes with ingredients I can find easily in my small town.
Pictures pictures pictures! And precise directions, especially if I’m trying a new dish or ingredient.
Photos! Photos are the first thing I look at to see if it grabs my attention. Next is ingredients. If I can’t buy the ingredients at my local grocery store, it is not worth my time.
I also love great photos, but the most important thing is if the recipe sounds like something I would like to eat.
photos (to make sure what i made looks semi like it should!) and good instructions.
I love a cookbook that is easy to navigate, but most importantly it has to contain recipes that my family would eat, and that I can prepare in 30 min or less (even if it bakes for an hour or two, as long as my prep part is limited… I’ll cook it).
I’m looking for recipes that require less than 45 minutes to prepare and are made with simple and seasonal ingredients.
Pictures draw me in, but if the recipes have a bundle of ingredients that I never have in the house, that’s a deal-breaker. I like pretty common ingredients and well written instructions to go along with the pretty pictures :)
i look for easy to read and follow recipes!
What I look for in a cookbook is variety. I want something that has it all, great pictures, lots of different types of dishes: pasta, salads, desserts, curries, and a variety of protein sources.
I look for several things in a cookbook. First, it needs to have recipes that have ingredients that are available in my grocery stores (in Iowa). I also like cookbooks that include pictures. Finally, it seems obvious, but it has to include recipes of food that my family and I would like to eat!
I look first for pictures – the more, the better! Second, I look at the ingredients – can I obtain them easily? I would love to win this cookbook!
I love great pictures! That cookbook sounds fantastic.
Lately, I’m on the lookout for healthy recipes in particular. I’m always won over by a cookbook with great and bountiful photos!
I initially look at the photos; I love the look of fabulous food. Then, I skim the recipes for easy, low cost, kid-friendly recipes.
I look for recipes that are not too involved and use ingredients we have on hand…nothing too fancy but appealing to all of my family
I love cookbooks for their recipes and pictures, because if I don’t see what It could look like how else will I know how it would look when I make it. Also, I like healthy things for my family. I find things that will suit to their taste buds and also to their health. Also, I LOOOOOOVVVVEEE to bake, so any cookbook with a great section on desserts it good for me, even if there are only a few of them, as long they are good recipes that we will love!
Thanks Annie! :)
I like cookbooks that have a variety of recipes and lots of step-by-step instructions. I like to see quick meals and also some that may take a day of cooking that I can do on the weekend.I also like easy salad dressing recipes and maybe some unique dessert recipes as well.
I look for a cookbook that I would want to make a majority of the recipes. I usually try to check them out from the library first & then put post it notes on recipes I’d like to try. If the book is full of post its, then I buy it!
I like a cookbook with lots of photos…it makes me more likely to try something new. Also, it needs to have a lot of recipes that I am willing to try.
I love a cookbook w/ easy recipes and detailed instructions. Pictures are great too. I am not much of a cook but am trying. My husband and I work late so easy and quick recipes are great for us.
Lots of photos are great! I also love it when cookbooks realize that I don’t have a crew doing dishes for me, and use reasonable number of bowls, etc.
I love when cookbooks offeralternatives for the ingredients…for example, swapping out chicken for pork or adding in extra veggies. I often cook backwards and look at recipes AFTER I go grocery shopping so ingredient swaps are very helpful so I can use what I have in my pantry and fridge!
For me, a cookbook has to have a good balance of healthy and meatless options. If every recipe has loads of sugar or uses 8 slices of bacon, I never make them. And the more pictures of the finished product, the better.
I look for plenty of pictures and, like you, I check to see if a majority of the recipes are something I would be interested in making.
I like pictures for EVERY recipe!
Detailed instructions… and LOTS of desserts. Both of these are a BIG +! I also like to see new recipes that are not the same old same old!
Lots of pics!
The amount of recipes that appeal to me, quality photos, reputable source, concise instructions… those are usually the most important features I look for when picking out a cookbook. :)
I actually look at the ingredients for recipes. If they are things that our family likes and that I have on hand or would buy often, I’m more likely to buy the cookbook because I know I’ll use it:) Thanks for the giveaway!
I LOVE a cookbook with lots of pictures!
I look for ingredients that I either would normally already have in the house or that would be easy to get from the store. None of the obscure foods that are only sold in specialty stores in Manhattan!
I love a cookbook that has pictures, that is the first thing I look for. Then I like to make sure it has a wide range of recipes. It’s nice when there are some more fun and involved recipes but also some quicker ones that are great for weeknights. I also like to make sure that the majority of recipes have ingredient lists that are not too long and that don’t include items that are difficult to find.
Like you, I only choose cookbooks where the majority of the recipes interest/intrigue me. With so many other formats from which to collect recipes, the last thing I need is more cookbooks laying around collecting dust. The pictures are also very important, and what normally pulls me in to begin with! I can “read” a cookbook from cover to cover, especially if the pictures are enticing!
I love fresh produce & healthy recipes. The photos give me an idea of what the finished product should look like. I look for recipes that will tempt my grandkids into trying something new & expanding their taste in food in many directions. Your recipes that you post seem to work every time. Thanks so much.
I always look for easy step by step instructions – minimal steps and ingredients are a plus!
Photos and a large number of recipes I would actually make!
Thanks for the opportunity with this giveaway! In a cookbook, I love when ingredients used in recipes are fairly common and/or easy to find.
Great photos because I want to see what it looks like and easy recipes because I don’t have a lot of time to cook.
I, too, look for cookbooks that I know I will make a large number of the recipes from! I have too many cookbooks that I’ve made one or two things from and then they sit in the cabinet.
Photos can be a make or break of the cookbook! Nothing says award-winning, go-to cookbook like mouth watering photos that beg you to make the recipes!
The blog is great Annie, thanks for your gorgeous photos and wonderful recipes!
I love thumbing through a good cookbook…even if I’m not looking for anything in particular! My favorites have colorful pictures and ingredients I love :-)
I NEED pictures in a cookbook!
I tend to look for recipes with ingredients I already have in my kitchen. However, if there is a recipe that really sounds intriguing to me, I will get the necessary ingredients if I don’t have them. :)
I love pictures, I feel it helps us “beginners” better understand the steps and what our meal should look like.
I definitely like to see photos for most recipes because I like to see what it should look like before I make it.
I look for a simple ingredient list with lots of great photos! I can usually flip through a cookbook and know within a minute if it is worth buying!
I look for pictures and easy instructions. This way while I am making the dish I can compare what my food looks like to the pictures to make sure it comes out correctly.
Great glossy, pictures, step by step instructions, a binding that lays flat!
Gorgeous photography, easy to follow receipes, a bounty of simple receipes with everyday items, a few “hey-I-need-to-get-bold-and-try-this” receipes and a book where the person authoring the book actually seems to enjoy cooking and does not preach or talk down to me like I’m a complete fool for not having Harissa and Miso paste in my pantry.
I like lots of pictures, so I know exactly what I’ll be cooking, as well as detailed instructions so there are no mishaps along the way. I also like a good mix of recipes of ones that I know I would love and want to try a lot as well as some recipes that would be a little out of my cooking “comfort zone.” Great giveaway!
When I’m checking out a cookbook, I look for the whole package. I love great photos to really catch my attention and interesting recipes that don’t sound overwhelming. And, just like you, I won’t buy a cookbook unless I’m sure I’ll actually make more than half of the recipes in it… no sense in having a cookbook that I use for only one or two recipes! :)
This recipe looks amazing! Yummmy–Love a delicious Greek salad! I love a cookbook with amazing photos, but the recipes need to be simple enough to whip up for a weeknight dinner. However, more involved recipes can always be saved for a lovely weekend meal. I also love a dessert cookbook with mouthwatering photos–I have a sweet tooth like no other! :)
I usually only buy cookbooks that have full color photos for the majority of the recipes.
I generally don’t purchase a cookbook without great photos, but I also look for prep time/cook time for each recipe. :-)
I am all about the detailed directions and pictures!
I love cookbooks with great pictures. If the recipes are quick and easy, that’s an added bonus.
I look for great pictures and instructions that are easy to follow!
Vegetarian recipes (most of my cookbooks aren’t specifically vegetarian, but if EVERY recipe has meat, I steer clear), lots of vegetables, interesting-sounding recipes I haven’t seen a million other places
I love good pictures but I look for easy, healthy recipes, that are not expensive. I get frustrate when a cookbook contains tons of healthy recipes but they all cost an arm and a leg to make.
I love cookbooks with great pictures. I like to see what I am striving for when I cook something. I also like recipes that don’t take a hundred ingredients to make.
I usually look for recipes that can either be made ahead and then used later in the week (or day) or ones that have short ingredient lists but still use very little processed foods. Right now, being able to cook with a 3 year old helping is a big factor, since my little one loves to help out in the kitchen. I also love when cookbooks are organized by season.
I look for ingredients in the recipes that my whole family would eat, not just more adventurous me, which in turn means that I’d actually make those recipes. Like you, it has to be a book that I would try a majority of the recipes. I also like a lot of details!
People eat with their eyes first so I definitely enjoy a cookbook with great pictures! Also cookbooks that include simple yet delicious recipes.
I look for two things in a cookbook. The first thing is for lots of pictures! I think it’s important to be able to see the finished product so you know what you’re working towards. I second thing I look for is ingredients that I have heard of. If I haven’t heard of it- it’s probably hard to find or expensive so it turns me off to the book a little.
I always look for food I would make. And pretty pictures.
Hi Annie :) I usually look for great photos, honestly. That helps me the most and it’s lovely to look at.
I love pictures in a cookbook. Simple recipes are also a plus.
I like lots of pictures with personal stories and lots of apps & entrees.
I really like cookbooks that have a photo for each recipe. I know that means a lot of work and money for the author and publisher but they are just so helpful.
I definitely love a cookbook with detailed instructions. I like to make sure there is no possible way that I can screw the recipe up!
My cookbooks have to have pictures and I try to keep it simple. I want the ingredients to be things I keep stocked in or buy regularly, and the techniques used need to be things I know how to do or can learn quickly. I save the crazy recipes for nights with friends where the whole evening is devoted to making food. :)
In addition to easy to find ingredients, I also look for recipes that do not have too many ingredients. I’m not necessarily into “easy” recipes, but for me, too many ingredients will likely cause me not to want to make the dish in the future. And I’m always looking for dishes to add to my permanent repertoire!
I love pictures in a cook book but also easy recipes I’d actually make on week nights.
I look for pictures. I like to know what the recipe is supposed to look like.
I won’t lie, I’m a sucker for pretty photographs. It helps me see what the finished product *should* look like, and it’s always more enticing than just reading the recipe.
I look for a cookbook that includes recipes that are easy to make with everyday ingredients.
I of course look for a cookbook that has lots of good recipes, but I also look for photos of the dishes.
I look for a recipe that has fresh healthy ingredients and will be simple and satisfying to my family. I love to cook but don’t have all day to spend in the kitchen.
The first thing I look for in a cookbook are great pictures. If the food doesn’t look good, who would want to eat it? The next thing I look for is the use of basic ingredients in new ways. A new great chicken recipe is always on my list of must haves and a bonus if they are budget friendly.
Things I look for in a cookbook, in no particular order:
1. Gorgeous photos
2. Recipes that make my stomach rumble
3. Recipes that are not overly complicated, take many hours or days, or have such exotic ingredients that they need to be ordered on the internet– no thanks!
4. “Homey” recipes– ones that make me feel warm, comforted, etc.
5. Cookbooks that offer history and/or personal antecdotes about the author’s experiences with food
:)
I love cookbooks that contain simple, fast recipes with ingredients already on hand! I work too much to be able to tackle complex dinners on weeknights!
I love bright pictures and clear, step by step instructions that break down the process for me.
I try not to get too drawn in by the fancy covers and amazing photos in cookbooks. I try to find ones that contain easy recipes with ingredients I don’t have to special order or buy one time just to make a recipe.
I look for great pictures and easy recipes I also love fast ones being a working mom I need good and fast recipes :D
Hi! Like you, I first look to see how many of the recipes I would try. Then, I look at the pictures. I definitely need a “finished product” photo, but also like a series of pictures so I know what what I am doing is right.
I always look for recipes that contain ingredients that are easy to find and readily available in my area. I know I won’t bother making the recipes if there are too many with odd and unusual ingredients.
I look for great photos, easy to read instructions and simple ingredients(which is the first thing I really look at!) I look for recipes with ingredients I know I have on hand all the time, not strange off the wall spices and herbs or other ingredients that I have to buy special and might only use once.
I look for cookbooks that don’t repeat the same recipes I have seen over and over again. I love when a recipe is a twist on an old favorite. When a book includes menu ideas that is also a plus. Photos are also great!
a combination of recipes that are fairly easy (because with three young kids, I need easy most of the time) and ones that are going to be a challenge for me, using ingredients I know we like and can get access to.
I have a major weakness for cookbooks of any kind, but what I look for most when I am purchasing is how many of the recipes would I truly make.
