they have just the recipes, and usually organized nicely with like a table of contents and sometimes even an index
just steal them https://annas-archive.org
additionally, ive recently discovered Cook Well which is perhaps one of the best food / recipe sites ive ever used. it's run by youtuber Ethan Chlebowski who does a lot of informational and entertaining food videos. he reminds me of alton brown who i grew up watching, so i might be a bit biased but overall as someone who's always struggled w my relationship to food and cooking his resources have been extremely helpful
also, if you have a library nearby, chances are they have tons of cookbooks available to borrow
i don't have a ton of space for cookbooks, so I always borrow something first. If there are only one or two recipes I like, I scan and print them before returning the book. If there are a ton I like, I might consider buying it
running through the cookbooks at the library is nice for when I'm thinking "I want cook something different but I'm not sure what"
which pretty much always has at least one banger of a recipe per issue and also includes deep dives into specific ingredients, reviews of equipment, and a good amount of time spent on the why of the process they do. Having a library subscribe means a) it's free and b) you get to photocopy all your favorites and then never have to worry about keeping/not keeping specific issues
(The recipes are generally pretty high-effort and can be a little on the expensive side if you do zero substitutions but. They are incredible and absolutely worth it for when you do have the energy--and are written well enough I always get a great result the first try1)
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editor's note: seth used to cook professionally2 so this statement may need a--ahem--a grain of salt
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it was just a college dining hall but I was doing a lot of neat stuff and it unlocked Perfect Timing in my soul so I always know when something is done without a timer3
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I still use one, of course
