Omnivore Books storefront on Cesar Chavez, near Church St
I’ve pretty much stopped buying new cookbooks in physical form. They’re hard to schlep around, inconvenient to refer to while you’re cooking, and it’s a tragedy when you splash hot grease on your favorite photo. My growing Kindle library is always available, and the visuals still look pretty good if viewed on an iPad. (Opinions expressed are my own. When I got into a discussion on this topic on Facebook, most chefs said they prefer the physical item. But professional chefs tend to be very tactile folks.)
My spoils from today’s visit, including bonus book bag
Used cookbooks (as well as those that are so rare you can’t buy an electronic edition) are a very different story. When I get back to San Francisco I often make my way to Omnivore Books, uphill from the Mission on Cesar Chavez Blvd, to see what treasures may be lurking. Today I was in search of print-only specialty food magazines recently written up in the New York Times and any remaining books from the collection retiring chef Paula Wolfert bequeathed to the food community.
Wolfert’s stash, at this late date, is down to a few obscure Middle Eastern titles. (Realizing the onset of dementia would make it increasingly difficult to cook from her library, she simply let them go. The books appeared at Green Apple as well as here, and each one has her bookplate and, if you’re lucky, a few handwritten notes on the pages.) My magazine search was more successful. I found Dill, a wonderfully approachable collection of articles and ideas about Asian noodles, and Tooth Ache, a pastry chef’s rag which has beautiful photos but techniques that are way beyond my skills.
Omnivore also hosts author events where food writers discuss their ideas and are available for questions and to sign your books. Jacques Pepin, Edward Lee and Nigella Lawson will be in the little store at various events this April… a pretty impressive list, no? If these events are anything like the one I attended for Andrea Nguyen a couple of years ago, a sampling of sample foods from their books just may be available. But in any case there is plenty of good food in the neighborhood.
If you can’t visit Omnivore Books in person, their website is an excellent resource. You can look up current inventory (including author-signed books) and make requests for your wish list. Check it out.
Haven’t been to Omnivore in several years (actually haven’t been down to Noe Valley in a few years; need to remedy that), but it’s wonderful to experience it again vicariously. It’s too bad great culinary bookstores are so few and far between – one would think that in the age of 24/7 food programming and a proliferation of self-styled “foodies,” there would be considerable demand for these resources – but I suppose you also have the unfortunate decline of the independent bookstore in general. In any event, I suppose you’ve explored Bonnie Slotnick’s eponymous shop a little closer to home? Another treasure.
Thanks for the tip. Have bookmarked for my next trip to NYC.