This looks like a great cookbook!
I like cookbooks with great photos! I am probably 100 times more likely to make a recipe that has a photo than one without. It’s also a great plus if the ingredients are affordable and easy to find.
I look for a cookbook that has great pictures, easy to follow directions, and ingrediants that are easy to find!
I look for great photos (I never make something if there is no photo) and ingredients I can find. I’m not scared of recipes that have a million steps, but I don’t want to have to search more than 2 stores for the ingredients!
I like when there are pretty pictures, and I really appreciate when they estimate how many calories are in a serving of their recipes. But the make-or-break for me is just the feeling I get from looking at the recipes; if I feel the urge to make a lot of the recipes as soon as I see them, then I’ll buy the cookbook.
I’ll be honest. In order of importance, when I look through a cookbook: easy recipes/ingredients, good pictures. I don’t usually attempt recipes that take too long or have ingredients that I can’t usually find (or ones that are extremely expensive).
I think I’ve been so spoiled by the blogging world that now I expect all of my cookbooks to have fantastic photos of every recipes. At the same time though, I still treasure my mom’s old cookbooks that contain nothing but type writer looking printed recipes.
I give in to great photography. Progressive images are wonderful too in more complicated adventures. Sometimes I am just not sure what I am cooking is correct.
I look for photos! I will almost ALWAYS buy a cookbook that has a photo for each recipe. My boyfriend’s father, who never goes out to dinner, says he does so because he likes to see what he’s eating before he orders it.. I like to think this has influenced my cookbook decision making.
This cookbook sounds awesome! I usually like cookbooks that do have a lot of nice pictures (I like to know what I’m making is supposed to look like in the end!) and simple recipes… I’m still in college so it’s great when something only calls for mixing and a few ingredients!
I am a sucker for a pretty picture. Thanks!
I love cookbooks with lots of pictures…I always eat with my eyes first :)
For me, it needs photos to draw me in but then I need recipes that don’t require too many “hard to find” ingredients but are for new dishes that I don’t already have a million recipes for.
I think the first thing I always look for in a cook book is good pictures, I really prefer a picture of each dish. Something about seeing it really helps set my mind as to if I want to make it. I also enjoy books that are well rounded, meaning they offer more than just comfort food or heavy dishes, I like to see fresh new ideas for salads and new techniques for cooking.
I am way more inclined to buy/use a cookbook with great pictures. I rarely make a recipe without knowing what it looks like when finished. Love your blog!
I look for unique recipes that I otherwise couldn’t find online, in other places, etc.
When looking for a new cookbook, I look at a few different things; does it have a good amount of recipes I’ll actually use, does it have photos (I prefer photos of the entire process, but at least having one of finished product works as well), does it have extra tips and how-to’s of techniques for doing more complicated things, etc. A well rounded cookbook is a good book in my opinion :)
Pictures, pictures, and more pictures. I rarely make a recipe without seeing the end product.
I love cookbooks that have pictures of the finished products, so I at least know what it’s SUPPOSED to look like.. even though mine don’t always come out the same :)
love this giveaway & your blog! thank you!
When I buy a cookbook I look for something that has recipes out of my comfort zone (something I would never think of making on a regular night) yet are still accessible and easy to make.
I love cookbooks that have really interesting flavor ideas that I couldn’t come up with on my own. I don’t usually use recipes, so I like cookbooks that provide more inspiration, or teach unique skills and tips. I would love to win this!
I’m big on photos (so I can compare my finished product with how it’s supposed to look!), and love step-by-step recipes. :) Thank you for the giveaway!
I look for doable recipes that my family will enjoy and LOTS of pictures. It has to look appetizing! :) Sometimes if there is something I have never made before, I need to know where I’m going, and a picture does that. I usually stick with the cookbook authors I love: Ina, Martha, Giada…because they include pictures and you know they are always going to be fantastic. There are blogs I follow (like this one) that I know I can count on the same. Thanks for an opportunity to win a cookbook you actually cook from! :)
Janis
I need lots of pictures!! After that I agree with you – I have to want to make more recipes than not.
Like you, I look for the cookbook to contain recipes that inspire me to get in the kitchen! I like to flip page after page and be filled with tremendous indecision as tho which recipe to make first! Big, glossy, beautiful pictures of each dish are a great bonus :-)
Great pictures get me everytime. How can I turn down a cookbook that has yummy looking food? I hate when cookbooks only have a picture on the cover. Give me one with a picture for each recipe!
Honestly, I hardly make a recipe if there isn’t a picture attached. I am a visual person, which is probably why most of my recipes are from food blogs or cookbooks with lots of pictures!
I typically look for cookbooks with recipes that I would actually make and sound appetizing – Although I do love a good cookbook full of gorgeous photos!
When looking for a cookbook, I like one with lots of yummy looking photos. I also look for recipes I think I could/would make.
A great cookbook must have lots of photos. I like to see what the end product looks likes before I make it. Also, I definitely eat with my eyes first :)
I love good pictures in a cookbook. I like to know how things will look when they’re finished. Not that my results always look like the pictures, though! I wish! lol I also like recipes that don’t have a long ingredient list.
Great photos are a must for my cookbooks. I like to see what my end product will (should) look like instead of cooking “blindly.”
I like great photos and lots of them because ultimately, the photo is what draws me to a recipe. I also look at how complicated the recipes are because while I’d love to spend hours on making a great meal, it’s just not reality with 3 young boys.
First thanks for the croquette recipe. I was toying with that idea. I’ll view it as a sign.
Secondly, I am all about the photos. I almost always choose to try a new recipe because of the way it looks. In fact, as a gift 3 years ago, I got a cookbook by a celebrity chef whose recipes I love. There are probably 20 pictures in the whole book. Recipes I’ve made? Zero!
Pictures are a must, especially if its a recipe for something I’ve never heard of. Availability of ingredients matters a lot too, since I live in the boondocks lol. If more than one or two recipes call for things I know I can’t purchase without ordering online, I usually skip the book.
I like pictures and lots of them! It’s hard to tell if i’m going to like stuff unless I can see a picture.
Great pictures are always good to look at and to help gauge if the recipes look good to eat. Also if there’s a recipe(s) that I or someone I know has tried and enjoyed, that helps too. I tried a few recipes from Zuni Cafe that were published in Saveur that were so amazing that I bought the cookbook, which if you don’t already have I highly recommend. I haven’t made a lot from it yet because my husband and I keep craving the mock porchetta or the amazing roast chicken and bread salad.
I LOVE cookbooks… typically I like ones with lots of pictures because you eat with your eyes after all! I like books that have challenging recipes, but not something so difficult I’m going to be in the kitchen for hours.
I look at the pictures…. :)
I like cookbooks that have recipes I would normally use for my family, nothing too fussy or pretentious. Also, I like recipes that include ingredients I can find in my local grocery store; hunting the internet for specialty ingredients is not fun when I want to eat NOW :)
I really like pictures in my cookbooks, but a nice description of the recipe is a good substitute if there are no pics.
Beautiful photography of each recipe is a must!
I’m with everyone else on the importance of pictures. The other thing that I tend to look or are new ideas, especially for dinner parties. I love to try new things!
I definitely appreciate a color photo with the finished product of most, if not all, recipes. I also like directions that are written out w/ a single step (or a couple of very similar steps) per paragraph so that it’s easy to keep track of my progress.
I NEED photos for each recipe. The recipe may sound good, but unless I have a photo, I rarely will try something new. That is what does it for me!
Looks great! I have to have great pictures and easy recipes. I love cookbooks and collect as many as I can!
I look out for pictures first…then the number of dessert recipes…then it doesn’t hurt if the recipes are nice and detailed.
I’m always looking for easier recipes for weeknight cooking, and they can’t have unusual ingredients because my family has a couple of pickier eaters.
When I purchase a cookbook I’m looking for common sense and straighforward instruction, helpful (and preferably colorful) photos, and easily accessible recipes. I love gourmet food, but typically don’t have the time or money to cook that way all the time. I like recipes that aren’t too flashy, and don’t call for a ton of special or odd ingredients. Keep it simple!
I choose a cookbook by the cover!!!! :)
I look for common ingredients in the recipes.
I look for pictures and the amount of recipies in the book I would actually want to make.
I am a visual person, too. Love pictures. I watch Christina’s cooking show. Her recipes are so quick and easy.
Since I am a visual learner, I am totally inspired to make all things that have fantastically vivid photos. Photos are a must for me in a cook book!
I LOVE cookbooks that have lots of photos. I like to see what my dish should look like when complete. Although, its very rare that my photos look anywhere near the cookbook image. But I can try right? I also like recipes that don’t have an entire grocery list of ingredients. Can’t wait!
With a 3 yr. old and a 9 month old I’m always looking for recipes that are full of flavor without being too involved.
Mouthwatering pictures are a must for me in a good cookbook. The pictures are what really inspire me.
Pictures of every recipe are a must! I never end up making the photo-less recipes.
I like pictures and I like easy. I can find enough involved recipes on the internet, it’s simple I have the problem with!
Other than great photos, I also like to make sure that the majority of recipes include ingredients and combinations that I like and I like to make sure that I will actually want to make most of the recipes in the book.
I look for great photos and easy recipes, bonus if the recipes have little stories/introductions attached to them. I love cookbooks and will sit and flip through them for entertainment, like I’m reading a novel.
Pictures and easy to follow instructions. I also skim the ingredients to see if I am familiar with a lot of the items.
I have to have really great photos (lots of them!) in a cookbook. I want to see what it looks like to know if I want to make it :)
I like cookbooks that have nice photos and simple fonts. The recipes can be complicated, but the instructions need to be broken down and easy to read! Thanks!
I love looking at the pictures. Generally if there is no picture I have a hard time trying the recipe. I also look for “user-friendly” recipes that I don’t have to buy 80 ingredients for.
PS I LOVE your blog!
I like cookbooks with a variety of recipes – a range of level of difficulty, ingredients, etc. Sometimes I like a challenge, other times I just want to get something on the table, ASAP! Thanks for the great giveaway!
Great giveaway! Like you, I look for recipes that I want to make. While pictures are nice, they are not a necessity for me – I’d rather have great recipes and detailed instructions/stories from the author.
I love pictures, pictures, pictures. There’s just something nice about having a good visual of what you are making.
I look for a picture to go along with (almost) every recipe and for recipes that I will actually be able to prepare and will want to eat! I’m a rather picky eater and don’t have a lot of experience with cooking, so anything that is either simple and easy to make, or that looks enticing enough to help me get over my timidness in the kitchen is a winner!
I love a cook book that have color full pictures,that uses pantry staples and easy to follow steps. Meal ideas to satisfy a family of 6 picky eaters.
I always look for good photos and detailed recipes when I look for a new cookbook. I love pictures (and I want to make sure what I create looks somewhat similar), and I’m still learning my way around a kitchen, so detailed instructions are a must!
Pictures! Don’t give me a recipe without a picture of the result!
I love cookbooks – I have a huge collection. I look for nice pictures, recipes for things I’ve never made before, and ideas on how to present the food in fun ways. My family likes trying new things, so I’m always looking for unique new ideas to make dinnertime fun for all of us. :)
Oh Davy…you silly boy :)
For me…a cookbook must have great pictures! A mouth-watering food photograph is the first thing that draws me in to trying a new recipe! As well as great pictures, I then look to see if the recipe uses ingredients that I am familiar with! I do also like to have a cookbook with a variety of foods and difficulty levels, so that I can make some easy recipes during the week and some more difficult ones on the weekend! These are the key ingredients to a great cookbook for me!
I appreciate easy to follow directions, but not so detailed that I’m being instructed how to clean chicken or open a package of pasta. Great pictures are always a plus!
I love good photos in a cookbook, I don’t have a good enough imagination to “see” what the food is going to look like. Sometimes the photos are what make me want to try it to begin with.
I look for a few things. I like quality instructions, sometimes cookbooks are like cheap furniture instructions. I do like pictures, but that is more for baking cookbooks. I look for quality and unique recipes for deserts or cakes.
First, I always like to read reviews and see what others thought about the book! Knowing other people had success with the recipes is important. After that, I definitely look through the recipes and make sure there are a significant amount that I want to try. As a big Cook’s Illustrated fan, I find I can get by without pictures, although pretty photography never hurts!
Great pictures make ANY cookbook better!! No matter how wonderful the recipe sounds, it’s always more appealing when you can visualize how pretty it will be. :)
I LOVE finding a recipe that grabs my attention — either a family favorite comfort dish, or something new and excited (but doesn’t take a pantry of exotic ingredients to make). I like to look through the rest of the book and put together meals in my head :)
I look for how many recipes I would make too. As much as I love beautiful pictures or lots of details and personal stories, if I’m not going to make at least half of the recipes, then it’s not a cookbook I need in my house.
I really love when cookbooks have lots of pictures, I want to know what the recipe is supposed to look like when I make it.
This salad looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
When looking at cookbooks, I am usually drawn in by incredible pictures. The next thing I look for is if I will make any of the recipes.
