295739 Thu Jan 15 12:07:07 -0800 2004 53 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1626526 My daughter just asked me to suggest a good cookbook for a beginner like herself who loves good food but is an inexperienced cook. She and her husband, both busy professionals with two children, have been working hard to keep a New Year's resolution to cook at home rather than eating out and taking out. She has some excellent cookbooks that family and friends have given her, but she feels the need for a more "basic" book that does not take for granted that the reader knows cooking techniques and terminology. So what's the best book to suggest? My first thought was THE JOY OF COOKING, since my wife and I still consult our well-worn 1964 edition. But she needs something more up-to-date. Is the new edition the best choice? I believe some Chowhounders have written favorably of Jean Anderson's NEW DOUBLEDAY COOKBOOK. And what about the GOOD HOUSEKEEPING COOKBOOK or the new FANNIE FARMER COOKBOOK? To judge from the testimonials on Amazon, these seem to appeal to the same market, but I do not know these books. Any advice would be sincerely appreciated. Thu Jan 15 12:07:07 -0800 2004 0 Lew P. 1 1626527 I hope this can be removed. Thu Jan 15 12:08:56 -0800 2004 1626526 0 Lew P. 1 1626532 How To Cook Everything - Mark Bittman It's the only "basics" cookbook I have, which turns out to be just fine - it's never let me down. I've never followed any of the baking recipes though. For that, I use Nick Malgieri's How To Bake. Thu Jan 15 12:18:54 -0800 2004 1626526 0 chilibug 1 1626537 I actually recommend "The Way to Cook" by Julia Childs. It has wonderful pictures and great instructions. Unlike many cookbooks it doesn't just give you recipes but teaches you _how_ to cook. There are "master recipes" in red that teach some basic technique or base- they are followed by many variations showing you how the foundation can be changed. I disagree with some amazon.com posters who say the book isn't for the beginner. I got this book as a present when I was 14 and it taught me quite a bit - and was doable by someone that young - so certainly it should work for your daughter. I do not think the "Joy of Cooking" is a good book for beginners - it can be quite overwhelming and I've found many recipes that do not work as advertised. It's a great reference book for someone who already knows what they're doing though. hope this helps. boris Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0394532643/qid=1074187792//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-4462470-1561456?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 Thu Jan 15 12:33:24 -0800 2004 1626526 0 Boris Carlitov 1 1626538 La Varenne Pratique. Not as fancy-shmancy as it might sound from the name. Excellent organization, layout, photographs, etc. Makes things fairly less intimidating to the novice. Thu Jan 15 12:39:24 -0800 2004 1626526 0 Karl S. 2 1626550 This is a great book! It has a good variety of dishes and does really simplify things a lot. If she enjoys cooking and you think that she'll do it a lot, then get her this book. The Fannie Farmer book is really excellent, too. Thu Jan 15 13:34:30 -0800 2004 1626538 0 Mrs. Smith 3 1626687 the Fannie Farmer is my cooking "bible". it is also my standard housewarming gift, and those who receive it report frequent use. the recipes are simple, preparation tips are included in those simple recipes, and the recipes work - whether for soup, stew, pies, pancakes. this is the one cookbook i wouldn't want to live without. Thu Jan 15 23:04:40 -0800 2004 1626550 0 brooklynmonkey 2 1626686 I'd second the vote for the LaVarenne cookbooks in general. I have their book on Classic French Cooking. Very well written, with clear instructions and lots of pictures. Thu Jan 15 22:58:01 -0800 2004 1626538 0 Colleen 1 1626541 I recommend either The Fanny Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham and/or How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. The Fanny Farmer book has more old-fashioned recipes (I like that) while Bittman's book is a bit more 21st century. I think that they complement each other and I'd recommend getting both of them. You can look at the table of contents, the index, and an excerpt of How to Cook Everything at the following link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0028610105/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-3679894-6171815#reader-link You can do the same for The Fanny Farmer Cookbook at this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0679450815/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-3679894-6171815#reader-link