Me too, reading cookbooks all day.
However, when we moved last summer, I did the Kon Mari decluttering on all our possessions. Most of my books were in boxes. I really had way too many. I donated more than half of my cookbook collection. Held each book in my hand and gave it a good think. Would I ever use it? Was I holding on to it for nostalgia sake? Did I truly treasure it?
I got rid of about 90% of my non cook books that way, and at least half of my cookbook collection. And I am ok. There are still many recipes to find (this thread is a testament), and I did save my most precious ones.
I moved a couple of years ago & did a similar thing with my cookbooks - quite a few I had gotten for a couple of dollars & they were ‘interesting’, but not anything I cooked out of regularly (if at all) so off they went to a donation center.
Most of my “go to” recipes, I kept in a loose leaf notebook - xeroxed or copied over from family recipes. My aunts’ churches (and ours) have put out cookbooks so I got recipes that way - ones my aunts had contributed, plus favorites from folks they know or members of our church. Two of my very favorite recipes are from ladies in our church (now deceased, unfortunately). There was also, back in the ‘90’s, a series of recipes in the Parade Magazine by the Silver Palate chefs. I kept almost all of those recipes & made quite a few for dinners & parties (including a surprise anniversary party for my folks) - some of my favorites.
Over the years, I put many recipes on my laptop as scans or I typed them up & tried to organize them in my documents with folders, etc. Sometimes it was hard to find a recipe I KNEW I had .... frustrating. After looking at recipe programs for several years, this past December, I purchased a recipe program called “Home Cookin’”. It doesn’t have all the ‘bells & whistles’ of some of the popular big programs, but I like the fact that it’s mostly ‘unstructured’. The search function is terrific so it’s easy to find recipes & I figured out a way to ‘tag’ recipes, too. I have put on 168 recipes to date. As I’ve gone through my notebook & the recipes saved as documents, I’m also doing that same review .... will I ever make this? Do I really want to clutter up HC with it? So far, it’s been a fun process and I’ve been reminded of some really good recipes that I let slip through the cracks over the years.
On HC, you can save recipes or information. I have one info page set up for links like the ‘vintage recipes’ so if I want to go explore some of the other categories, I won’t forget about it. :-)