Over on a somewhat isolated shelf in my family’s kitchen, you’ll find the cookbooks. They don’t get much attention, except for one whose cover has long since been lost and whose grease and flour stains bear witness to frequent use, especially on the page that explains how to braid a loaf of bread. It’s the “Fülscher Cookbook.” Elisabeth Fülscher’s 100-year-old definitive work on Swiss cuisine contains 1,700 recipes, and throughout its numerous editions, it has managed to combine this traditional culinary art with changing eating habits and health insights. The book has an aura about it, lending culture and dignity to the kitchen simply by its presence on the kitchen shelf. That’s how it is with “fundamental” books. They should be in every room: fundamentals for living, sleeping, writing, talking, dressing. They remind us that the thoughts and habits—the meaningful lives—of others give meaning to our own actions.
Translation Laura Liska
Image The Aura of Cookbooks, Photo: Brett Jordan
