The Great Cookbook Caper

I have a cookbook on my bookshelf with a very interesting inscription.

"Dear Moira, You mean as much to me as this cookbook does to you. Love ___"

Even back at the tender age of 19, I was clearly in love with cookbooks. There are very few cookbooks I have ever met that I didn't like for some reason or another.

If I have been remiss in not telling you about The Good Cookbook Club, please forgive me. It is one of those clubs that you sign up for to receive free (or almost free) books. You then make a commitment to purchase a certain number of other books in a certain amount of time. My friend Elaine told me about The Good Cookbook Club. Elaine is a fellow cookbook lover and I hope she doesn't mind my saying this but, she has WAY more cookbooks than even I do! She mentioned the club to me and I immediately signed up. That was a couple of years ago and I was quick to fulfill my commitment of purchasing four more books at the discounted prices. About a year ago, I decided it was time to sign up once again. I went online to www.thegoodcook.ca and picked out my 3 books for $1 each. Then I waited for them to arrive. They never did.

At the time, I figured that it was just as well and I probably shouldn't have been spending money on more cookbooks anyway. This brings us up to about three months ago. I was feeling like I wanted some inspiration, in the cooking department, and I decided to sign up again. I carefully made my selections, checked off the "Bill Me Later" box, and hoped that this time would work. I received an email saying that they had received my request and the books would arrive soon. I waited and I waited, losing my patience as the time dragged on. I phoned the head office and inquired as the status of my order. They said they didn't see an order under my name and maybe I would like to try again.

I was not about to give up at this point so I decided to sign up one more time, using Alan's name. I received the confirmation email again and then I double checked with someone at their head office that indeed the books would be arriving, under the name of Alan Sanders.

Just a few weeks ago, I received "Alan's books" in the mail. Four beautiful, colourful, expensive cookbooks. Let me mention that should you decide to join the cookbook club, make sure you order the most expensive books that you want, when you are getting them for $1 each (I suppose that goes without saying!). The offer is also for 3 books for $1 each but for an extra $9.99, you can receive a fourth book of your choice. Alan saw all the new cookbooks and I sheepishly mentioned that they had arrived under his name. He wasn't concerned at all and life was good.

The fly in the ointment arrived about a week ago. Another package to pick up at the post office. A package addressed to me. From The Good Cookbook Club. Do you see where this is heading? I brought the box home and put it out of the way so I had time to think. I should have sent that box right back to where it came from when I was standing in front of the post lady. If you don't open the box, there is no charge to send it back and that would have nipped it in the bud. But no, I gave in to the huge temptation and brought it home. If only I could remember what books I had ordered under my name, I would know if this box was full of the same cookbooks that I was already enjoying! If only I wasn't so quick to empty my deleted emails box!

When Alan returned home from the office that night, he saw the box unopened and asked me about it. I told him what had happened. The furrowed brow and tight lips did nothing to help my decision. In fact, able to hold out no longer, I opened the new box the next morning. Oh, happy days! Only two of the books were ones that I had ordered under Alan's name, and the other two were cookbooks that I was thrilled to acquire. I am sure I know someone who would like a copy of Jamie Oliver's book "Jamie's Italy", or a new baking book called "Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters" by Marilynn & Sheila Brass.

My other new books are as follows:

"A Baker's Tour" by Nick Malgieri
"Baking: From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan
"Organic Housekeeping" by Ellen Sandbeck
"Tartine" by Elisabeth Prueitt & Chad Robertson

Now I am on the hook for 8 more cookbooks, but let's face it, this is not a problem when a cookbook obsession runs as deep as mine does!