@msolga,
I started collecting cookbooks when I was still in my teens. The first one I purchased was the Horizon (from the old magazine of the same name) Cook Book. I used to read them like novels.
I have had to force myself to follow a recipe sometimes. I love to put things together but I know when something just isn't going to work.
Late last winter, I cooked an entire meal from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, something I hadn't done in years. What a treat that was.