Cookbooks in the internet age

While many home chefs may question the need for old style cookbooks, they do unquestionably offer something the internet rarely does: focus. A well-crafted cookbook is more than just a collection of recipes; it’s a curated journey through a cuisine, a culture, or a cook’s personal philosophy. It tells a story. The layout, the pacing, the photography, even the font, all contribute to a sense of immersion that a blinking screen cannot quite match. There are no pop-up ads or social media distractions between the various steps involved in preparing a dish.

Cookbooks can and do offer continuity. Online recipes come and go, or frequently change without warning. A trusted cookbook, dog-eared and pages stained with a variety of liquids, becomes a companion over time-reliable, tactile, and often passed down through generations. For writers, especially those with a passion for storytelling, the cookbook remains an ideal canvas: a place where food and narrative meet.

The internet and cookbooks can - and do - coexist. Many cooks discover recipes online, then turn to books for deeper learning. And for Spanish cuisine, with its rich regional diversity and deep historical roots, from fideuá to patatas a lo pobre, a thoughtfully written cookbook still serves a purpose: to inform, inspire, and preserve tradition.

So it’s too early to bin the contents of the cookbook shelf. It is continually evolving-and still very much fit or purpose. And there is nothing to be ashamed of in having a small laptop on one of the kitchen surfaces either.