Messy books

Now that my beloved books are out I wanted to write about a problem I have, which I see is less of a problem and more anthropological proof of my existence. My cookbooks are intimate with the preparation of food. My cookbooks have been spilled on, splattered and handled with hands covered in dough. My Joy of Cooking has pages stained by molasses, and some pages are sealed shut. There are flattened clumps of flour inside. Certain pages (like the pizza dough recipe) are easily found, and I once figured out the Weight Watchers points for the reduced fat brownies and wrote them in. Truth be known it's not the best book for good, basic recipes. I have some great books given to me by my mom. Fannie Farmer rocks, and so does the Burnham Extension Cookbook.

I know this habit drives L crazy. I am terribly nearsighted and so I like the book very close at hand, which means I sometimes prepare the food on the pages, but more often in close proximity. I really believe though that women are bound by recipes, and men who do cook are much more capable to improvising. Is this true?