Harte: Books for cooks

British novelist Joseph Conrad concluded, “The purpose of a cookery book is one and unmistakable. Its object can conceivably be no other than to increase the happiness of mankind.”

Though we don’t call them cookery books, probably most of us would agree. So the month of October has been designated National Cookbook Month, a time to celebrate this gleeful genre. And there’s an awful lot to celebrate. The cookbook market is a $4 billion industry and, despite the internet, still going strong.

Cookbooks have changed a good deal since they were first introduced as works intended only for the privileged. Today we even have cookbooks designed for people who don’t cook: expensive, coffee-table size volumes which may never find their way to the kitchen. They’re essentially status symbols for those who are obsessed with food but who leave the cooking to others.

One thing has not changed, however. The celebrity cookbook is still a mainstay. Go to any Barnes and Noble and you’ll likely be deluged by the visage of Ina Garten. At almost any bookstore in London it’s the visage of Mary Berry.

Celebrity cookbooks are a mixed bag. In my experience, those written by people who became celebrities because they wrote a cookbook are better than those who wrote cookbooks because they were already celebrities. Thus cookbooks by Julia Child and Martha Stewart, who both wrote landmark tomes before they became famous, might be preferable to one written by, say, Snoop Dogg. But not necessarily. Sophia Loren, for example, who clearly tried her hand at writing cookbooks because she was famous for something else, was such a good cook that she was recognized by the Italian government for her culinary skill.

Moreover we should be mindful that even without the trappings of celebrity a cookbook can nonetheless be excellent. To mark National Cookbook Month seek out such works to augment your library. I offer for your consideration a handful of my favorites.

Beyond Burlap. This book, which I picked up in Coeur d’Alene some years ago, is a delightful collection of Idaho potato recipes. Put together by the Junior League of Boise, it offers 10 variations on roasted potatoes plus potato recipes for every course, including dessert.

The Great Big Butter Cookbook. Being one who never gave up butter for margarine, you can imagine my excitement when I spotted this book in the bargain bin of a bookstore a while back. Assembled by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board it features more than 300 recipes that call for butter, but in surprisingly sensible amounts, including a variety of compound butters for dressing up everything from morning toast to a main course at dinner.

St. Louis Days/St. Louis Nights. A collection of great recipes from the Gateway City including the authentic gooey butter cake recipe and one for the best pumpkin soup I know, a tradition at our Thanksgiving table every year.

The Artist in the Kitchen. A sophisticated assortment of recipes from the St. Louis Art Museum, complete with gorgeous photos of food suitable for framing and hanging in the museum’s main gallery. The almond butter cake recipe is worthy of a European cafe.

Each of these books meets the criterion identified by Conrad. No wonder the poet Dean Young advises, “[If] you want happy endings, read cookbooks.”

Idaho-Iowa Corn and Potato Chowder

Pureed corn and cream, not celebrity endorsement, is the key to this recipe adapted from Beyond Burlap.

• 10 slices bacon, diced

• 3/4 cup chopped onion

• 3/4 cup chopped celery

• 4 cups whole kernel corn

• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

• 2 cups cubed potatoes

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 cup cream

• Chopped green onion

Brown bacon and drain, reserving two tablespoons drippings. Stirring constantly saute onion and celery in reserved drippings until tender. In a blender, puree two cups of corn and one cup of broth until smooth. Cook pureed corn, remaining two cups of whole kernel corn, remaining three cups of broth, and potatoes, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for thirty minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in cream, simmer five minutes longer, add bacon, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle each serving with green onions.

Tom Harte’s book, “Stirring Words,” is available at local bookstores. A Harte Appetite airs Tuesdays at 7:42 a.m. and 5:18 pm on KRCU, 90.9 FM. Contact Tom at semissourian.com or at the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699.