Thu Jan 15 12:41:14 -0800 2004 1626526 0 Nancy Berry 2 1626543 I haven't seen the Bittman book, But I bought Fanny Farmer a few years ago and like it very much. It's a good reference and the recipes are sensible and classic. Thu Jan 15 12:48:10 -0800 2004 1626541 0 Sharuf 2 1626546 I agree on both of these. I've had the Fanny Farmer Cookbook for a while and often refer to it, and I just got How to Cook Everything. Definitely good suggestions. Thu Jan 15 13:16:06 -0800 2004 1626541 0 valerie 2 1626568 These are both great and I like the combo idea. I also spent some time looking through cookbooks for a gift for young friends, and wound up with Bittman. (Any feedback? Nah.) Thu Jan 15 14:21:15 -0800 2004 1626541 0 Aromatherapy 1 1626547 How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman is a great everday, workmanlike cookbook. Plenty of positive posts about it, say no more. I agree with many of the posters that you need confidence in your basics to use The Joy of Cooking. Another book to look at is A New Way to Cook (can't remember the author, but it is a woman). It is a basic cookbook on everything, not as expansive as How to Cook Everything or The Joy of Cooking, but it concentrates more on 'fancier' preperations (for lack of a better word). It also looks at cutting fat out of classic recipes, more 'healthy' cooking. That said, it advises that if you use bacon grease to fry your fish you should use less and cut it with a vegetable oil. So it is not exactly a granola crunching exercise. I haven't used a New Way to Cook a great deal, so you should research it a little more to see if it is right for your daughter. As far as skill level goes, I'd say you'd need more skill then using How to Cook Everything, but less then Joy. And, I have a cookbook habit even though I mainly use them for ideas or to learn a particular dish inside and out or a technique inside and out. Thu Jan 15 13:20:14 -0800 2004 1626526 0 muD 1 1626549 As a functional non-advanced cook, I don't like "Joy of Cooking" for three reasons: 1.) One recipe can turn into as many as five recipes which I would think would be annoying for any cook, much less a beginner! 2.) It might be me, but I found that a couple of their recipes don't work! (Cheese fondue comes to mind.) 3.) I find the chapters arranged rather oddly. Why is the chapter "Know Your Ingredients" in the MIDDLE of the book?? Also, I found it odd that chapters on skinning and dressing game would be part of the "joy" of cooking! Thu Jan 15 13:31:38 -0800 2004 1626526 0 bunnyr 2 1626555 The most recent iteration of The Joy of Cooking--'96 or '97?-- is really terrific. I've used recipes out of every section of the book and high percentage of them were right on. The instructions are thorough and the recipes basic. Many of the contributors include Alice Medrich, Rick Bayless, Chris Schlessinger, among others. I find myself going back to it over and over again. It's my desert island cookbook. Thu Jan 15 13:48:06 -0800 2004 1626549 0 raj1 3 1626558 I agree. I use my new edition of Joy all the time. Thu Jan 15 13:55:56 -0800 2004 1626555 0 sarahoc 4 1626583 I'll have to check out the new JOC! I learned with the ancient edition that my grandmother had, but when I went to replace it I didn't care for the edition that was out at the time. I like Silver Palate Basics. The recipes are not as basic as the title suggests but if you look up a meat or a vegetable it will give you a rundown on cooking methods, times etc. Thu Jan 15 14:49:01 -0800 2004 1626558 0 bibi rose 2 1626556 Agreed. "Joy" is an excellent encyclopedic reference, but a first or a primary cookbook it is not. Thu Jan 15 13:49:17 -0800 2004 1626549 0 nja 2 1626565 When my daughter was a few years younger, it was the only real cookbook I had. She wanted to learn to cook so I handed it to her and told her to try it. A couple months later I went to look something up in it, and noticed "someone" had taken a black marker and put a big X through the word Joy. Thu Jan 15 14:16:54 -0800 2004 1626549 0 Bobfrmia 2 1626634 I learned to cook using "The Joy of Cooking" at the age of 10 - not the newest edition, but the one before that. If I ever wanted to make anything, and my mother didn't feel like doing it, she pointed me towards the book. I liked that they covered things that I probably wouldn't do (like the previous poster's example of skinning and dressing game), but I like to know about that stuff just for fun, anyway. The older version also had a lot more cookie recipes, which I enjoyed a lot as a kid. I know a lot of people don't like this cookbook, but it'll always hold a fond