What Cookbook Would You Buy For A First-Time Cook?

Although this one may not be right for all people I remember it as my first cookbook at college. It was Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques. It's a kind of testing tool for any prospective Serious Cook. Do you stay in bed late at night, under the lights of your work lamp, flipping pages in a quiet manner so as to not wake your roommate, while you learn how to bone the chicken?

Perhaps you should think about getting a job as a cook in the next summer when the rest of the kids are off frittering away their time in the lab. Click to discover an article source on cook book.

The Illustrated Guide to Essentials

There are numerous classics and excellent cookbooks, I chose this one because it is simple to follow and includes clear step-by-step color photos. Essentials of Cooking is a guidebook which will show a fundamental well-constructed method of roasting chicken, butchering a fish, making sauces, prepping vegetables, and more. It delivers both fundamental recipes that must be in the repertoire of every cook and also basic cooking techniques that can be used to anything.

Learn to Cook Dishes You Like

Instead of attempting to find an all-purpose solution I would suggest you read books about the food that you love. Master cooking one dish at a time rather than studying an Encyclopedia. A few to start: son-of-Marcella Giuliano Hazan's Classic Pasta Cookbook was a staple of comfort food in my home as a child: easy recipes for delicious pasta dishes. You can find a secondhand copy for less than $.

Ray Overton's Main Course Salads are another excellent recipe. Although certain recipes might be a bit out-of-date some have been staples for a long time. Take, for instance, the layered Mexican salad with pepitas and black beans.

Do you want to host brunch events or like breakfast for dinner? This book is for you. Excellent tips for everything from frittatas to pancakes made with ricotta. An inexpensive way to have fun with your friends is hosting a roving brunch party. There will be no resentment should you have another round of mimosas.

Three-Ingredient Recipes

I don't know if my early cooking experiences would have been exactly the same without Rozanne Gold's Cooking 1-2-3: 500 Amazing Three-Ingredient Recipes. When I was a teenager my mother gave me the recipe from Gold for a three-ingredient chocolate mousse There's certainly some personal significance in my selection. It's not the complicated recipes Gold makes up from her basic recipes that make it so easy and effortless.

No matter how skilled a cook is, they should be able recognize the importance of every ingredient in a dish. Start small, with only the essential ingredients, does not only build confidence, it also allows you to develop a well-honed ability to taste and balance, and an understanding of the many uses each ingredient has.

I've always felt that what distinguishes great recipes from those that are good is a dedication to a way of food preparation and cooking that is superior to the quality of one recipe. Gold's books definitely fit the bill.

Minimum Effort, Maximum Reward

What was the most important thing for me when I first started learning how to cook in college? Making the most of your effort through dishes that multiply in flavor while cooking, preferably all in one big pot to make a week's worth of meals. That meant braising was necessary, and All About Braising is one of the most effective recipes on the subject.

I agree with those who believe that it is much more beneficial for beginner cooks to learn one method than to learn from an extensive encyclopedia. The author Molly Stevens breaks down each phase of braising to suit all levels of cooks. From pages of notes on cooking vessels to detailed breakdowns of how a braise comes together, she takes delicious-yet-intimidating-sounding recipes like sausages and plums with red wine and makes you shout, yeah, I can do this! Oh, and the vegetable recipes are some of the best.

The 'Everything Manual'

When I was a senior in college, I picked up a copy of How to Cook Everything and it helped me become the enthusiastic home cook I am currently. Mark Bittman is a combination book and reference guide. It provides the basics of cooking and recipes for just about everything, along with variations of each recipe in order to make it interesting. If you're just beginning your journey I can't imagine it can be beat.

The Food Nerd Bible

It's not a cookbook however, I'd recommend Harold McGee's food science book On Food and Cooking. It's a mirror of college and high school: It gives you more control over the information you learn. The book is structured similarly. You're not going to take in every page, but when you decide to take part in Eggs 101, there's a entire section that can satisfy your interest.