Reading cookbooks in bed

I did not discover until I was the ripe old age of 22 that there are those who read cookbooks for pleasure and those who do not. In my family this is considered to be a normal activity, as are all activities generally devoted to the worship of food. Everyone contributes in their own way - my father and I are usually the only people in the family who will debrief on a holiday with a blow by blow description of every meal consumed but food is always a feature of family holidays. Despite my passion for travel, it is always the food section of Gourmet Traveller that I immediately devour.

At the moment I have been taking cookbooks to bed with me, in particular MTAOFC. So far Le Gourmand has not commented. He probably realises that such activities, whilst not particularly romantic, are ultimately for the greater good of his stomach.

For those who do not know the pleasure of reading a good cookbook, you have my sympathy. I think it can be likened to the value of buying a lottery ticket simply to spend an afternoon daydreaming about how you would spend the money if your numbers were called. Similarly a good cookbook read not only inspires future cooking endeavours but enables a calorie-free indulgence in a potentially delicious meal.