Case Study of Roberta

Back to Research on Serious Leisure & the Hobby of Cooking

Back to Welcome

Roberta* is a resident of Southern California who grew up on the east coast in a family that owned a restaurant. Today, she is a middle-aged professional and newlywed. She and her husband lead very busy public lives and therefore do a lot of catered entertaining and eating out. This limits her ability to cook for pleasure, though she relishes the practice when she has the opportunity, and she keeps the necessary equipment and information on hand.

Roberta taught herself to cook by subscribing to and carefully reading this Time-Life Cookbook series (left). When she was young, a different book would arrive on a regular basis and she would read it cover to cover. She still considers this collection her major point of reference. This collection was well designed for cooks to use. It contained a glossy hardcover that provided background and inspiration, and a separate pamphlet with the recipes (both are shown).

In Roberta's earlier heyday of hobby cooking, she saved her favorite recipes and kept a diary of exceptional meals in this small binder (right).

Roberta has a small cookbook collection that is remarkable for the personal and sentimental value of some items. At left is a cookbook from her grandmother, called "Home on the Range." At right is her grandmother's hand-written recipes. Roberta often uses and enjoys these recipes exactly as authored several decades ago.

At left is a hand-made (but polished) cookbook made by friends and given to Robin at her wedding. It lists some of the friend's favorite restaurants and recipes.

At right is a special collection of recipes illustrated by Roberta's son, called: "My Mom Makes it Best." This was a Mother's Day gift orchestrated by a grade school teacher.

Roberta's cookbooks also serve aesthetic purposes. Here is an attractive display of classic Julia Child cookbooks and contemporary coffee-table cookbooks. These are perched at interesting angles at eye level in front of a kitchen window.

*The name Roberta is an alias

Go to Case Study of Veronica or Margaret.

Back to ...Research on Serious Leisure & the Hobby of Cooking

Back to ...Welcome