The Quest - Epilog

HH and I were browsing Barnes & Noble recently; we were looking for some non-food reference information. As HH kept looking, I wandered over to the bargain book area, the cookbook section.

I scanned the top shelf moving to the right, and then scanned the bottom shelf moving to the left, then back one last time just in case I missed something. And suddenly, just like the book hanging over the kitchen shelf at the Diner almost a year ago, there in front of me was Mastering the Art of French Cooking (MTAOFC). This time in a box set.

The set was sealed in plastic and I noticed that it was at the bargain price of $24.95. I started moving it around and noticed there was another set behind, this one with no plastic, this one I could take the books out and look at. It was a fortieth anniversary edition of Julia’s MTAOFC prepared especially for Barnes & Noble in 2001 with a new forward by Julia and some of her contemporaries – book 1 and 2. Wow!

As I put the books back in the case, I noticed the original retail price for the set - $100. Then I turned it around to see the bargain shelf price - $12.95!!! Oh My Gosh! When I was looking for MTAOFC and thought about getting a new copy, they were $40 at Barnes & Noble and about $25 at Costco. This was a SET for half that!

I tucked that set under my arm as fast as I could, just in case someone else spotted my find and wanted it for their very own.

HH and I reconnected, saw I had found something, I told him the story, he smiled, and I paid. The new set is in the bookcase; the amazingly wondered seasoned first edition copy HH surprised me with almost a year ago sits on the kitchen counter so I can look at it all the time.