place in my heart. Thu Jan 15 17:05:58 -0800 2004 1626549 0 jacinthe 2 1626763 I should add (after reading more of this thread) that "Joy of Cooking" is a great encyclopedic reference book which should be required buying after cooking for a while. However it's size and small print (I would think) will probably intimidate those just starting to cook, so that's why I mention that I'm not an advanced cook. And even their simple broiled steak on page 456 turns into three recipes! Boooo!!! Nonetheless, I use it a lot and it's a definite staple along with our "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book" ("New", ha!!) (BHG's cookbook is online for free incidentally.) It's over 870 pages long... which WILL make some people's eyes these days roll backwards towards their ears. A introductory book shouldn't be that long. By the way, "steak" is not in their index! You have to know to look up "beef" instead. Fri Jan 16 13:48:19 -0800 2004 1626549 0 bunnyr 2 1626827 I can assure you that dressing and skinning game IS part of the joy of cooking. I don't know if that was some misplaced animal rights barb, or just an honest, comment by someone who's dressed a lot of game and is tired of doing it...if it was the former, I can assure you that you haven't really experienced real eating, let alone cooking, until you've leveled a shotgun at that which you intend to eat. Fri Jan 16 18:00:35 -0800 2004 1626549 0 jake-o 1 1626553 I've had Fanny Farmer since I was 18 (also grew up with mom's copy) and it's my go-to cookbook for all the basics. How long to cook asparagus? Recipe for sugar cookies? Correct temperature for chicken? It's all there. As another poster mentioned, this is a good book for more old fashioned foods- I always make the Yorkshire Pudding at Christmas, I'm famous among my friends for my meatloaf (with a few modifications) from this book and I'm just now about to start on a spice cake with cream cheese frosting for hubby's birthday tonight. It's definitely the workhorse of my cookbook collection- the one I always start with. If I'm looking for more interesting, creative recipes, though, I usually end up looking in other books. Thu Jan 15 13:45:59 -0800 2004 1626526 0 Chris VR 2 1626569 A 60's version of the Good Housekeeping cookbook is a very good source because its so comprehensive as to different meats, baking, no short cuts. (The newer edition is, I think very limited and seems geared to the 10 minute dinner). That's my favourite house warming gift for new couples. Thu Jan 15 14:23:42 -0800 2004 1626553 0 Zoe 1 1626559 Funny you should ask. Last Saturday my 21 year old daughter and I went to our favorite bookstore and stood in front of the cookbook section browsing through cookbooks until we came up with a cookbook for her to fill exactly the same need. We perused every cookbook that has been mentioned, with the exception of "La Varenne Pratique" (never heard of that one, will have to look it up!) It REALLY helped to have the book in hand to flip through since everyone's learning, reading and cooking style varies. After considering several books, including Bittmans's and Lukins and Fannie Farmer's, she became fascinated with an easy to read sprial bound edition of the "Joy of Cooking". She loved that each chapter started with the highly informational "About" section. She thought that would give her a good overview before delving into any given recipe. I had to agree, it has always helped me to gain perspective on the food I am preparing. As to the Joy of Cooking being too difficult, it was one of my favorite reading books as a child. Much better than a science experiment book because I could eat the results! Thu Jan 15 13:57:43 -0800 2004 1626526 0 Olympia Jane 1 1626560 Although this assumes that you cook and takes some work on your part, what my mom did is nice. (This would be in addition to a basic cookbook that explains how to clean things and gives alternatives for harder-to-find ingredients.) She made binder and put my favorite and easier recipes in it. That way I know I will like it and I know how it's supposed to taste. Also, it gives you the opportunity to write notes in the margin if you think the recipe isn't clear, or it calls for an action you aren't sure your daughter knows how to do. Because it's a binder, your daughter can add other recipes that are good Thu Jan 15 14:02:50 -0800 2004 1626526 0 Tamar G 2 1626570 Great idea! My mom did something related that helped me. She got me a handmade, beautiful wooden box that fit my preferred size of recipes (the big 5 by 7 ones). She sat with me at the dining room table for a few days and we typed (I