Moosewood Cookbook Review - Collectibility
Moosewood Cookbook by writer, illustrator and chef, Mollie Katzen, one of the founders of the Moosewood Restaurant. The restaurant is a collective business formed by a group of friends that wanted to start a community project. The restaurant is focused on vegetarian dishes and opened in a former school building located in Ithaca, New York in 1973.
Like the restaurant, the Moosewood Cookbook was so popular, that today--several different Moosewood and vegetarian cookbooks later--Mollie Katzen is considered one of the best-selling cookbook writers of all time.
Cookbook Title: Moosewood Cookbook
Author: Mollie Katzen
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Copyright: 1977 (the book was privately published in 1974 before Ten Speed Press put out this mainstream "original" which is now only available as the "new" or revised edition.)
Format: Both Hardcover and Softcover Editions
Specialization Categories: Vegetarian Cookbooks, Restaurant Cookbooks
Average Price: $4 -$5 (Signed by Mollie Katzen $30+)
Noted Recipes: Humus, Eggless Eggplant Ricotta, Gado Gado (Indonesian dish with spicy peanut sauce), Polenta and Spicy Vegetables, Apple Cheese Pancakes
COOKBOOK COLLECTIBILITY RATINGS RATINGS EXPLAINED
Availability: 5.0
Popularity: 8.0
Investment Outlook: 4.5
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Final Collectibility Factor: 5.83
Moosewood Cookbook Availability Rating - 5.0
The Moosewood Cookbook was reprinted many times over and is available in both hard and soft copy. The cookbook is widely available new in a revised version. The original can be found used on the major online bookstore and auction sites. The revised edition is the New Moosewood Cookbook -- the 1977 book is the original (without "New"). As noted above the actual First Edition which is much harder to find is the 1974 self-published verison published by Moosewood, not Ten Speed Press. My copy shown in the photo and reviewed here is the 1977 original Ten Speed Press version. Though easy to find a used copy of the 1977, what is more difficult to find is a signed copy of these early Moosewood Cookbooks.
The Moosewood website has a Moosewood cookbooks store page which notes that you can purchase a book there and request a signed copy by the author. Her later books are readily available signed, but not the original Moosewood Cookbooks. I estimate the value would be around $30-$40 for a signed copy of the 1977 edition and even more for the 1974 edition. My rating of 5 though is based on the unsigned, 1977 edition which is easy to find, though mainly online.
Moosewood Cookbook Popularity Rating - 8.0
All the Moosewood books have been wildly popular, but none so much as the Moosewood Cookbook--which is now a classic for vegetarian cooking. I rate this an 8.0 in popularity and it will likely remain an 8.0 for some time to come as it doesn't have much competition in its category. It seems as well that US restaurant cookbooks from New York, Chicago, New Orleans and San Francisco are the most in demand in terms of locales.
Moosewood Cookbook Investment Outlook - 4.5
I've rated this as a 4.5 for investment. The book had a high volume printing and is very mainstream. It is still technically being published, though a revised edition. In terms of collectibility and value, this likely will remain around the $5 mark, unless of course you can find a signed copy of the editions I mention (I can't find one available online at the moment) or you have the 1974 true First Edition. Then the Investment Outlook would be an 8.5 or higher.
Moosewood Cookbook Final Collectibility Factor Rating - 5.83
The Final Collectibility Factor turns out somewhat average for the 1977 First Edition published by Ten Speed Press. Buy this one for the recipes, not as an investment in your collection. A 1974 Moosewood published or 1974 or 1977 signed copy would be a very worthy collectible.
