My husband use to travel quite extensively. For each city/town he visited, he would bring me home a cookbook. I graduated to buying my own books. All it took was a unique theme, pretty pictures, or foods from around the country, world.

2. Most recommended?
My favorite cookbook is The Way to Cook, Julia Child and Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen.

3. Cookbook that made you what you were?
Southwest Taste by Ellen Brown. In the 80’s there was PBS series on Southwest cooking. I fell in love with the flavors. It didn’t help that my husband traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico quite often which meant, I had access to quite a few southwestern ingredients. Though not only Southwestern, one particular recipe which I continue to use for every outdoor BBQ was the "Lazy Mans’ Peach Cobbler". From Southwestern Cooking, I moved on to Cuban cuisine, back to the U.S. Southern cuisine and on and on country to country, region to region, state to state.

4. Porniest cookbook?
I have to agree with most, The French Laundry, by Thomas Keller has to be my all time favorite cookbook to swoon over. I have never cooked a recipe from this book. I would never even subject this book to possible defacement by being in the kitchen, lest something should stain a page. Because of this cookbook (and Thomas Kellers’ creativity), The French Laundry is my number one restaurant I have to eat in before I die.

5. Sophie's Choice cookbook?
Correction.  Thanks Anthony for clarifying Sophie's Choice.  That is- "if I had one to save.  Something less obscure".  I guess The Pillsbury Family Cookbook doesn't fit that definition nor do my binders of newspaper cutouts and product wrappers.  How about, Everything You Want To Know About Chinese Cooking by Peal Kong Chan, Tien Chi Chen and Rose Tseng, 1983.  This book was given to me by a close family friend, Joe Kong (brother of Pearl Kong Chen).

6. If you were a cookbook, which cookbook would you be?
Sylvia’s Family Soul food Cookbook by Sylvia Woods

7. If your cookbook was extremely valuable, so valuable you might hide it with other valuables, where would that place be?
Under my bed.  (believe that!)

cookbooks