I look for LOTS of pictures, and also ingredients that I know I’ll be able to find easily, and use again!
PICTURES and great recipes! ;-) AND I always gravitate towards the back of the cookbook. . . DESSERTS!
I love a cookbook with a lot of colorful pictures. I won’t even think to buy one with out them. I also look for really good detailed instructions. I like to take the guess work out of a recipe especially when making it for the first time. I also look for creative recipes or ideas for entertaining. I don’t like a cookbook that is filled with recipes that include hard to find ingredients. I’m a lot less likely to try any of them.
Cookbooks are my favorite!!! I do enjoy all of the good pics as well as detailed instructions on how to make it turn out just right. Thanks for the giveaway!
I look for a cookbook that has photos for most of the recipes ,easy and healthy food recipes.
usually i have plenty of time to cook , so it would be nice to have Lots of dessert ideas :)
I look for great pictures in a cookbook. I always like to be able to see what the recipe is supposed to look like!! I also like uncomplicated recipes…if there are a ton of steps for most of the recipes in a cookbook…I probably am not going to get that cookbook. What can I say, I like simplicity!!
I like a cookbook with pictures of the finished dish (but I don’t need a lot of step by step pictures, that gets annoying). I also appreciate a cookbook with a lot of international recipes, stuff I haven’t heard of, as opposed to a new take on recipes I’ve made time and again.
I look for great easy recipes that have great pictures. I also scan to see how many recipes I would actually make (kid friendly recipes also). Detailed instructions are a must!!
How funny, I was just flipping through this cookbook while at someone’s house yesterday! I would love to win this. In a cookbook, I look for a variety of recipes that appeal to me, a nice mix of healthy & indulgent recipes, but most importantly, clean, easy to read, appealing design! I think that was why I was so drawn to Big Bowl of Love, was because it fit all those criteria.
I LOOOOVE big, bright photos in a cookbook. Don’t get me wrong, I have a few with no pictures, but I had to really love the recipes inside.
I like cookbooks with fun recipes that don’t require tons of crazy ingredients. Nothing annoys me more than having to modify half the ingredients for a recipe because I’m too cheap to buy or can’t find what is called for!
I usually go for cookbooks with somewhat ordinary ingredients. I hate having to go to specialty stores to spend lots of time and money buying ingredients that I will never use again! I also gravitate towards baking cookbooks. One of my favorites is the Tartine Cookbook. It is simple, delicious, and has a great selection of basics and things that will knock friends’ socks off and think I’m a baking Queen:)
I love nice homey family friendly recipes, but I also love vibrant color pictures!
I like mix of easy and complex recipes with easy to follow instructions. Great photos are a huge plus!
I love cookbooks with a good index and great pictures.
In a cookbook, I look for 2 key things. What kind of ingredients do I need? I usually don’t like to have to run to the store to find something rare/hard to find–I like to be able to be spontaneous with my cooking and if I randomly feel like cooking something I like to be able to run to my kitchen and use what I have. The second thing I look for is instructions that are to the point and simple–something easy to follow!
I think pictures draw me in but I love the old community cook books with no pictures. I think just imagining how each recipe might taste is the real draw.
Generally, pictures but the last ones I bought have no glitzy pics.
I have over 60 cookbooks and I get some of them for different reasons. Sometimes I’ve been to the restaurant/follow the chef, sometimes the pictures make the book a great coffeetable book, sometimes it’s for the recipes.
I love trying different cuisines so that’s always a plus in a cookbook. Also, while I love having longer, more fun meals for the weekends, a good set of fast meals for the weekdays is always a plus. And lots and lots of fresh ingredients!
When I consider buying a cookbook, I look at a few factors:
1. How reputable is the chef or their recipes? Do they have a good shot at actually turning out well? (Is this someone who KNOWS food – or another reality tv star who thinks it will be a good idea to publish a cookbook because they can? lol)
2. If there are any “extras” such as tips, ideas, substitutions, etc. Small additions to the actual recipes that will teach me to be a better cook.
3. Is it financially worth the investment? Ex: Will I cook enough of these to make the cost worth it? What’s unique about these recipes verses what I have find online?
And sometimes, it’s just a *couple* REALLY TEMPTING recipes that are unlike what I’ve found before. And I cave. :)
I have to eat with my eyes first..so pictures are definitely a must!
Hey Annie! I love going to the bookstore randomly to check out some new cookbooks. I love seeing the pictures along with the recipes, but I would say that including variations to the recipe is a great idea. That way, if someone loved the idea of the recipe but wanted to try something different, the recipe can be made a different way. Plus it’s a new way to try different foods in a way that may be completely new to the cook. I also like to hear the authors comments on when they prepared the recipe themselves!
I look for colorful pictures and recipes with easily accessible ingredients. Thank you for sharing the review! I plan on purchasing one if I don’t win :)
To choose a cookbook I look at the ingredients lists, if they are long and include many rare/foreign items, I don’t bother with the cookbook.
With my busy schedule, I’m drawn to cookbooks that provide fantastic vegetarian meal options utilizing fresh ingredients that require 45 minutes or less of preparation time. I place importance in finding recipes that my non-vegetarian family will enjoy as much as I do, that are healthy, delicious & satisfying. I consider myself a budding cook, I’m willing to try new recipes on a regular basis & enjoy preparing terrific, colorful dishes.
I LOVE cookbooks that have pictures. It gives me the visual I need in order to decide if the recipe looks appealing enough to make.
What do I look for in a cookbook? Photos…of every recipe! :)
The first thing I look for is lots of color photographs. Then I flip through the index to see if there are enough recipes that sound like something I would want to make, then I browse through the book to see if the recipes are easy to follow. If a recipe takes up 2-3 pages, it’s too complicated or time consuming for me! That’s my criteria for a perfect cookbook.
The first thing I look for in a cookbook is photos. Most often I find myself picking out what to eat by seeing the picture first. Another thing I look for (but isn’t a must have) is nutritional information. Since trying to eat healthier I find this info helpful.
I look for receipes that push me to go beyond my comfort zone, but also that doesn’t require me to go to five different stores to get ingredients.
When looking at a cookbook, I always look for fun, flavorful ideas with lots of great pictures. I found that I’m more likely to make something if I can see a picture first.
I definately look for pictures, I like to see how the food is going to turn out if I’m iffy about making a particular dish.
When I buy a cookbook, I want there to be lots of pictures and to have fairly simple recipes.
That salad looks great, especially with a refreshing cold glass of water!
I absolutely love photos of what the recipe is supposed to look like, as well as some process photos for more difficult recipes!
I am typically drawn to cookbooks with nice pictures and a nice balance of complicated and uncomplicated or less time consuming recipes. It’s nice to have both options for those days when time is of the essence. hah!
I choose based on recipes that take ingredients I am likely to have on hand and recipes that are simple and match our tastes. Great pics are a huge bonus!
A great cookbook is one that has wonderful pictures and easy to follow recipes. Also, the recipes need to have ingredients that could be in everyone’s pantry.
This looks yummy! I have lots and lots of cookbooks and several I should not have purchased. I am glad to hear about your rating system – I will definitely try it. I really do like pictures in cookbooks, and do glance through trying to determine how many recipes I would make. One thing I really, really love and look for are menu suggestions! If the recipes are accompanied by menu/entertaining suggestions I’m a goner!
I love a cookbook with simple meals, but also some that add variety to my week’s menu without too many special ingredients!
Tons of pictures! I’m a very visual person so it’s harder for me to think about what a recipe will look and taste like when I just read the words. Pictures are everything!
While it doesn’t have to have color photos, I am more inclined to try a recipe if it looks appealing. I don’t usually plan ahead what to cook so I am also drawn to recipes that have ingredients normally on hand. Looks like my kind of cookbook!
I have recently gotten into making a “weeks worth of dinners” on my day off – mode. I love recipies that have clean, crisp photos (like you do) and easy instructions. Recipes that have everyday ingredients. I enjoy both meat and vegetarian dishes :) always good to change things up a bit, it keeps things fresh!
Thank you for offering this promotion.
What I look for in a cookbook – LOTS of recipes! Pictures are great, but I find the books that I go back to again and again are big, massive dictionary-like books that seem to have recipes for everything.
I like at least one GOOD picture to show me what the food really looks like. Not artsy, just simple. And I look for recipes that are enticing and simple, but not so simple I wouldnt need a recipe for it. Like I’m never going to flip open a cookbook to read how to roast asparagus. Come on. So I guess more intermediate level?
I love that you do sometimes review things on your blog. I trust theyre things you genuinely like, which is nice. :)
You can ask my husband, I’m not SUPER picky when it comes to cookbooks. I LOVE to cook and love anything that will introduce me to new recipes. I must admit, I tend to be drawn to cookbooks that have alot of pics and easy/quick recipes. I’ve also become very fond of make ahead or rollover recipes that can help me get food on the table quickly.
One with simple recipes.
I’m with you for the most part in that I look to see how do-able, time intensive, and the likelihood that I’d make most of the recipes in the book.
For me, I like a cookbook with detailed instructions and pictures to accompany the steps; that way the chances of me messing it up are greatly decreased (or at least I tell myself that…!) :)
Definitely, pictures WITH the recipes. I hate the ones where the photos are all clumped together on a couple pages and you have to flip back and forth from the recipe. I want to see it right there where it inspires me as I cook! Thanks for a chance at a good-lookin’ new cookbook.
I look at the ingrediants. How man and how common, etc. I find it frustrating when a recipe calls for a small amount of a hard to find product.
I love lots of color pictures! I also check to see if it has a variety of recipes for things I could easily make at home.
I like a cookbook to have pictures for most recipes. I also get turned off if I see lots of uncommon or expensive ingredients.
If I buy a cookbook, it has to have lots of color pictures and use ingredients I can find in my small town.
I love cookbooks that use fresh ingredients, very little shortcuts (as in processed foods), and are generally healthy … fat in moderation :)
Great photos!! I am a visual learner :)
As someone who LOVES to read cookbooks, I buy cookbooks according to my mood, it seems. Sometimes I will buy it purely because it has beautiful pictures, other times I’ll want to buy something that has very inventive flavors and dishes, and other times I go for healthy dishes or budget friendly. I have a varied array of cookbooks, but it keeps things interesting!
I love looking at the pictures…I’m so much more likely to make a recipe if there is a picture to go with, I guess I’m super visual that way.
I do love pictures in cookbooks, but now I also look for recipes I will actually make–main dishes that aren’t too complicated and feature meat as a part, not the whole of the dish…interesting veggie sides…cheap and freezable are always a plus! Sounds like this cookbook would definitely fit the bill. :)
I look for enticing photos and recipes I would actually make. I’m a sucker for a good cookbook with a variety of recipes.
I always look for great pictures. I can’t always visualize what a dish might be like by just reading the ingredient list or instructions, so great pictures for me are a must!
I love finding cookbooks that have a good mix of old time favorites as well as dishes with new and fresh ideas I haven’t tried yet!
I wish I didn’t, but these days I look at how simple the recipes are in a cookbook. With two kids under 2, I just don’t have time for more complex recipes! Maybe someday. :)
Definitely pictures. Without ’em I tend to pass over what could be a really great recipe.
Pictures catch my eye first, but the deciding factor is the ease of the recipe. Are the ingredients ones I can readily get and the family will eat? Is the prep compatible with a full-time working mom?
Love this recipe! Amaazing.
I always look for great step by step pictures. I am constantly doubting myself when cooking and need the reinforcement!!
I love cookbooks that have appealing photos and recipes with ingredients that my family (mainly my two little boys) would actually enjoy.
Pictures catch my eye first, but the deciding factor for me is the list of ingredients and the complexity of the prep. Can I find the ingredients? Will my family eat them? Is the prep compatible with the schedule of a full-time working mom? Cookbooks with great, but long prep-time, recipes usually stay on the bookstore shelf.
The first thing I notice is the pictures, but it really depends on how many of the recipes I will actually make.
I love cookbooks that have easy recipes and great pictures.
I look for inspiring recipes that stray from the norm. I like using new ingredients & making new foods.
Depends on what I am buying the book for, I generally am in the market for specialized cookbooks say with a killer Shrimp Pad Thai recipe or an general yeast bread, those I don’t need pictures really. However if I am trying to implement more vegetarian recipes in to our dinner rotations, that takes a cookbook with lots of pictures. The pictures help with selling them to my other dinner compatriots.
I love cookbooks with lots of desserts and full-color pictures are a must!
I choose a cookbook based on how many pictures it has in the book! I need pictures!
Hi Annie! This recipe looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it! I look for two things in a cookbook…pictures that make me want to try the recipes, and simple instructions. Cooking isn’t my strong point (yet!) so I like recipes that are super easy to follow!
I like lots of pictures showing the steps of the process along with good written instructions. I’m a visual learner and like to be able to see if what I’m doing looks the way it should.
Easy recipes with not too many ingredients!
I definitely look for pictures and simple recipes. I don’t want to have to have too many ingredients.
