But Utah chef Rick LaPointe, and The Very Book Mobile he owns, offers this year's marketgoers something aged: a used cookbook.

LaPointe's traveling library - a flatbed trailer he customized with wood shelves - is a new kiosk at the Saturday market at Pioneer Park, The Sunday People's Market at Jordan Park (both in Salt Lake City) and the Thursday Heber City market.

The shelves boast an eclectic mix of titles. Some are written by culinary legends, others specialize in regional cuisine and a few have kitschy titles and themes. LaPointe sells the books for about half the cover price and also buys and trades cookbooks. The only new titles are those written by Utah authors.

"I've been collecting cookbooks for years with the intention of doing this," said LaPointe, who attended Brigham Young University before completing his culinary degree at The New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vt. After graduation, he was a staff chef at the White House during the Clinton administration.

Old cookbooks, he said, appeal not only to cooks but to collectors and anyone interested in preserving history.

And in today's fast-food, high-tech culture, there is something charming about a cookbook with recipes for classics such as tomato aspic or fried chicken livers, said LaPointe, who got his inspiration for his mobile endeavor after visiting Books for Cooks, a famous shop in London with thousands of used cookbooks. The owners make recipes from the books in a café in the back of the shop and offer cooking classes and demonstrations.

LaPointe's operation is not that large. In all, he has about 6,000 cookbooks purchased from yard sales, bookstore discount bins and the Internet.

On a recent afternoon the collection included The Galloping Gourmet, by Graham Kerr; I Hear America Cooking, by Betty Fussell; West Coast Cook Book, by Helen Brown; The First Ladies Cookbook (with Pat Nixon as the last entry); and Famous Mormon Recipes. Having lived and worked in Japan, LaPointe also has an extensive collection of Japanese cookbooks.

LaPointe, whose ancestors are a mix of Utah pioneer stock and French Canadian trappers, said rather than opening a restaurant, he is using his culinary talents to run his own catering company - The Very Food Company - and the used-cookbook business.

"Food is what I do and love," he said, "but I'm more interested in getting people to cook at home."

Connie Newell, of Bountiful, purchased a copy of the spiral-bound community cookbook called Deseret Recipes from The Very Book Mobile recently. The book was published in 1981 by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and includes several recipes for economical dishes such as scalloped potatoes and macaroni mousse.

Newell had seen the book at her cousin's house and wanted one of her own.

"I love cookbooks," she said, "probably because I love to eat."

Newell said she especially likes old cookbooks with personal stories.

"They are such a reflection of whatever era they are written in," she said. "The recipes, the ingredients and the style of food are such an interesting commentary."

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* KATHY STEPHENSON can be contacted at kathys@sltrib .com or 801-257-8612. Send comments about this story to livingeditor@sltrib.com.

Tomato aspic with dill

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup cold water, plus 1 cup water

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/4 teaspoon crushed dill seeds*

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

Soak gelatin in 1/4 cup water. Set aside. In a saucepan, combine tomato sauce, remaining water and crushed dill seeds. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and sugar. Strain tomato mixture over gelatin. Stir until dissolved. Pour into a pint mold. Place in the refrigerator until set.

Makes 4 servings.

*Basil can be substitute for dill if desired

Source: West Coast Cook Book