like typed recipes on recipe cards -- they make me happy, don't laugh) or wrote out or occationally cut out or photo-copied all my favorites from her brain and from her stash of marvelous old -- I should say "antique" cookbooks. Stuff that she barely remembered how to make we dug up or worked out and put on paper -- sometimes things we hadnt' eaten for years but remember loving. We looked through all of her cookbooks and extracted the best recipes and the ones she used the most and i liked best, and also added the variations and changes that she'd created over the years. She and I ran with old magazines to Kinkos and made some photocopies and pasted them onto the recipe cards and put them in the box. We typed up recipe dividers and made little colored tops to divide the sections. We did this over a period of a few days right before I moved away from home. It was a really fun bonding experience and I remember it fondly. And I have this box of pure-gold tried-and-true recipes, some of them in my mother's handwriting. I'm not saying you have to do anything this elaborate, or buy any special things. A binder would be a great way. If your daughter can do it with you that would be ideal, but if she can't because of work/kids, try to do at least some of it for her. Then you can give it to her with the basic book that you decide on. I can't think of many more thoughtful and loving gifts. And it's not just a gift to her -- it's to her husband and children too. And believe me, she will appreciate it for years and years. Even if you only do a slim binder or notebook with a few recipes, she will appreciate having this "taste of home". Good luck! Thu Jan 15 14:23:45 -0800 2004 1626560 0 Mrs. Smith 3 1626576 Mrs. Smith, This is a beautiful idea. It makes me wish I had a daughter! This is a wonderful thing to do for any young person who is wanting to learn to cook. My first cookbook was "Joy" -- I still have it, it's one from the 50s , I think. I began to learn to cook from it and I think it's OK for beginners. I quickly moved on to other books, primarily Julia Child's. Her recipes may seem to be a bit involved, but they always work, and you will know HOW to cook, not just follow recipes. Thu Jan 15 14:35:15 -0800 2004 1626570 0 Seattle Rose 1 1626566 I use my New Joy of Cooking as a reference all the time. It's great because it has those about chapters, and it tells you really basic things, like what part of the fennel bulb is used. Julia Child is of course a goddess, but although I own several of her cookbooks, I rarely cook out of them because I, too, am a busy professional and just don't have time. Not a reference book, but a great recipe resource is Nigella Lawson's first cookbook, How to Eat. Most of her recipes are fairly quick to put together (with a whole chapter devoted to fast recipes, and another chapter devoted to cooking in advance, a chapter on cooking for two and a chapter on cooking for children), and they have relatively sophisticated flavors and interesting spices. She also lets you know when it's OK to use shortcuts (bouillon cubes work fine here) and when it's not (starting from dried chickpeas instead of canned immensely improves this dish). As I said, not a reference in the way Joy is, and maybe not what you're looking for, but a great resource nonetheless. Thu Jan 15 14:18:47 -0800 2004 1626526 0 Caitlin Wheeler 1 1626584 The Basics: "I'm Just Here for the Food: Food + Heat = Cooking" by Alton Brown #1 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/chowhoundcom http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1584790830/qid=1074196013/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_2/002-8276443-3078446 Thu Jan 15 14:49:20 -0800 2004 1626526 0 Natasa Sevoleva 1 1626589 I suggest "Essentials of Cooking" by James Peterson. Rather than just recipies, it gives step-by-step instructions for every concievable kitchen technique, from trussing a chicken to cooking rice to knife skills, roasting, braising steaming, you name it. I think the coolest part is that all 1200 (!) photographs were taken in the author's own Brooklyn apartment kitchen. When you see 9 pictures of hard-boiled eggs, you learn the difference between perfect and overcooked (nasty green-gray yolk ring). I have many of his other books and they are all excellent, straightforward and clear. SC PS -- Glad I proofread this. Otherwise you would be looking for JP's classic textbook on air conditioning and refrigeration, "Essentials of COOLING". Thu Jan 15 14:58:25 -0800 2004 1626526 0 StockClerk 1 1626591 My MIL gave me a copy of one Sunset's easy and basic cookbook. It has good charts, photos