I look for recipes that are agreeable to everyone eating them…and pictures for every recipe in the book. The croquettes look delicious!
Typically I am a sucker for pictures in recipe books….I see it, I drool, I make it!
I like great photos and LOVE nutrition facts!!
Photos are a big draw for me. The more the better!
I look for a cookbook that has page upon page of recipes in black type. I’m a fan of cookbooks with no pictures so you can imagine how the ingredients are going to play out.
Pictures are a must! But if the recipes are really good, I can live without them :)
I like cookbooks that have step-by-step pictures.
I love cookbooks and cooking magazines (I have a little obsession honestly), but the one thing that is a must is photo’s. I’m very visual and a cookbook without photo’s goes right back on the shelf. I also look for a nice balance of complicated and uncomplicated recipes.
Thanks for the wonderful giveaway! Love your blog Annie!
I look for detailed step-by-step pictures in a cookbook to make sure that I’m on the right track.
Love great photos, nutrition facts, and like you said, how many recipes I will actually use. This cookbook sounds like a great one!
I’m glad you aren’t a big commercial blog. I have so many that I used to read that started out small and as they became more popular, they became more about product endorsements.
Anyway, to answer the question. I have 3 cookbooks that I love. Two of them don’t have any photos but what I like are the basic recipes they start with and then the variations you can build on from them. The other has lots of photos and very detailed directions. It’s more fun and based on comfort foods. I plan to check out this cookbook just from that recipe you used. It looks so delicious and I can’t wait to try it!
I am usually drawn in by images first and if I like the graphics and text in the book. From there it is whether or not I think I will ever make the recipes!
I look for photos that make my mouth water and easy to moderate recipes (ones that take less than an hour to prepare).
It’s got to have pictures. I consider myself fairly skilled in the kitchen and can get a pretty good idea of how a recipe will turn out from the list of ingredients and directions, but I love to see the final product before I have to think about it too much :)
Love pictures and how to make great food with less calories. This book sounds great!
I always look for lots of colored pictures. I’m a lot less likely to actually use the cookbook if there are no pictures.
I like recipe books that have a picture for every recipe. I also like it when there is an unusuall or hard to find ingredient that it is explained what it is and possibly where to find it.
Thanks for hosting the giveaway! I look for recipes with easy-to-find ingredients, not too many complicated steps, and (since I read cookbooks like novels) some preface to the recipe that makes me want to make and eat it.
Definitely great photos, I like to be able to have a visual idea of a dish before I make it. And of course, accessible ingredients. This sounds like a great cookbook!
the photos draw me in, but i am looking for a recipe with a little something different, some new ingredient or technique i have not used before
I like cookbooks that have recipes that are creative takes on family favorites. I like it when the author’s twist a timeless classic into something that I could serve for company that anyone would like, but definitely would have never tried before. It also helps to have lots of yummy photos and desserts.
Great photos are a must! I also make sure that the book has a lot of unique recipes that I haven’t seen very much or, preferably, at all.
I love this recipe, it sounds so good! And the book sounds very good for finding complete meals from too. When I look at cookbooks, I’m definately a picture girl! I love to see what the description really translates to in visual form. And I like very interesting, daring and fun desserts… desserts are where its at for me :)
As a novice cook, I look for good explanations in cookbooks. Sometimes this makes them as fun to sit down and read as a good magazine!
Pictures!
Oh, totally the pictures. I hardly ever make a recipe that I can’t see the finished product first.
Photos catch my eye, but I want recipes that are family friendly. I love preparing all kinds of desserts so I always check them out first and see which ones I can’t wait to try out!
I like cook books that explain things well, with step-by-step pictures to go along. I like be challenged but not to the point of not being sure if something will turn out.
I’m a sucker for photos!!!!
A huge mix of recipes!
I don’t want to buy 20 cookbooks for cheap cooking, 5 ingredients or less, gormet meals and desserts, plus everything else under the sun like grilling and vegan meals.
I want a bible of a cookbook that has a little of everything to fit my personality!
I love cookbooks that have pictures of every recipe..and simple, easy to find ingredients!
I look for something I’m willing to curl up with and read as I’m going to bed! For me, that means a wide variety of recipes (the exception being baking, and especially cookie, books), and hopefully some new techniques or tricks that I haven’t tried before.
I’m a sucker for photos of each recipe; we all eat with our eyes first!
Pictures are huge for me! I like a nice mix of weeknight meals (30-60 mins tops, and its great if they include the time required!), and some more complex dishes for entertaining. Desserts aren’t a huge thing for me.
The cookbook has to have great pictures, but I’ll buy sight unseen if it’s one of my favorite chefs (Rick Bayless, HubertKeller, J. Waxman)!
Pictures!!
I don’t use cookbooks without pictures! :)
I read cookbooks like some people read novels. I love the colored photos, notes and suggestions and the meal ideas or how to spread one item into different meals for a couple of weeks.
I gravitate towards cookbooks that offer a good variety of different tastes that are innovative, but approachable. Pictures are an absolute must.
I look for recipes that I would actually use, and that would appeal to my family. I have never figured out an actual percentage, but I just go with my gut. If I say “um, no” more than I say yes – I put it back. Beautiful photos are a bonus as well, since eye candy is always appreciated ;)
Lots of pictures, easy to follow, simple instructions. Basic kitchen gadgets, if I need to use a gadget for a recipe, that I’ll more than likely never use, it’s a turn off.
I look for a cookbook that is a story about food not just recipes and I love pictures!
Beautiful and plentiful photos are definitely a must in cookbooks (and blogs) for me — one of the many reasons why I love your blog! Of course, delicious recipes that aren’t TOO complex or wacky are also a plus. I have a busy family of 5, all of whom eat a WIDE variety of foods, but time is a premium, so I just can’t indulge in too many recipes that take an inordinate amount of preparation. THANKS for the giveaway!!
The photos definitely help me decide if I will actually make the dishes or not. The next is how involved the recipe is. If all of the recipes take hours to make and the ingredients are all spices that I’ll have to make a special trip to the store for and won’t ever use again, I know I won’t make anything in the book. Other than that, it’s pretty easy to get me to make anything. My husband and I love trying new dishes so I’m always up for a new cookbook! :)
Well, I like cookbooks with lots of pictures. Also, recipes with common ingredients. I want to cook (and eat!), not drive all over creation searching for weird ingredients.
These days I love a cookbook with simple ingredients that don’t require a lot of “machinery” which will take a lot of time to clean up. With 2 kids, I only have time to try complicated recipes every month or two. For everyday stuff, it has to be simple & relatively easy! I also love when it has the nutritional information.
I look for good pictures (I hate cookbooks with none!) but I also look for recipes that my husband and I would enjoy becuase we both can be picky eaters.
I love this cookbook, but could use another one! and i buy cookbooks that i think are pretty
I look for clear, simple instructions, and lots of pictures!
Pictures!!! I’ve found it’s really hard for me to make things that don’t have a picture…I’ve thought about taking pictures of recipes that I make that don’t come with a picture so I can remember what it looks like!
I love all of the pictures that a great cookbook provides!
I love a cookbook with a lot of pictures! I am very visual and wish that every recipe had a photo, even if it was tiny!
photos. it can sound delicious, but if there are great photos I’m much more likely to crave it and make it… even when mine don’t compare visually at all
I love good pictures of the recipes! It is easier to visualize the recipe!! I read cookbooks like novels!!!
The cookbook’s pictures are what initially draw me in! But, once I begin looking at the actual recipes, it’s the ingredients that keep me looking or not. I don’t mind hunting down an unusual ingredient every once in a while, but the majority of items have to be able to be purchased at my local grocery store!
I love it when there are amazing pictures! Detailed instructions are great, but it’s nice knowing what exactly I’m trying to make and what it looks like.
Pictures, pictures, pictures are really important and helpful to me! I also like simple recipes:)
Admittedly, I definitely find myself judging cookbooks by their covers (and gorgeous photos, therein)! Colorful, healthy, fresh recipes are what I look for. :)
What a wonderful looking salad. I love a cookbook that has great beautiful pictures, ingredients that I routinely have on hand or that are easy to find and easy to follow instructions. My 16 also likes to try her hand at cooking.
I have to have pictures in a cookbook. That’s why I love to try new recipes posted on blogs – plenty of great pictures.
Also, I love detailed, step-by-step directions.
Photos…lots and lots of photos! I also appreciate a cookbook that is either arranged seasonally or has suggestions for menus and dishes during particular times of the year.
I want a cookbook with photos for every. single. recipe. This is key! Food blogs are great because every recipe has a photo! I like to know what I’m getting myself into ;)
I look for recipes that have ingredients I could find at my grocery store and those that my whole family (young kids included) will like.
I love pictures, both to see what the final product should look like and to encourage me to try to make a dish.
I look for recipes and cuisines and ways of preparation that are interesting and different, compared to the way we normally eat. They can be simple, or involved, but a good cookbook will make me do things differently, and take me down a new line of thought regarding food and entertaining.
Along with looking delicious.
I look for something that looks yummy from the pictures and then hope that it’s a simple recipe.
I look for a good measuring tool/scale that lists conversions. This is always helpful when I’m splitting a recipe in half or tripling it!!
When I’m cookbook shopping, I look for creative and healthful recipes with good instructions. Also, if there are typos, I almost certainly will NOT buy it. :)
I look for cookbooks with healthy recipes that don’t use typical “diet” ingredients.
Photos are good- and flipping through the recipes and making sure there aren’t tons of crazy and expensive ingredients required….
Beautiful photos are definitely helpful! I also primarily prepare healthy dishes, so I browse through cookbooks to see how many dishes are healthy or how many of them I can “makeover” to become healthier. I also appreciate nutritional information. I just launched a new recipe blog and I am planning to highlight several “Annie Eats” recipes (I’ll be sure to let you know when I do it and I’ll always provide a link back to your page). You have one of the BEST recipe blogs around!
I look for something first of all that looks delicious, but is also simple and healthy!
Good photos always reel me in!
I love a lot of pictures. But more important is if the recipes sound good to me and use fairly ‘standard’ ingredients that I use a lot of. I hate having to have a bunch of special things on hand whenever I want to make a recipe.
This salad looks delicious! Before I purchase a cookbook I always look through it to gawk at the pictures. To me, that’s a huge plus!
Quick and easy recipes and delicious photos!
I love a cookbook with lots of pictures. A beautiful picture of a dish will sell me on it every time.
I look for pictures, the difficulty of the recipes, if the ingredients are hard to find at my local grocery store and weather or not I’ll actually end up using the cookbook. A cookbook also has to have multiple recipes in it that I’m willing to cook before I buy it.
I look for pictures for the end result and I love a cookbook with easy recipes that I can make on a busy weeknight!
I like a cookbook with commonly used ingredients so I don’t have a cabinet full of rare ingredients that will never get used again. I also like step by step instructions with pictures when making more involved recipes.
The photos I feel are really important. I got a cookbook from the library the other day. The cover made it look scrumptious but when I got it home, I learned there were no photos on the inside of the cookbook. Needless to say, I didn’t keep it long or find many recipes of interest.
I look for pictures. Lots of pictures. Seeing the item I plan to make really makes a difference to me. It inspires me to try new things based on the visual appeal!
the pictures are definitely important, but I also flip through and make sure the ingredients aren’t too obscure for my family’s tastes and that we would make a handful of recipes within each main category (soup, sides, main dishes, desserts) – otherwise its not a keeper. I try to “preview” cookbooks through the library and if I find I’m marking a ton of pages to copy, then I know its a cookbook I want to purchase.
I can usually entertain myself for at least a half hour with any old cookbook – they’re all inspiring! – but I’m a sucker for bold photography and for recipes that I know I’ll like. I often Google cookbooks or specific recipes in them to see if other people have made them with success.
I am still new to cooking and look first for drool worthy photos and second a rough estimate similar to yours of how many recipes I could see myself using.
The pictures is what attracts me to them at first but I love when they have lots of different options and all different meals. Also ethnic cookbooks, I always do a little research to make they are valid and show authentic cuisine.
In a cookbook I look for recipes that have ingredients that I generally have and also recipes that inspire me to be more creative.
Length of ingredient lists. I have no time or patience with a toddler running about to make anything with a loooooong list of ingredients. Simple is good!
I love the photos in cookbooks, I am quicker to make something based on the photos. I also look at the ingredients, if it even has one ingredient, that I would rarely use… I won’t make it.
I’ve read another review on this book and hope to get it (winning would be especially nice!). I literally sit down and read cookbooks cover to cover, so I like when there is a little commentary on the recipe (ideas for what to serve with, a story about when it was made, maybe a suitible substitution or a tip on saving time on steps, etc) which can be fun to read or just helpful when going to make the dish. I love pretty photographs, also. And I appreciate a non-vegetarian book that has a decent amount of meatless dishes.
pictures are a big one for me in cookbooks. i eat with my eyes as much as my stomach so it’s helpful to see what the recipe is for, especially when i am unfamiliar with the dish.
