Cookbook Library

Support, education, community…… These are some of the sensibilities which fall in line with our ethos. When Denver chef Peter Rauen stopped by the shop recently, he mentioned a brilliant idea--offering a used cookbook library. Instantly a flash of joy welled in my heart. This is exactly the type of thinking that helps us, and helps our community. I first met Chef Rauen a few years ago on The Modern Eater broadcast. Then, I would start to see him around the culinary circuit at trade shows and the like. We shared a kindred spirit connection of sorts. It turns out that he knows and worked alongside many of the old school chefs that I trained under back in my Colorado Mountain Culinary Institute days. Peter Rauen has been a positive presence in the Colorado culinary scene for over 40 years. In his vast experience, he has worked as an Executive Chef in restaurants, hotels,  and private clubs, as well as a celebrated Corporate Chef with US Foods.

Peter’s passion has always been to make food delicious and accessible for all. He has spent many years fighting for all his culinary brethren alongside the American Culinary Federation and the Colorado Restaurant Association. Currently he is the Corporate Chef of Research and Development for Seattle Fish Company. Throughout his career he has collected many different cookbooks for work, pleasure, and fun and wants to share them with all who wish to learn more about food.…...Bon Apetit!

I also have the pleasure of operating the shop inside Stanley Marketpalce, where Chef Rauen’s son, Braden is a barista for Logan House Coffee (delicious by the way). A few days after Chef Rauen’s visit, he showed up at the shop with nearly 200 cookbooks from his private collection, food publications, and the such. I’ve added to the collection, and we’ve had customers donate cookbooks too. Need a dinner idea? Need some inspiration or a specific recipe? Stop on by and take a gander and check out a book or three. There are classics, oddities, regional, global, and much more.