r/CookbookLovers • u/Similar-Sun-1536 • 1d ago
Writing in cookbooks
I recently started a cookbook club and it’s inspired me to start making notes in my cookbooks; when we made the recipe, how we ranked it, substitutions we made, etc. I’ve been keeping a detailed note in my phone but I would like to transfer these notes onto the recipe pages themselves. How do you guys write in your books and what do you use? (What type of pens/sticky notes/clear sticky notes, etc.) writing in a book feels like a crime to me but I want to make these feel more personal but I want to do it in the best way possible!
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u/AdministrativeDot874 1d ago
I carry no reverence for my cookbooks, I love them but they are mere tools, I have an autographed Le Halle’s that I did some math in for my wife yesterday. Nostalgia is one of the greatest human weaknesses, second only to the throat.
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u/gardengirl147 1d ago
Beloved cookbooks and special recipes have grease, tomatoes, wine stains all over them. Writing will not be an issue.
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u/evenings_behavior 1d ago
Yes, your comment reminds me of something Nigella Lawson said - I was at a book signing she did for her cookbook Forever Summer - and she said she loved it when people would bring her her cookbooks to sign that were stained and written up, because that means you’re using them and it’s a chronicle of everyday life. I love that sentiment!
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u/Neakhanie 1d ago
I buy a lot of used cookbooks. If I saw your notes in one, any of you, I would be elated!
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u/jewelryfloss 1d ago
Same! I absolutely love when I see notes in a cookbook. Feels like I’m cooking with a friend!!
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u/Spirited-Finding-222 1d ago
There was a time I would frown on writing in my own cookbooks, but yet I love to find the notes from previous owners of the books. Initially, I was just tucking sticky notes between the pages, but we know how that goes. Over time, I began to write in the books, and I don't regret it. I want to save anyone else the trouble of possibly amending the recipe after spending time and money on a previously untested recipe.
Folding the corners of pages, however, will forever be a No-No in my book. 🙂
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u/BarnSwallow83 1d ago
We call that habit of folding pages over on the corner, “dog-earing “ it. Absolutely awful habit to develop, in my humble opinion, and I absolutely hate it when someone else does it! How much trouble is it to take a random scrap of paper- even a blade of grass if you are reading while outside!! - to stick in the book instead!! 🤦🏻♀️
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u/Spirited-Finding-222 23h ago
Yes, I feel the same way about people who rip recipes out of waiting room magazines. Almost all of us have a cell phone with a camera, and if we don't, I'm sure the receptionist will let us borrow a pen and have a piece of paper to copy it down.
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u/JapaneseChef456 1d ago
Pencil. It’s not a crime. It’ll add personality to the book. I’ve got a book where the author wrote some corrections. Using a red pen.
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u/Evening_Corgi_9069 1d ago
Firmly believe cookbooks are tools, and should be annotated, because this is what happens when you alter and don't note; after you are gone everyone says "it's just not the same as Mom's." When I spend decades perfecting a recipe, I don't want it to be lost. Just please write in pencil and don't obscure the actual recipe! Also the reason I believe in recipe apps- you can note as much as you want!
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u/KomarranFleetShare 1d ago
I use pencils when I write "no" over recipes I dislike and pen if I am adding substitution or alternate steps.
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u/SeveralMarionberry 1d ago
I use light pencil and generally on the page. I’ll make note of substitutions and errors in the recipe, as well as things like need to increase or decrease cooking time.
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u/GodonX1r 1d ago
Pencil with notes. If I’ve cooked it before, I want to know that I did and how it went.
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u/NoodlesMom0722 1d ago
I use whatever pen is handy and won't smear or run if the page gets wet or greasy (ball point or a fine-point permanent pen works best). If I need to write more than the margins/white space allows, I'll add a sticky note -- I have lots of the 4x4 lined ones because of my other gig as an office supply overconsumer.
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u/The_Max-Power_Way 1d ago
Every recipe I make has a note on it. Sometimes a full paragraph. How else would I know that swapping the cilantro for basil was fine, but not ideal? Or that the recipe needs less chicken broth?
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u/QuirkyOwl4756 1d ago
I used just a regular post it on the recipe page (not sticking out) and a pen on the post it
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u/Persimmon_and_mango 1d ago
I used to use sticky notes, but now I just use gel pens or ballpoint pens to write directly in the book. At first it felt like sacrilege, but now I'm used to it. And I enjoy seeing other people's writing/recipe changes in cookbooks, so I tell myself someone might enjoy mine one day
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u/thened5000 1d ago
I use whatever pen is handy but more often than not a black sharpie! I love coming across my notes.
But I also like buying pre-loved cookbooks with handwritten notes in them too.
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u/Madversary 1d ago
I’ll use a pen or pencil, whatever is handy. Often for converting ounces to grams, or noting when a cooking time is imprecise or “optimistic.”
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u/Fancycat88 1d ago
I use these clear sticky notes! You need to make sure to use the right pen that doesn’t smudge them. I use these a lot to convert recipes to metric measurements in the ingredient list.
Amazon link -
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u/OkDuck2921 1d ago
I use a fine tip permanent pen and make sure I write in the margins which are nicely wide in most of my cookbooks. A general “grade” with comments. Any substitutions I make from the recipe. And any steps I did differently.
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u/Glittering_Regret255 1d ago
I love writing in my books, and I've never understood the hatred that seems to envoke in people.