I look for relatively simple recipes with ingredients that are easily found at our local markets. Clear instruction is a major point as well!
A good cookbook for me is one that has pictures of all (or almost all the recipes), as well as easy options since I am a beginner!
Luscious pictures grab me first. Then I look for entrees that aren’t overly fussy, with ingredients that I’ve never heard of or that I know my family won’t eat. I also appreciate a lot of vegetarian options, and a wide variety of foods (appetizers, desserts, drinks, etc). This one definitely sounds like it is right up my alley!
I kind of have the same criteria that you do – mostly would I make a majority of the recipes, if not, I pass.
pictures and simple recipes of course.
It’s gotta have pictures (If it looks gross, I won’t make it). Also, ingredients that aren’t too out-of-the-ordinary. I don’t want to be buying an ingredient that I will only use in the one recipe.
I look at the pictures. I like to see what it looks like first, then the ingredients and time needed.
I like recipes that don’t have too many ingredients …
I look for two things in a cookbook
1) Easy recipes
2) ‘Authenticity’ — which for me means homey meals, that have tradition behind them. My current favorite cookbook is “The Mennonite’s Cookboo”, but I also will use my “Mama Leone’s Italian Cookbook” when I need to make something a bit fancy.
The first thing I look for in a cookbook is the pictures…the more pictures the better. Then I look to see if they are costly and intensive recipes. Dinners I like to be on the quick and easy side but desserts I like to try it all!
Hi Annie!
First of all I am a huge fan of your website, I’m on it everyday!
I am a young chef (15) and I love cookbooks. Well, I look for good pictures that show me how the dish should turn out since I’m more of a visual person. I also look for lots of one dish meals (like stews or casseroles) that don’t require lots of other complicated side dishes.
Photos are the first thing that catches my eye. Then I look at how involved the directions are. I’m usually turned off/intimidated by a recipe with long long instructions!
This cookbook looks great! I can’t see what other recipes you churn out.
I look for beautiful pictures and nice writing (a la Dorie Greenspan)
If I am going to buy a cookbook, it needs to have pictures and I prefer interesting tidbits like stories or facts as well.
I look for manageable recipes and a good description of what the final dish will be like. Pictures always help.
I’ve noticed I’m instantly drawn to cookbooks with lots of great photos. I really appreciate lots of information about the recipes also.
My musts for a cookbook – (1) ingredients that I can find and/or pronounce and (2) ease of recipes. I don’t want to be in the kitchen forever – and I want to be able to find my ingredients easily! :)
cookbooks with great photos, and recipes that use fresh herbs cause i have a garden!:)
I like lots of pictures in a cookbook and simple ingredients that I can find in my small town.
I love cookbooks that have a lot of photos, and of course, reliable recipes!
Great photos usually first attract me to a cookbook, but then to really consider buying the book it also has to have lots of recipes that I would actually consider making (with ingredient lists that are not too long!).
It’s definitely the pictures that get me to pick up a cookbook and gravitate towards certain recipes, but above all, I look for recipes that use as many fresh ingredients as possible. My favorite cookbooks are garden-fresh cookbooks that also give you little hints and tips on various ways to use different veggies.
I look for pictures for every recipe and the occasion tip on one of the steps of the recipes or things to serve it with(:
The main things I look for in a cookbook are nutritional information and pictures. I like cooking but want to maintain a healthy and well balanced lifestyle! Because I am a visual learner, pictures are a plus because I can see what the finish product could/should look like.
I love a cookbook full of easy quick and easy recipes, with step by step directions and pictures of those step by step directions. And then of course beautiful pictures of the finished product…such as yours :)
~Amy
I like to have a lot of pictures in my cookbooks. I tend to gravitate towards the baking sections, but overall – I’ll try most anything.
I think it’s important to have accurate measurements specified in all recipes! Also, high altitude cooking temps are helpful!
Lately, the thing I look for most in a cookbook is seasonal food presented in new ways.
I love a cookbook with pictures. Another thing I really love is when the author writes a little story about each recipe.
I look for pictures and ingredients that are easy to find in my grocery stores!
I look for recipes that I can legitimately make by that I mean ingredients I can afford and easily find and equipment that I already have as long as those criteria are met the wilder and crazier the recipe the better! Pictures don’t hurt either..
I like cookbooks with lots of good pictures. : )
Like most people, I am definitely drawn into a good cookbook if it has lots of delicious looking photos. I also like to have a variety of dishes (drinks, appetizers, desserts, etc.) with simple instructions. And like you, if I wouldn’t actually make most of the recipes within the book, I wouldn’t buy it.
I always look for 2 things: 1 — a yummy photo to show me what the ending result should look like and 2 — ingredients that I can find pretty easily. Thank you for taking lovely photos of your work and also for using ingredients I can find in one trip! :)
I like pictures of every recipe contained in the book. I lean towards desserts overall.
I look for great pictures and recipes I can easily make. I have a husband that is a picky eater and finding things we both like is a challenge!
I love cookbooks but the ones that make it into my collection are the ones that contain ingredients I won’t have to hunt far and wide for, have relatively easy recipes and mouth-watering pictures. That’s not asking too much, is it??
When looking for a cookbook, I’m definitely looking for easy recipes with more regular ingredients. Great pictures are also a must :)
I definitely like good pictures in a cookbook. But even more important, I also look for good quality food with good quality ingredients!
Cookbooks with great pictures and recipes that don’t require a laundry list of ingrediants.
I love great photos of every recipe along with detailed instructions.
I look at the recipes (I read the ingredients and determine if it’s a good recipe or not)! But, I have to be honest, presentation is everything- so if the photos and book layout look great- it’s a keeper! Are you coming out with your own cookbook? You should!!!
Lots of pictures with simple instructions…cooking for dummies if you will
I definitely like it when the recipe books have good pictures cause then I can really tell if it looks good or not and if I really want to make it. Also I like it when they are not super complex recipes and when the ingredients are common enough that I can easily find it at a grocery store and would not have to go to more than 2 stores to find it
I look for cookbooks that are well-illustrated, health-conscious, family-style, and present new and interesting dishes without using too many exotic (re: hard to find) ingredients. I’m a fairly decent “intuition” cook, so it has to present me with meal ideas that I wouldn’t have dreamed up on my own for me to follow a recipe very closely.
Thanks for the great blog, Annie!
Lots of great pictures and simple recipes.
I look for pictures in a cookbook.
Yum. This dish looks great. I wonder how I could vegetarianize it.
When buying a cookbook I mostly look for great photos. The photos are what make me want to cook some of that up right away…which is why I love your blog. The photos always look so delicious, I am craving your recipes before I ever even try them.
I like cookbooks with great pictures. I don’t want ingredients that are impossible to find, that’s so aggravating.
The first thing I look at in a cookbook is the pictures, if I like those I scan the ingredients to see if they are items I keep on hand or have used before.
I look for recipes that don’t have a zillion steps and a zillion ingredients that are hard to find. If it sounds good, looks good, and I have the ingredients or can get them easily…I’ll give it a shot!
In a cookbook I look for pictures and easy recipes.
I look a the recipes if they are practical, fun and and I make sure there are some challenging recipes that take me out of my comfort zone!
Cookbooks are all about the pictures. It’s nice to compare your work to what its actually supposed to look like.
The first thing that draws me to a cookbook is most definitely the pictures. I’m an artistic person and even teach in the arts, so visual aspects are HUGE in my book. I also look for a good percentage of recipes that I would make, pairing that with some recipes that expand my food knowledge and vocabulary. I love cooking for crowds and to entertain… and a variety of cookbooks always helps me bring something new to any function!
When choosing a cookbook to buy I look for recipes in which the ingredient list appeals to my palate and, perhaps more importantly, a high percentage of recipes that can be made on a weeknight, after a full day of work, with two young children demanding my attention while I cook. Tasty and easy are my primary criteria!
I love using unusual and interesting ingredients in my baking and cooking so a cookbook that has unique recipes is what I look for!
I look for recipes that are practical but interesting. I don’t want to go on a hunt for ingredients. Great pictures also help to draw me to a cookbook.
i want something interesting but healthy, without too many involved recipes!
I love cookbooks that have pictures (and pictures of things like cakes/rolls/etc sliced!) as well as easy directions. I definitely like easy recipes but don’t mind a few challenging ones!
I look for good pictures and familiar ingredients!
I always love seeing pictures, and simple instructions really make me want to buy! (desserts help too!)
I look for a cookbook that has a variety of course recipes and adaptability to vegetarian if needed.
I really like to see photos of all of the recipes.
As much as I love Cook’s Illustrated recipes- I wish they had more pictures. I guess I look for that % of what I would actually make(and family would eat).
Personally I love the pictures, my friends joke about my love of “food porn” and I am much more likely to read, and therefore cook from a cookbook with pictures!
I like lots of pictures! If th
Like you, I want to be sure I would make quite a few (at least half!) of the recipes included. And I really hope there’s a picture with nearly every recipe!
For me, when buying a cookbook I look for a combo of recipes I can prepare relatively quickly during the week and recipes that require a little more work and love for weekends/special occasions. Variety is the key!
When I look at a cookbook, I am looking for fresh, healthy, easy meals that I can make on a weeknight. Like you, I won’t buy a cookbook unless I think I would make a majority of the recipes in the book. Great pictures really help make a good first impression!
I like cookbooks with beautiful pictures, creative ingredient combinations, and little personal blurbs from the author about particular recipes.
Pictures!! That is definitely the most important thing to me in a cookbook.
A photo for every recipe and lots of veggies in the recipes.
When looking for a cookbook, I like one with easy to follow directions, along with recipes that don’t require 100 ingredients.
Pictures!! I don’t even think about buying or looking at a cookbook that doesn’t have a picture of the completed dish…I guess you could say I eat with my eyes!!
In order for a cookbook to earn a place on my bookshelf, I must be willing to make (or eat) a majority of the recipes in the book — and there must be at least one recipe per category that looks good. Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
I look for good instructions, ingredients that are not hard to find and foods my kids will eat.
I look for a cookbook with recipes I will actually make. Working full time and having 3 young children, they need to be fairly quick. I also love having lots of pictures! It brings the recipes alive!
I need recipes without too many ingredients and lots of pictures. I like uncomplicated!!
I look for great pictures. The pictures allow me to see what the meal is suppose to look like, unfortunately my meals never end up looking as good as the pictures.
My Cookbooks need to be colorful with very comforting recipes…different recipes but not too difficult.
I absolutely love cookbooks. When I rest in the evenings, I read a cookbook…not a book a “cookbook. :) Thanks Annie, I love what your all about.
I always look for healthy options, simple ingredients (nothing too crazy or hard to find), and pretty pictures (but not too many).
I like variety… and, a bit of text book like context and instructions, with stories to go along with the recipes – something I can “read” like a book.
I like pictures in the cookbook. The bigger the better!
I really love a well organized cookbook with plenty of good photos, as I tend to be very visually oriented and like to see how what I’m making will look when it’s done.
I look for beautiful bright interesting pictures and recipes that I would actually make. Nothing is a bigger turn off than recipes with ingredients you’ve never heard of you would want to use.
Christina’s cookbook looks beautiful and very user friendly!
I look for photos, lots of sweets and easy dinner recipes.
A few things I love…nutrition information and freezer meals (love cooking ahead…and healthy!). :-)
I definitely go for the cookbooks with good pictures….and of course simple delicious recipes
I like to see lots of varieties on the traditional recipes I already know, along with some different things that I wouldn’t typically try.
I look for great pictures, few ingredients and variety.
Good pictures make probably more of an impact than it should… But I like your technique of calculating the percentage of recipes you’d use. That’s definitely the most important thing.
Great color photos of every recipe!
I also want to see a few recipes that I definitely want to try. New vegetable recipes are always a plus since we always have CSA box veggies ready to go! Thanks so much for the chance! I loved the roast chicken recipe that she showed on Oprah – we use it all the time!
Pictures are worth a thousand words! Simplicity of recipes is also important
I like to see that the ingredients are either already in my pantry or won’t cost a fortune purchase. Great photos are a big bonus as well!
I really love cookbooks with photos, so helpful! I also skim for ingredient lists that aren’t too “out there”. I don’t want to have to hunt all over to find what I need to make a recipe!
The croquettes look delicious! Great photos!
There are a lot of components I look for in a GREAT cookbook; pictures that make my mouth water, recipes that do not contain a ridiculous amount of ingredients, ingredients ive actually heard of and can pronounce, and prep time! I’m a working mom with an extremely hungry husband and crazy 2 1/2 year old- I need amazing recipes in an amazing amount of time!
I definately look easy recipes with lots of pictures with tutorials.
I first look for pictures in a cookbook because a) I am a photographer, b) if I don’t know what I am making should taste like I hope to know what it looks like before I try to cook it. I also look for recipes that don’t contain too many items that are hard to find…and that is what I look for in a cookbook! Thanks Annie for all your great recipes.
