Pretty cookbooks: Full of facts or fluff?

When it comes to food, it’s all about outward appearance. Think about it. A brightly colored photograph of a tomato soup will almost always trump a brown potato stew. That’s not because one is necessarily better or less flavorful than the other. But our eyes have a strong hold on our taste buds, and what looks delicious is typically what causes our stomachs to grumble.

The idea that good food photography sells food is nothing new. Just ask any food blogger or chef. If the meal doesn’t look good on a platter, it isn’t worth much. Anyone selling food online knows that much of what sells their brand isn’t the food, but the lighting. And of course, when it comes to buying cookbooks, we absolutely judge a book by its cover.

One could argue this isn’t really a bad thing. For some, cooking is a chore, uninviting, boring, and tedious. But exuberantly colored meals, fresh produce, great color contrast, and a well-decorated dessert makes cooking look lively and fun. It’s a stark contrast from older cookbooks with little (if any) imagery. Rarely would a reader see a photograph of what the final result should look like. Photos also allow the author to better explain something that’s difficult to describe in words. Speaking as a food blogger, there are scenarios where describing a step via picture is easier than attempting to write what I want my readers to do.