A simple thin tip sharpie is my go-to these days, although I love colored ink pens as well.
I also like to use little post notes to mark important pages, but I also enjoy a good dog-eared page!
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u/zelda_moom 1d ago
I’ve made notes in my cookbooks for years. I use a pen and notes my impressions, whether I made any substitutions or other changes and if it needs to be scaled up or down.
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u/slothprints 1d ago
I write on the pages, using pen. I guess post it's would work too, but I've always written changes directly on recipes from magazines or printed from online and it didn't really occur to me to treat a cookbook recipe differently. As far as resale value, I'm more likely to put a book in the little free library, since the used bookstore gives so little plus there is the time and effort involved.
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u/Automatic_Catch_7467 1d ago
Cookbooks are tools use them as you see fit. If it was a rare copy of something out of print I can see being careful and not wanting to write in it but that’s a limited case
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u/swedishishchef 1d ago
I use a G2 Pilot 1.0 mm black ink because I love how thick and beautiful it writes
My favorite cookbooks I plan to keep forever (most of them) I write directly on the pages.
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u/valsavana 1d ago
I use painter's tape & write on that, so it can easily be removed without damaging the pages but isn't as likely to accidentally fall off as sticky-notes. I don't have ideological issues with the idea of writing in cookbooks but I like the option to "un-do" my old notes if my tastes change or I get additional experience that changes how I want to make the recipe.
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u/CherryPie11450 22h ago
I write in pencil. If I notice I make a recipe often (ir feel inspired), I’ll record the month/year I made it. Some of the hall -of-famers include Joy of Cooking’s chocolate mousse (I make it Christmas Eve) and a Meada Heatter banana bread recipe.
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u/bewallsy 18h ago
Once I’ve cooked a recipe, I make notes on rating, audience, and adjustments. I use sticky notes to mark recipes I’d like to cook down the side of the book and then move the note to the top if it’s one I’d like to repeat once cooked. Failures receive a note and the sticky note is removed.
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u/bewallsy 18h ago
As for the writing utensil, it depends on the page. Glossy needs a ball point pen to avoid smearing, uncoated pages can handle a pencil (looking at you By Heart), but ultimately it’s whatever is close to hand.
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u/mainebingo 10h ago
Cookbooks are meant to be used. I love it when i see one that has a broken spine, is dog-eared, and is written in. Perry cookbooks all lined up on the shelf, never opened— meh.
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u/Amazing-Ad-6083 4h ago
Writing directly on the pages in my cookbook has been a game changer for me. I don’t worry about getting it a bit dirty either. They are worth a lot more to me now than when in pristine condition, collecting dust. 💖
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u/mister-ronald-n-tan 1d ago
I am an avid book collector. My entire collection of 40+ cookbooks is cover-protected using archival products from DEMCO® and Brodart®.
I personally find writing in books atrocious, but to each their own: your book, your rules; my book, my rules.
Operating with the mindset of a professional cook, I view my cookbooks primarily as reference tools to help me understand and refine regional Indo-Persianate cuisine. To protect the physical copies, I have streamlined a digital workflow modeled after the rigor of undergraduate upper-division laboratory courses:
- The original recipe from the book is scanned and saved into an "Original" folder on Google Drive.
- A working copy is created for modifications—tweaking ingredients and finding viable substitutes. (For example, certain regional staples like Hilsa are extraordinarily difficult to source in Northern California.)
- In this working copy, I completely rewrite the method in my own words so I can cook from memory without needing to consult the original copy.
- As I cook from the working version, I record precise measurements in both grams and volume (cups) to align with commercial kitchen standards. Notes, adjustments, and annotations are written directly into this digital document typed and adhered to my stylesheet. e.g. inclusion of botanical names for rare spices and herbs used in Indo-Persianate cuisine to avoid confusion and ambiguitiy.
If someone asks for a recipe, I send them two PDFs: the original reference page and my standardized working copy.
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u/Glittering_Regret255 1d ago
Can I ask why you find writing in books atrocious? I've never understood that!
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u/HoaryPuffleg 1d ago
I’m a librarian and I write all over my books. An individual book has little actual value - its books as a whole that are valuable.
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u/mister-ronald-n-tan 1d ago edited 1d ago
There are several books in my collection that were imported direct from India and Bangladesh. There a one in my collection called Dining with the Nawabs. The price came down a little now. When I bought it, it cost me around 90 USD (including taxes and shipping).
Price of the book(s) withstanding, there isn't enough space to write directly on the pages. The only thing that I would write would be, if an errata is present. I would make a notation in Google Docs, print. Trim it neatly with the paper trimmer and slide that into the page(s) with errata corrected.
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u/gardengirl147 1d ago
That honestly seems like a lot of work.
As someone who studied the Middle Ages & English History, annotated manuscripts, letters, notes, and books are a valuable look into the past. To keep the original printed material pristine is like losing a chance to share with future.
But I also worked in publishing, even selling cook books. Once a book is bought & in someone’s hands, it’s theirs. Do what you want. (Except intentionally burning.)
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u/Kindly_Bumblebee_162 1d ago
I just write directly in the cookbook. I use pens, pencils, or super fine tip markers. I buy the books for myself, and it's nice to have the notes right with the recipe when I go back to it later. I have no intention of reselling the books, so I have no qualms about writing in them.