I Love beautiful photos and also step by step photos that illustrate what the food should look like at each step!
I love cookbooks that have colored pictures of the food. I like to see what I am making.
In a cookbook, i would love to see nice pictures and easy instructions, and of course yummy recipes and deserts although i do aim for healthy choices but we all have to enjoy ourselves right:) Thanks for the giveaway!
Photos for sure!!! And organized, easy directions.
I need pictures. I don’t have the patience to read through all the recipes. I like to flip through and see “I want that!”.
I, too, love lots of photos and east to follow directions. I have watched her show before and would love a new cookbook!
Great photos are a must! It really helps me to see the final product when I am flipping through a cookbook looking for a recipe. Detailed instructions are important too, I like being able to plan everything out in advance and know exactly what the recipe calls for!
Photos are what originally draw me to a cookbook. I have found that I am more apt to actually try the recipes if inspired by the picture of the finished product. Then I look for a combination of originality and easily obtainable ingredients. The only exception to this rule is when I buy a comprehensive cookbook, i.e. WIlliams/Sonoma Baking Cookbook or another that deals with a single technique. I agree with Annie’s % rule–if I don’t think I’ll make over 70% of the recipes, then the cookbook doesn’t come home with me.
Cookbooks that grab me need glossy pages, pictures, and diverse recipes–preferably ones that are geared to week-night, after-work cooking!
I want solid, everyday recipes that often read as a guide more than a “you must follow this exactly”. I love good food pictures too, but how often I’ll actually use the cookbook is the most important thing to me.
Lately, I have been looking for more recipes that are lower in fat and sugar. Pictures are great too, I always like to compare my creation with the picture in the cookbook.
When choosing a cookbook, I look for easy recipes with few special ingredients. Since, I am still in college, I tend to look for recipes that are budget friendly. I am a visual person, so I look for cookbooks with lots and lots of photos! Annie, I really enjoy your blog. It’s like my online cookbook!
Something EASY catches my eye. Someone else usually does most of the cooking, but when I get the urge, it has to be simple.
I like cookbooks that offer recipes that use everyday ingredients I already have at home. I don’t mind buying a few special ingredients, but I am more likely to make it if it involves the staples. I also love great pictures!
I look for recipes that are fairly traditional with some unique twist, as well as ingredients that I won’t have to search high and low for. This looks like a great cookbook!
If I win this, it will be for my wife, but I do like to cook sometimes, so the book would need to have simple, easy recipes with great pictures, so I would have an idea of what the end result would look like.
pictures pictures pictures! i almost never cook or bake something i see from a recipe book or blog if it doesn’t come with a picture of what it should turn out like ;)
I definitely look for a cookbook that has pictures for most of the recipes. As they say you eat with your eyes first. Another major factor is if I will make a majority of the recipes and if they can put an easy, healthy creative spin on traditional recipes and favorites.
Ease and eye catching pictures is what I look for!
Before trying new recipes, I love great photos, and easy to come by ingredients! I always pre-read ingredients and make sure I enjoy them!
I love photos and easy recipes. Also lots of desserts. : )
Well I have an addiction to cookbooks. I never seem to have enough..but in order for me to purchase a new one it must have certain criteria. The biggest MUST of all, is it has to have pictures with every recipe because i’m a visual person and we eat with our eyes first, right?
The cookbooks I choose must have good pictures of the end result. Nothing is more irritating to open up to a recipe that lists no picture but only have lengthy complicated instructions. I typically stick with authors who are endorsed by the Food Network or the Cooking Channel. Step by step illustrations as you display often are a plus! ;)
Clean-looking pages with great photos draw me in, and then I look for an ingredients list that has maybe one or two things that I wouldn’t normally use. Another thing I love are handy tips, especially about freezing, reheating, or alternative ingredients.
Just found your blog a few weeks ago, and I keep coming back! It has all the things I look for in a cookbook. :) Thanks for sharing your cooking adventures with us. :)
I like easy recipes and pretty pictures
When I buy a cookbook, if there are pictures of each recipe, then I am sold! I love seeing what the finished product is supposed to look like. Also if the recipe ‘sounds’ good by reading the ingredients. And something that is not too time consuming having a 1 year old at home!
Pictures are a must for me! I need to look at them frequently to motivate me to continue cooking when it gets too hot in the kitchen!
I love cookbooks with good pictures so I know what to try to make the dish look like. I also like recipes that don’t require a lot of ingredients that I will never use again. This is why Donna Hay is my favorite.
I look, first at the depth of flavor that will come from the ingredients. The recipe has to have intense flavor. Pictures are also very useful. I will try a recipe from just the ingredients, but I love to see what the finished result will be. Lately I have gone for recipes that are finished in under an hour.
Like many other cooks, I am very visually driven. My stomach begins grumbling the moment I look at food, so beautiful color pictures are a must! I also like unique takes on old favorites.
I am a very visual person so one thing that draws me into a cookbook is photos. I am more opt to buy a cookbook when I can see pictures of as many recipes as possible.
When shopping for a cookbook I look for pictures and to see how many of the recipes I’ll actually use. Generally I need at least one recipe for every dollar I’m going to spend on it. :)
I look for a balance of healthy options (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian – and marked as such!) and total splurge options. A cookbook just isn’t a cookbook to me if it doesn’t have a section for chocolate desserts too!
I look for unusual recipes!
I want recipes that don’t have a lot of exotic ingredients, great photos that entice me to make a recipe, and variety.
I love cookbooks with pictures. I am definitely more inclined to try the recipes with pictures. I Aldo love cookbooks with a great selection of vegetarian main dishes.
I look for easy recipes. Not only do I want something quick when I get home from work, but I also mess up complicated recipes :) Still learning…
I look for content and appetizing pictures! Love cookbooks!
I like lots of pictures and easy to understand directions. No matter how good recipes without pictures look, I always ignore them and choose the picture ones. That is why I like cooking blogs so much…so many pictures!
I definitely prefer it when a cookbook has photos of every recipes – that’s what sells me on making the food! I also like to see healthy recipes or ones that can be lightened up fairly easily and recipes that use easy to find ingredients and common kitchen tools.
I look for simplistic, but new flavors that I know my family will love. No leg of lamb over turnip and beats, that kinda weird stuff.
i definitely look for pictures. lots and lots of pictures!
I love to have pictures in a cookbook – we do eat with our eyes! :) I also look for recipes that are easy to follow and have ingredients that I usually have on a regular basis – I don’t mind getting a couple of things for a new recipe but I don’t want to fill my shopping cart with items that I might never use again!
I definitely look for photos in cookbooks. Something to show me what it should end up looking like, so I know how far off I am :)
Pictures, pictures, pictures! No matter how good a recipe may sound… it’s the picture that makes me decide whether I want to try it or not! Also, I want a cookbook with food that I would actually cook on a regular basis.
I am definitely more drawn to cookbooks with pictures! I try to be open-minded and look at the rest of the recipes too but of course my eyes always go straight to the pics. I like recipes that are creative while using ingredients that are easy to come by. Cookbooks are my favorite source of literature and I could seriously browse through them all day! Sometimes I do just that :)
Appealing pics and recipes with accessible ingrediants
I love when there are lots of pictures, but more importantly is the amount of recipes that I’d actually make. I look for recipes with ingredients that I enjoy/have been interested in trying and also that look reliable or will teach me something new.
lots of beautiful photos and recipes that use common ingredients
If it’s by a chef I like, I might by a cookbook without much thought, especially if it’s on the sale table.
Otherwise, I look for cookbooks with recipes I will actually make. If I’m being practical, that means not a lot of expensive ingredients and not too many individual ingredients in a single dish. I like to try new things, but I don’t want to blow my grocery budget buying several expensive specialty items or even a whole bunch of more reasonable items if I’m never going to use them again.
I will not buy a cookbook if there is not a picture of all the recipes. Cooking is all about your senses and visual is very important.
I usually look for cookbooks that have nice color photos, with a reasonably sized list of ingredients.
Pictures are a must! They make a dish so much more appetizing when I’m making it!
mouth watering pictures are a must!
I look for cookbooks that have ingredients listed by weight. This is particularly important to me for baking cookbooks. I also like cookbooks that include menu suggestions.
We eat with our eyes first, so a good cook book must have fantastic photos to entice me to try the recipe. Secondly, it must be ingredient friendly, meaning not too exotic ingredients where I have to spend a lot of money for limited use ingredients. Finally, it has to contain recipes that I think my family will enjoy.
All about the pictures for me!
I look for at least 50% of the book to have photos of what it is supposed to look like. But a main focus is if I will actually use the types of recipes in it because I am a picky eater so I look for creative ways to try new foods. I also am partial to desserts so I tend to have more cookbooks focused on them than actual food cookbooks.
I look for lots of photos, I don’t like the cookbooks that have only a couple in the center of the book. Also, I decide if I will make most of the recipes or not. If they take forever to make or have hard to find ingredients, then it’s a no for me.
I am looking for easy, not too many ingredients, low fat, healthy reciprs with lots of flavor. I don’t think I make the recipe unless there is a photo.
I love all cookbooks — but I’m always looking for appetizer and dessert recipes, one dish deals and make ahead stuff that’s beautiful enough for entertaining. I mark way more recipes than I ever manage to make — although I have promised myself to cook from a book cover-to-cover one of these days.
I look for easy recipes that don’t require a ton of ingredients or special items that I would have to go out and buy especially for that recipe – although I do make exceptions … if it has some color photographs all the more appealing!
I am drawn to the cover and I read the introduction. Photographs of the recipes are helpful and a glance to see if the ingredients are something I would cook with or are way out there.
I like easy recipes with ingredients I can use again.
While I also look at how many recipes out of the book I will actually make, I am a total sucker for good pictures. I find pictures entice me to make recipes I might not have made without the photo.
I look for appetizing pictures. I want to see what I am going to make before I actually make it. Maybe that’s why I like food blogs so much!
I like cookbooks with recipes with ingredients you have on hand, healthy, not too complicated and really taasty!
I look for recipes my whole family will eat, can be prepared without a laundry list of ingredients, and contain nutritional information per serving.
My first request in a cookbook is easy recipes! I love diversity of recipes and good pictures are plus!
Lots of good pictures! The whole inspiration behind wanting to make a particular recipe starts with a great picture, hands down.
Pictures…I want beautiful colored pictures with every recipe.
I am initially drawn to a cookbook by its cover and the amount and quality of photos inside, but ultimately, it must contain recipes that are not too difficult (i.e time-consuming or hard-to-find ingredients) and that my husband and I would like to eat!
I LOVE your blog! I look for a well thought out book with a picture for each recipe. I also look at ingredients in the recipe. If the lists are just to long with odd ingredients I will pass.
I love awesome photos, especially step by step, and personalization like family stories and such.
When a new cookbook catches my eye, I pick it up and open to a random page, hoping to see a recipe that looks so delicious I want to make it immediately. If so, that is a good indicator for me to buy it. I also look for recipes that are a little creative or different to interest me and “normal” enough that my fiance will eat them. I also check that there aren’t a lot of very expensive or hard to find ingredients.
And, by the way, I will definitely be making this recipe soon!
The first thing that usually catches my eye when skimming through cookbooks are the photos. What ultimately makes me decide to choose a certain book are the quality and ingredients of the recipes. I am fairly picky, so I look through to see how many of the recipes I will try.
I love it when cookbooks have photos not only of the food, but of the steps!
I like cookbooks with photos of the recipes or a good description of the dish. Also a must are complete directions. I am drawn to recipes which I can make everyday/everyweek and not just for special occasions.
Pictures, pictures, and more pictures! I like to see what it “should” look like :)
I like beautiful pictures, first, but the recipes must be practical for the home cook, ie no mile-long ingredient lists or exotic ingredients.
Things I look for in a cookbook—simple instructions, healthy recipes, beautiful pictures. My mother always said that a pretty presentation makes anything taste better.
The first thing that get my attention in cookbooks are the pictures, the colorful the better. Next, it must have detail instruction, I considered myself an avid cook, but sometime the best of us can get it wrong. I also want a cookbook that uses everyday household ingredients or something that could easily be found at your local supermarket. I like a range of recipes for all events, that take you from breakfast to late-night snacks. I also love recipes that can be double or down-sized for large or small gathering. Lastly, I would look for tips, variations, or storage of the dish, they are always nice to have.
Pictures are a big sell with me! But, I also look for something innovative….a new spin on a classic!
My perfect cookbook has budget friendly recipes that contain easy to find ingredients.
I always look for a cookbook that has a lot of ingredients that I already would have on hand and also the number of recipes that I would make out of the cookbook. But saying all that I love cookbooks and have way to many and I love each of them!
I look for simple recipes with only a handful of ingredients that can be done on a weeknight, without having to go shopping for that 1 unique ingredient.
I love the descriptions and stories behind each recipe that the other puts at the top of each page. Its half the reason I will make one of the recipes.
