I like this thai cookbook a lot.. Real Vegetarian Thai. I particularly like the fact that her directions are very detailed and she has great recipe for the basics from scratch - red curry paste, panang curry, various stocks etc. I realize that if I understand the logic of the cooking style, I can cook better. So the curry pastes are basically like a thick pesto that can be diluted as needed for various dishes. Like pesto, they also freeze well in icecube trays. So I can make various curry pastes in one sitting (most of the ingredients are similar except chilli color) and "assemble" the dish in a short time for dinner with just some chunks of tofu, veggies etc. The other thing I realized is using the right ingredient makes a huge difference. I live in the hub of asians in SF bay area and have several chinese grocery stores near me but some ingredients from a thai grocery store gave it that special flavor. Thai soy sauce (much thicker.. almost like a reduction of balsamic vinegar), thai palm sugar, thai red rice, thai sticky rice, also kefir lime leaves, thai chillies, galangal (ginger is not quite the same), lemon grass, tamarind (not paste). Most of these freeze well as well.

Grainlady's suggestion is a good one. You can explore the cookbooks without paying out any money and you may just discover that you really don't think they're worth investing in at all. I've been dealing with low sodium cooking for about three years now. I started a blog about it last year. If you go to my blog you'll find a section listing low sodium information websites. I'd definitely recommend Low Sodium Cooking.com and MegaHeart.com. http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/ http://www.megaheart.com/ Both the websites also contain recipes, helpful information, and a free newsletter that you can sign up for. Also, both website authors have published low sodium cookbooks. You could make a point of looking for their books. Or just refer to their recipe sections. Grainlady hit on an important concept. Rather than trying new recipes, you can learn to adapt your favorite dishes and still produce tasty meals. Here is a link that might be useful: Low Sodium Cooking Blog

I have a few favorites left out of the many I've owned over the years. I've seen these Leisure Arts Memories In the Making Series in our local public library and have used them many times. "In the Nick of Time" "It's In the Bag!" "Quick Gifts of Good Taste" (there are several versions of this title) "The Cookie Jar" (covers all seasons and great ways to package cookies with lots of cookie recipes) Better Homes and Gardens has a number of them. It seems like Sunset also came out with them each year. Check your public library for some title ideas. -Grainlady

Martha, I enjoyed reading your blog about your cookbook club. Sounds like y'all have great fun and super road trips! (Click on photo to see full recipe) I made this recipe the month that we had a brunch theme. It is from the Birmingham Junior League Tables of Content cookbook. If you need a meat to pair with it, try Millionaire Bacon. I first ate Millionaire Bacon at Fred's Coffee Shop in Sausalito, CA. It was divine. I use the recipe below from BaconToday.com, except I cut back on the cayenne and black pepper. I probably only use 1/2 teaspoon of each. And, 5 Tablespoons of brown sugar will only cover a bit over a 1/2 lb of bacon for me. Millionaire Bacon 1 pound of thick-cut bacon 5 tbsp packed brown sugar 1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper 1 tsp. Black Pepper Directions: Line a baking pan with foil. Combine all of your spices and sugar together into a bowl and mix thoroughly. If you want your bacon more coated in sweet and spicy flavor, add more ingredients to your liking. Apply liberally to each strip of bacon by taking each strip and hand rubbing them. Bake until crisp for 20- 30 minutes (depending upon your crispy liking). Please let your bacon cool a little after you’ve made this recipe. NOTE from bbstx: Keep a close eye on the bacon after about the 15 minute mark. The ends will burn. I sometimes cover the ends with strips of foil to prevent burning. Do not attempt to drain this bacon on paper towels. You will end up picking little pieces of paper off the very sticky bacon - or, if you're like me, you'll get frustrated and just eat the little giblets of paper!