Abstract

This presentation introduces a theory, method, and emerging results from my dissertation research into information phenomena in the hobby of gourmet cooking. Serious leisure (Stebbins, 1982; Hartel, 2003, 2005) is a framework that identifies information-intensive forms of leisure and facilitates their systematic investigation. Visual research is an ethnographic approach to capture evidence of information phenomena in everyday life, enabling careful analysis of information practices, resources, and spaces. Through this combination the general features and biblio-mechanics of culinary home libraries are illuminated. The "recipe" is adaptable and has potential for the study of a large, cherished, information-rich swath of everyday life.