Great photos and the uniqueness of the recipes are what draw me to a cook book :)
I look for vibrant pictures and recipes that use a variety of vegetables and herbs and minimal extras like sauces and sugar
I love cookbooks that have a lot of pictures and recipes that are easy to follow!
I want pictures of every recipe–so I can imagine each dish and get excited about making it. And beyond that, I look for things that sound delicious but not too hard to make.
I first look at the pictures in the cookbook, who doesn’t?! I am then interested in the actual preparation. Recipes that I gravitate towards first are made with ingredients that I mostly have on hand. However, I am not opposed to bookmarking a recipe for later. I love interesting flavor combos and seasonings, so I tend to try those type of recipes first.
I love lots of pictures!
I hate to admit, but if there aren’t good photos, I won’t buy the cookbook. The photos are how I decide if I will like a recipe.
Well, I really love lots of pictures, showing step by step what to do. And home-cookin’ kind of recipes. Recipes that have ingredients easily found.
Illustrative pictures and short ingredient lists!
Thanks for a giveaway. By the way, I can’t wait to try this salad recipe! I always look for great photos – it captures my eyes before anything else does and is a great motivation for me to try new things. I also like cookbooks with ingredients I can get easily, although I live in D.C. and it isn’t difficult to find interesting ingredients, I’d rather fix something with something that I don’t have to order online :-)
I am a dessert person so would love to see desserts in a cookbook- but I feel the recipes should be well written and easy to understand. Plus photographs of different techniques wouldn’t hurt!
Definitely pictures – if it is a recipe book with no pictures I won’t buy it!
When looking for a cookbook, pictures are a MUST for me! I love seeing the finished product. Pictures of the process along the way are also appreciated. Also I look for recipes that I, not just a chef, can make at home and one that includes ingredients that I can find in my local grocery store.
This looks amazing and as always, thank you for sharing. I love looking a cookbooks and the first requirement is photos. I like knowing what the food is suppose to look like when finished (not that it always happens, but if it is completely wrong, I obviously missed a step somewhere). I have never had a rhyme or reason behind my purchase of a book, but now I will figure out the percentage of recipies I would make – this seems very logical.
Pictures and easy to follow directions!
I look for cookbooks that don’t have too many ingredients..or hard to find ones. The simple the better!
I like pictures, easy to find ingredients, new twists on favorites. I love cookbook reading!
Pictures! I want to see what the end product is suppose to look like.
i love cookbooks. it is important to me that each book have recipes i can make for everyday. i like simple, healthy, and great tasting food. this cookbook looks great.
I love great pictures and easy to work with ingredients when purchasing cookbooks.
Cookbooks are kind of a big deal in my house. I have a bunch, and this is not one that I would turn away.
My must haves in a cookbook are photographs and detailed instructions. I’m kind of uptight and like lots of directions. :D
I am still somewhat of a beginner when it comes to cooking so I NEED a somewhat simple recipe, I also will not buy a book that has no pictures. I really like recipes that have ingredients I can find at my local stores. This recipe looks amazing, can’t wait to try it!
Thanks for all you do for us! I have used so many of the recipes from here!
Awesome giveaway! I look for good photos in a cookbook – if helps guide me and know that I’m putting together the dish correctly : )
I look for vibrant photos and nutrition information in cookbooks.
I look for the photos. If the photo looks good, then I am more likely to make that fabulous recipe….hence…YOUR site! I LOVE it. I am new to it and have already gone back to the very beginning choosing which recipes I like. I have made a whole folder on my computer with JUST your recipes in it. Thanks for posting. You have a super gift of photographing food and making some GREAT dishes. Thank you!!!
I love cookbooks with lots of pictures, and also recipes that don’t have a bajillion ingredients that are hard to find.
I look for easy to read text, simple instructions, and some great full color photos to get me excited about the end result!
I like cookbooks with lots of pictures – I like to see what the finished product should look like.
I usually look for recipes with easy-to-obtain ingredients that I can afford on my college student budget. Nice, bright pictures are always a plus. I love flipping through cookbooks with lots of pictures – it’s so inspiring!
I’m definitely all about the pictures when it comes to a cookbook. I feel like if I see the food & it looks delicious, I’ll want to make that recipe over one that does not include a pic. It’s visually stimulating. I also find it helpful when it shows pictures at different stages of the cooking/baking process. It’s almost like a reassurance that I’m doing the steps correctly. Keep up the good work, Annie! I adore your site! :)
Saw Christina on The Talk and the recipes looked easy then, your endorsement means alot so if I don’t win, then will most probably buy the cookbook. For you to tell us that the recipes are easy to make means alot, after thinking about what your schedule is like for you to say easy, lets me know it will be the same for me! Thanks for a great blog, i’ve sent links to you to many of my “food friends”
kathy
Pictures! Colorful pictures are so important, they are always what catches my eye. A mix of healthy recipes and indulgent recipes, including some awesome desserts. Good instructions with helpful hints are nice too!
I like to see the estimates for preparation time.
And, even though I love good cooking in all its forms (deserts too), I like to see the nutritional information because sometimes I keep track of that.
I always look for good pictures because I eat with my eyes first! I also love reading through the desserts and making sure they sound delicious!
I love a cookbook that uses common ingredients, but unique dishes.
I look for cookbooks that have beautiful pictures, easy recipes, and everyday ingredients. Photos of the steps are a great thing too.
Pictures don’t matter so much to me, I just need very clear instructions and common ingredients. That may sound like an odd request, but I’m still a novice in the kitchen who works part time and attends college full time, so I just don’t have the time or energy to search for unusual ingredients in the supermarket all day much less figure out how to use them once I get home!
I am usually first drawn to the photos, because I am totally an “eat with your eyes” type of gal. But even more important than the photos are the tried and tested recipes. If the author gives me confidence that the recipes are SERIOUSLY good, I will sway towards that book. Family recipes, secret ingredients, and twists on classics are key.
I look for great photos along with each recipe and tips/tricks …like the batter should be lumpy or the soup should have a watery consistency at this point. It helps me make sure that I’m on the right track. That’s what I love about food blogs!
Pictures are definitely important to me–if for no other reason than because I want to know what I am getting into! I also like some story behind the recipes (though not so much that you have 300 pages and only 12 recipes), and extras like makings of a good meal, what to pair with what, and substitutions–in case I can’t find that rare ingredient–are always appreciated. I also like to know the nutrition content of the recipes–assuming I eat a regular serving.
I need photos in a book to entice me to make it! If there aren’t any photos, odds are good that I won’t make it!
I’m all about the type of recipes and the pictures. I like to get an idea of what the dish will actually look like once it’s in my kitchen!
I love looking at the pictures in a cookbook first. The deciding factor is either the layout or glancing at a few recipes!
I look for detailed pictures so that I am able to replicate the recipe pretty close to the original. Also I look for lots of desserts and breads because I am more into baking then cooking.
I love looking at cookbooks. The photos definitely draw my attention first. I also look for recipes that I would definitely try. I guess I want there to be at least a few fairly uncomplicated recipes with fairly common ingredients. I don’t want the majority of the cookbook to be too “crazy” as I would be unlikely to attempt the recipes.
I always look for a picture that corresponds with each recipe!
Cookbooks for me need to draw me in with the photos, but they have to keep the promise with versatility, meaning, the recipes can’t have too many “odd” ingredients, but if they do, hopefully there are more than one recipe within that contain that particular item! (a suggestion for leftovers are a big sell too– but that would be a bonus!)
thanks for the opportunity to enter this drawing Annie!
~Jamie
Pictures are a huge part of why I will buy certain cookbooks. There is just something about seeing what the finished product “should” look like that I love. Actually one of the huge reasons that I love your site too. When deciding whether or not to try a certain recipe, if there a picture, I am way more apt to end up trying it!
I love cookbooks with colorful pictures. I like to know what the end result should look like so I know if I messed up too bad. I am addicted to food magaziznes and blogs, mostly if I like the way it looks I will try it but if it does not look good I am not sure I would give it a go.
Pictures are helpful, but simple recipes with easy-to-find ingredients are key!
This recipe looks amazing! I am very easily distracted by pictures in a cookbook. If that is combined with recipes using ingredients I usually have on hand, I’m sold!
First I look at the pictures then I look at the list of ingredients. If there is too many listed then I will skip it and move on to the next!
I love to see pictures of what I am going to make-I am an artist, so am a visual person. I also like recipes that have ordinary ingredients that I have actually heard of. Many times I pass up recipes if I think my 3 kids won’t eat them-my oldest can be picky, he gets it from his father. LOL
when it comes to a cookbook, i’m always drawn in by the photos, after all we eat with our eyes first! but then i consider how many of the recipes i would make, and how time and budget friendly the recipes are. i also really like a cookbook that has recipes that feature my pantry staples, and are healthy and make enough for leftovers.
Just found your site and I LOVE it!!!
I rarely will cook something that doesn’t have a picture….so seeing what the final dish looks like is a MUST for me! Also, recipes with long lists of ingredients and/or specialty items are a no for me.
I have 3 main criteria when deciding to buy a cookbook. Great pictures, commonly found ingredients and well explained and easy to execute recipes.
Christina Ferrare is a beautiful, gutsy and awesome fiftyplus-and-fabulous-something, as am I. I would love to win her cookbook Big Bowl of Love. What I look for in a cookbook is ideas, recipes, and skills that will help me create meals that are not only beautiful and delicious, but ones that my family will associate with the beauty of our family around the table and the delight we take in each other’s company. I want my children, nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends to remember meals at my home to be filled with laughter, fun and family first, and mplenty of good food second. I want a smell or recollection of a particular food to stimulate how they feel in my home and the love our family has for each other. This is done by preparing wonderful food with love, and that is whap Big Bowl of Love is about.
I could look at a cookbook with nice pictures forever, but I really look for accessible ingredients in the recipes.
Pictures are a must for me next to easy to find ingredients!
I like old fashioned cookbooks where everything is scratch cooking without mentioning certain products or brand names. Pictures are nice, but not required. Availablility of ingredients is key. Cost is not really a factor, but sometimes I’ll cut a recipe down to the bare minimum serving or two just to be able to try it out if the ingredients are really expensive.
I like your website. If you published a cookbook featuring the recipes you’ve collected. I’d buy it.
I like you look at the recipes and if I would make a majority of them I will buy it.
Pretty pictures hook me!
Pictures are a must. I want to see what I cook and get excited about it. I also love international recipes. I love to travel but don’t get to as often as I would like but by cooking and eating food from different regions, it satisfies not only my travel bug (a little) but also my appetite…
Great Pictures and lots of desserts!!:)
I love great pictures – that’s what draws me into a cook book!
I love cookbooks with beautiful pictures inside. It draws me in and makes me want to prepare those dishes!
Easy to follow recipes as well as pictures that leave me drooling and I could eat the page. LOL
When it comes to desserts, I like to see pictures.
For everything, easy to follow recipes.
When looking at a cookbook, I look for big taste but healthy. I want to eat good foods and be able to feel good about eating them.
The photos of course! I love looking at pictures of food!
Most of the cookbooks I love have great photos and plenty of recipes that really appeal but they’ve got to have easy to follow instructions. I’ll pass up photos for illustrations if it means that I can actually pull off the recipe.
I look through and see if I would make the biggest part of the recipes and it has to have good pictures!
good pictures!
Hi Annie!
My husband and I are both full time college students so when we look for a cookbook we look for delicious recipes that we can make on a budget,which is why we both love your blog so much! Thank you so much for all the great recipes.
I love photos in cookbooks. However, I love when the nutritional analysis is given.
When looking for a cookbook, I look for easy recipes with simple ingredients that I would normally have. I hate having to buy an ingredient that I will only use once and the rest will then go to waste. I am a new mommy, so I look for somewhat easy recipes that don’t intimidate me! I also love pictures! I feel like I am more likely to make a food when I see the picture first. Love the blog Annie!
I love when cookbooks have beautiful pictures and have detailed instructions, just like your blog! You have beautiful pictures, you should write a book!
Well the pictures of course!! haha. I like a cookbook that has easy, fast and healthy recipes. Also it can’t have any weird ingredients that i have never heard of or can’t find :)
A picture of most if not all the recipes.
I look for cookbooks with recipes that will appeal to the whole family.
I definitely look for great pictures and recipes with few ingredients that feature lots of fresh produce!
Absolutely for the photos and for tons of desserts!!
I have some of the classics (Joy of Cooking, Julia Child). Most of my recipes I find online, and keep my favorites in a 3-ring binder. But the cookbooks I bought mostly served a particular food type (Italian, vegetarian, bread). I would also buy a book if I read a good review or heard good things about it from TV or a friend.
I look for “inspiration”- sometimes it’s pictures, sometimes it’s interesting combinations of ingredients, sometimes it just tickles my fancy. I like to read cookbooks, too, so it doesn’t always have to be stuff I will actually make at this point in my life, it could be stuff I hope I’ll be able to make some time in the future.
Pictures always catch my eye, but I also love to read the descriptions and stories that come with the recipes
I am always looking for great appetizers and finger foods to serve at parties. I especially love make ahead recipes so I can be relaxed when our guests arrive. Love Annie’s Eats!!
