Like Carla, I use binders and page protectors to hold my printouts and miscellaneous pieces of paper. My collection is mostly for inspiration and techniques since I’m always substituting and tweaking as I cook or bake. After years of trying to organize according to conventional categories, I finally found a system which works for me:
I use 4 binders (1 1/2 inch) with the following labels:
Heritage—for family recipes passed down to me from my mom, grandmothers, and assorted relatives and friends. These are mostly handwritten on cards and scraps of paper and carry a lot of sentimental value, especially around the holidays.
Want to Try—for recipes which grab my attention. I loosely organize these into mains, sides, and sweets. I’m pretty strict with this binder since I regularly go through it and toss out anything which I haven’t tried within half a year.
Daily Fare— this is where I put recipes from the Want to Try binder if they make the grade. This binder is divided into Summer and Winter sections with each section loosely arranged into Mains, Sides, and Sweets. What we like to eat shifts with the seasons, so I finally realized it made sense to organize my recipes this way.
Friends and Festive— these are my tried and true recipes for entertaining, potlucks, summer parties, and holidays. Lots of interesting party food and desserts here. Also lots of fuss-free ideas for good mains that don’t leave me in the kitchen while everyone else is having fun.
My pre-condo kitchen had a dedicated sitting area with extensive bookshelves to house my very sizable cookbook collection. I’m now down to 10 cookbooks and four binders—and I’m very strict about keeping my recipe collection culled so it fits into its designated space.
