My Cookbook Collection

Food is one of the things I completely enjoy about life.  Cooking food and then eating it to me is part of having a spiritual experience.  My parents are from the Republic of Panama and I was born there.  I was brought to the USA six days after my second birthday.  I grew up eating Spanish and West Indian Foods.  Every meal of the day, including breakfast, is a big deal and highly flavorful.  When I was growing up, every Sunday we ate coconut rice and peas, fried plantains, cook up chicken, lettuce-tomato-cucumber salad and potato salad.  Sometimes my Mom also included a beef dish, but I was never a big fan of beef so I did not eat it much when Mom prepared it.  I did like spareribs, so if my Mom prepared that I would eat it. I still love spareribs, but I do not eat it anymore.  I also love ham, but I do not eat that anymore either simply because it is better not to.  I still eat chicken but not often.  To me there is a big difference in taste when the chicken is organic.  I love fish, king crab, shrimps and continue to indulge in eating them.  I do not eat seafood often either, but when I do feel like having some I will not deny myself the pleasure.  In Panama the seafood that comes out of the Atlantic ocean is so delicious.  When seafood is fresh like that it does not stink up your kitchen when you are preparing it.

I have quite a large collection of cookbooks.  I love purchasing cookbooks but I had to put a serious stop to that because of space issues.  Below are pictures of some of my cookbooks.