Well. rummage from Scotland, I have shelves lined with cookbooks (and many 3-ring binders printed from the computer) but I rarely follow a recipe to a T. When I have a recipe in mind, I pull out several cookbooks and find the recipe. Then I read through all of them and decide on ingredients and method. And yes, I, too, use them for inspiration. As far as sites for recipes, I like to go to the copycat sites and find recipes for things I like in restaurants. Google is my friend when I am looking for a recipe (or a quilt pattern).