Best cookbook(s) for someone new to cooking?
A friend of mine is newly single and needs/wants to learn to cook for herself. She requested cookbook recommendations and my first thought was How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman, but I was wondering what y'all would recommend. Thanks!
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While we're very much focused on from scratch cooking. Ceil Dryer has some good ones for complete beginners.
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=dyer+ceil&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=6742229085&ref=pd_sl_xup3s4j8h_b
One I had in college was his "Instant Gourmet" (that's out of print) that used both ready made and fresh stuff. As a kid, it gave me more confidence to take those elements and combine and create.
I remember one recipe that was simply canned asparagus, chicken stock (then blend it after heating) to make a soup...and dress it up with sourcreme. Yeah, people here would gag, but with a hot plate and little skills--it worked for me.
And I still use his suggestion of making a pate with a few slices of bunshweigher, heat it, mash it with some butter and touch of A1 sauce and mold it to make a 'almost' Pâté. With a plate of fruits and cheese and water crackers..it was it at back in college days.
While might not be a lot of 'quick start' recipes. It's very sound and still referred to my home for 'master recipes'.
Plus...you can find it cheap at 'cutout' sections, or used book store.
In fact...go to a thrift, or used book store and look at some of the Better Homes and Garden books, Sunset Magazine, etc..etc. You could get a dozen books for the price of a new one.
http://www.amazon.com/Know-How-Cook-Ginette-Mathiot/dp/071485736X
Oh and I second the Cookwise recommendation. I attended a demonstration class that she did and it was fantastic. Be careful of the first edition, though, there are some slight weirdnesses with quantities (especially in the "Touch of Grace" biscuits
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