Good pictures + Delicious recipes = Great cookbook!
Sometimes when there are far too many steps without any photos, I get flustered and feel like I have trouble with simple reading comprehension. Don’t get me started on Masterting the Art of French Cooking.
So I love detailed step by step (or at least a few) photos so I can literally see what everything’s suppose to look like.
Every single recipe seems to be online so if I’m going to go buy a cookbook… I definitely need substance. I love a cook book that is detail oriented, and recipes where it isn’t unnecessarily complex, sometimes, no matter how non-fancy it may be, the simplest is the most enjoyed! (Looking at you Ina Garten… ;D)
Thank you for the giveaway opp!
A great photo really helps me visualize what the end product should look like…textures, consistency of sauces, etc. I LOVE when a cookbook has a color photo for every single recipe!
I like cookbooks with recipes that have unique, healthy ingredients. I love making recipes that are from scratch with whole foods. I steer clear of recipes with processed ingredients. Photographs help but aren’t necessary.
When looking for a cookbook it has to have pictures. It not only helps when making the dish but it helps when picking out a recipe. I am much more likely to make something if it looks yummy!
I look for cookbooks that are versatile. I have lots of cookbooks, inluding, specialty cookbooks, but I find myself going to Joy of Cooking and Everyday Food’s Great Food Fast time and again for one easy reason: whatever I’m looking for, they’ll have it. Simple or fancy, fast or slow, meaty or meat-free, I’ve made lots of different dishes from just two cookbooks. The idea of having to buy one book for healthy cooking, one for Italian, etc. is a bummer–and I don’t have room for all of them in my small apartment!
I travel a lot, so I try to find a cookbooks actually written and published overseas (hopefully with English translations!) I’m always looking for more authentic ways to cook dishes from other places – even if I have to convert measurements and ingredients. Photos and stories about the food also entice me.
A cookbook has to have pictures! I never use a cookbook that is just made up of recipes…silly idea.
The first thing that usually draws me to a cookbook is vivid, enticing photos of the food… however, I LOVE Cook’s Illustrated (the magazine) so go figure! :) But besides that, the cookbook I’m going to want to buy is one that has family-friendly recipes with a gourmet edge. And to-die-for desserts. ;)
This looks delicious! I look for recipes that don’t require a ton of ingredients but are unique and fun!
Pictures get my attention first, but then I try to make sure I have most of the ingredients at home.
I love cookbooks that have a variety of recipes with photos for each one – I want to know what my food should look like when I am done!
These really sound wonderful. I have always adored croquettes. The parmesan, romano, chicken and feta, mixed with the marvelous seasoning appear unbeatable. Thanks.
I love pretty pictures of pretty food! Also, an organized cookbook!
I don’t buy many cookbooks because of space. For me to buy one it would have to be well-rounded (I don’t need 101 cookie recipes), and have plenty of kid-friendly recipes–fancy dinners are nice but I need things my whole family will eat. And most of the recipes need to be fast/easy/simple, although a few more involved ones are welcome too.
I look for a cookbook with a lot of pictures because I like to try and make mine look exactly like theirs… if not better!
I love to have pictures in a cookbook but ultimately I look for ones that have recipes that I think would appeal to my family-basic foods with a bit of pizazz.
My cookbook collection ranges from Amish cookbooks that are bound together at a Kinko’s type place, and made with a typewriter and no pictures, to Food Network Stars’ cookbooks with glossy pages, step-by-step instructions, and full-color, full-page photos.
I really look for cookbooks that contain new takes on recipes I already love. You can never have enough variations on your favorites; chili, mac & cheese, and cupcakes, are some of ours.
I love to collect cookbooks! Pretty pictures and a mixture of fast and easy recipes and more advanced recipes. With lots of desserts!
I’m a big fan of pictures. Of course, the recipes have to be great, but I love the food porn! Thanks for the giveaway.
I like cookbooks with great pictures, easy to follow directions and accessible ingredients.
in cookbooks, i like one that has lots of pictures and more importantly i look at the ingredients. i like the cookbooks that have recipes with only a few ingredients- and no obscure ingredients that i wouldn’t have in my spice drawer.
I love cookbooks with lots of pictures because I definitely eat with my eyes first. If it doesn’t look pretty, I don’t want to eat it! I also like cookbooks with unusual ingredients because I’m always looking to expand my culinary horizons.
I look for cookbooks, which have a good selection of unique vegetarian recipes, and lots of great desserts, especially dark chocolate ones. Must be well written, with the recipes well organized, along with great photos.
I am always looking for new recipes that can satisfy everyone’s tastes. I like to experiment and try new things as I am more of a beginner. When you’re only 20 years old and have 5 younger brothers and sisters it’s hard to cook and make everyone happy. 3 will eat anything, while 2 usually stick to hot dogs. My parents are usually pretty exhausted by the end of the day so I’m searching the internet for some new recipes! I like to sneak healthy things in or call the dish something else just so the picky ones won’t know until they are halfway finished! Homey meals are just perfect for my family :)
I love gorgeous photos in a cookbook but I also usually try to stick to simple recipes that I know I’ll be able to successfully pull off!
omg i loove this salad!! I’ll make it soon, i loved the idea of the feta croquettes!! Looks great!
I am a visual girl. If the food looks good, I make it. I LOVE the Moosewood cookbook – everything I have made from there has been YUMMY, but hardly ever use it b/c no PICTURES!
Interesting recipes that I want to try, good price. Not so much the photos – some of my favorite cookbooks contain not a single photo.
Easy ingredients!
I look for quick,easy family-friendly recipes with ingredients I would normally have on-hand.
What I look for in a cookbook is great pictures since I always feel like my meals don’t look the way they should. Also for meals that my whole family will eat!
i always check. if there is enough cake recipes for different occasions, good and easy to follow instructions.
I won’t buy a cookbook without pictures! Even if I don’t make most of the recipes in a cookbook, it’s a lot of fun to just look!
Pictures draw me in, then if most recipes look basic and generally require items that are not out of the ordinary for me. I have 3 kids 4 and under so it has to be simple and quick!
I look for a picture with bright colorful pictures, that is what gets my attention on a recipe, like Andrew Zimmern says: “if it looks good, eat it”
I love cookbooks- I read them cover to cover! I look for easy recipes with nice photos!
I am so easily sucked in by ANY cookbook that I do need to make sure it passes the “usage” test first or I would go broke buying cookbooks. I look through and make sure I would actually make a great deal of the recipes before I buy…similar to your method I think.
I look for relatively easy recipes that my family (including a 3 year old and a 1 year old) will eat, and pictures are a big plus!
This salad looks great! I do love pictures that help explain how to make the recipe (especially for more complicated recipes). But I also look for good, basic recipes that look like something my family would enjoy but that could also be suitable for company.
Simple recipes with items found in most kitchens.
I definitely prefer a cookbook with photos.
I love the pictures and I also like to look at the different ingredients…its an excuse to go do some shopping :)
I look for variety in a cookbook, lots of different recipes that I might actually make. Pictures are a bonus! I love your blog, you’re always making something that sounds great & include wonderful photos. My attempts never look as good as yours!
Alisa
I look for cookbooks with lots of desserts and I also like to find cookbooks that have at least one recipe thats unlike anything I’ve tried before because I love trying new things! I also love cookbooks that have great photos because I like being able to see the finished product.
I love looking at the pictures in a cookbook. That is what catches my interest first, but I also look for healthy, fresh ingredients. I am a mother of a two year old, so I try to make everything from scratch and keep it very healthy!
Lately I have really been enjoying cookbooks that are divided by the seasons. That way I can be sure to cook using the freshest, most flavorful ingredients according to what’s in season. I also love when cookbooks are in menu format so that you can easily prepare an entire menu where each dish is complimentary to the others. Also, I love pictures! They are fun to look at and a great source of inspiration!
I look for pictures.
And, vegetarian/fish recipes, or if the meat recipes can be easily translated to veggie versions.
I like lots of pictures. I don’t cook much so pics help me visualize the end product!
I love dessert cookbooks with lots of pictures. This cookbook looks very fun!
The cover has to grab my interest and the recipes have to have clear concise directions. In addition the things I try have to work out consistently great tasting! Pictures really entice me.
I look for great photos!! and im a total sucker for great packaging and covers!!
Pictures! If something doesn’t have a picture, I don’t make it!
I like to use a cookbook when I can’t just think of something on my own–so appetizing pictures are a must for me!
I tend to look for cookbooks with lots of pictures. If the picture looks good, then I read the recipe to determine if I want to try it.
i look for good photos and things that can be made with meat and vegetarian- i’m veg and my husband eats meat!
The one thing I like to see in a cookbook, but is often not offered, is an index that lists a recipe and page by major ingredients. For example, if I’m looking for a recipe that contains feta or spinach or pork, I can find all recipes with the specific ingredient I want to feature in a meal. This way I can shop sales and easily find recipes for my great deals. Secondly, are pictures although my dishes never quite arise to that level of presentation perfection.
definitely pictures for me and recipes that don’t take hours to prepare.
I look for pictures to inspire me and recipes that help me step outside my comfort zone without having to run constantly to the grocery store.
I look for books that have healthy recipes! Or good recipes that can have an alternate healthly way.
Pictures!! I look for lots of pictures in a cookbook. I think that’s why I love food blogs so much… so many pretty pictures! :)
I love cookbooks and received 21 of them at my wedding shower five years ago! What I look for most in a cookbook is layout, design, ease of use, and of course PICTURES! I have a journalism background so when words and pictures “jump” off the page I’m instantly in love. Specifically, though, I have to have a cookbook that’s easy to read and the font isn’t too small that I need a magnify stick next to the stove or mixer. I want to be able to place the book on the book-stand, gather my ingredients, and GO! One of my favorite cookbooks is a mini-sized cupcake tutorial. Baking is so scientific, but this booklet makes it seem effortless. The book itself isn’t very big but the pages include a nice blend of tips, recipes, and pictures. They even provided an easy step-by-step guide (with pictures!) for making the most basic cupcake. Every recipe in the book follows this simple recipe. And, for a small booklet, it fits in my book-stand and I can read the font perfectly while whisking and frosting.
Thanks for hosting a giveaway, this cookbook looks wonderful!
When I review a new cookbook I am always drawn to recipes that use common pantry and refrigerator items in unusual ways. I don’t mind if the ingredient list is long but I hate to have to run around town for that one key item not found in my local market. Another thing — it is especially helpful (but not always found) when the recipe index provides several references to different ingredients like buttermilk, lemons or sour cream — items I might have on hand but leftover from another recipe. Love color pictures of the dish too (step-by-step photos are nice but not essential).
When I look over a cookbook there are a few things I look for. As a collegiate lightweight rower I have to stay under 130 pounds which is difficult if you like to bake all the time like me. Therefore I look for cookbooks that use healthier ingredients like less salt and more fruit and vegetables in interesting ways. I love putting fruit into savory dishes, its my favorite way to add something different to a dish.
On the other hand I also love to bake. So when the holidays come around I look for desserts that will really knock everyones socks off. Something that looks and tastes delicious but is either maybe a spin on a classic dessert or something no one has ever seen before.
I love cookbooks with great pictures and detailed instructions! And they must have recipes that I would actually make! :)
I tend to look for great pictures, and detailed instructions in a cookbook. If a cookbook makes my mouth water by just flipping through it then I immediately want to buy it :)
*love* your blog! When looking for a cookbook, good recipes and pictures are key. However, the deciding factor on what makes a good cookbook to me are the stories that go with each recipe. I have been known to spend my free time (the little that I have with 5 little guys) pouring over a cookbook…reading it like a novel. I think that’s why I love your blog. The food looks fantastic and I love to read the story behind the recipe…whatever that story is! Thanks
It must have photos! And ingredient lists with items I usually have in my pantry/fridge.
It’s all about the pictures for my family! I have tried time and time again to get my guys interested in a recipe by listing ingredients, but if their’s no picture, they can’t envision what it will turn out like. If i just show them a quick picture of something great, they are all over it!
I love when cookbooks have lots of great photos…but maybe more important is how the recipes and directions sound to me. If it sounds good and looks good, it usually is in my experience!!
I love pictures. When I get a new cookbook, my favorite thing is to sit down and read it cover to cover. I also love cookbooks that are organized well.
Annie, you rock! Your site is awesome.
I look for recipes that I’d want to make and that appeal to my and my husband’s tastes. I also prefer them to be fairly easy and not take too many exotic ingredients that I’d buy only for that recipe and then not be able to use up. Great photography is always a plus!
I look for a book with pictures that make the food look yummy and recipes with basic ingredients that my whole family will enjoy.
I look for a cookbook with quick recipes that use ingredients I tend to have on hand often!
When purchasing a cookbook, I am always drawn to the photos; and then how complicated they are; and how readily available the ingredients are. I think that is why I love Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman Cooks – beautiful pictures, easy recipes. Thanks.