and illustrations. They come up with the new editions every few years but even a used copy will help. The recipes are good and it is a book she can refer to even when she becomes more experienced. Thu Jan 15 15:09:18 -0800 2004 1626526 0 Tracy L. 1 1626592 One of my favorites is the Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook. Really useful to have some idea what stuff is supposed to look like. Clear instructions and an estimate of prep time. Probably have a mid-80's edition. Other favorite reference is the Victory Garden Cookbook. Great reference on growing/buying/cooking (with variations) on a whole lot of veggies. Particularly useful if you're trying to get the 5-7 servings of healthy stuff. Still use a Betty Crocker cookbook for classic fruit pies and how long to bake piecrust (vintage 1970's). Thu Jan 15 15:09:22 -0800 2004 1626526 0 WJ 2 1626613 The Good Housekeeping Illustrated cookbook is the one I learned to cook with along with the Joy of Cooking for reference. I really liked having pictures so I could thumb through and look for something that looked good to make. I also really like Madeline Kamman's The New Making of a Cook. She explains things well and is more interested in teaching technique along with her recipes. Thu Jan 15 16:16:49 -0800 2004 1626592 0 LisaLou 1 1626595 Two suggestions: 1. Practical: give her a copy of Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything". Boastful title, but it truly delivers. It also encourages innovation, a good thing to build confidence when navigating the culinary waters. 2.{Positive] Sentiment: a looseleaf or other hand made book/binder, etc., with your recipes, things you've collected, those handed down to you from your mother, her mother, in-laws, etc., so your daughter (and spouse) will have some sense of where they come from in terms of ethnicity, region, religion, etc. My wife and I have a circle of friends with whom we cook often. We pooled our recipes (though divided by family sections) and gave each of our kids a copy when they set off for college or otherwise left the house. The additional recipes were familiar to each of them, as we've eaten together countless times. We can't leave it to the publishing houses or whomever to hand the culture down the line. Thu Jan 15 15:22:57 -0800 2004 1626526 0 Free Range Diner 1 1626597 Lots of good ideas here, I strongly endorse Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, which I have found to be highly reliable. Another idea that feels a little non-chowish (I'm almost hesitant to bring it up,in fact) is a subscription to a new, TV-Guide sized magazine called Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. I know, I know, I'm not a Martha fan either but this is really quite good -- it is everyday food, not fancy stuff -- I looked through several issues at my cousin's house and I was sort of unwillingly intrigued. Both she and her sister have small kids and little time and they find this magazine a really valuable resource and cook several things out of each new issue. Thu Jan 15 15:25:46 -0800 2004 1626526 0 GretchenS 2 1626607 I would also endorse your suggests on How to Cook Everything and Martha. Over the last few years I've done in-home cooking instruction and this book is the one I recommend to students who feeling confident want to take it all on! Martha is also good for that reason too. Thu Jan 15 16:02:58 -0800 2004 1626597 0 ciaogina "Jeanne B." 3 1626653 I am also going to support both suggestions, and they are especially good together. The Bittman book is great as a basic resource (when you're getting creative and wonder how long you should cook something, or what goes with what, or something basic to build upon), and Martha's Everyday Food is a great inspiration to cook arriving in your mailbox once a month (thereabouts). it is VERY basic, so much so that originally I didn't think I should subscribe. But the truth is, it's really great. Since it's monthly the recipes featured are seasonal, which is nice. they are also beautifully photographed, well organized, contemporary and VERY simple. It's especially good for busy parents, as there's always a Sunday - Monday meal idea. Thu Jan 15 18:46:33 -0800 2004 1626607 0 budino 4 1626684 Another STRONG vote for Bittman, How to Cook Everything. A strong vote AGAINST New Basics. I got New Basics when this is what I wanted--a good book not so much about classical technique (like THe Way to Cook, which has its amazing place, but may be daunting to beginners), but about fundamentals so I could learn to cook. I rarely cooked out of it other than one or two pasta recipes. REALLY fussy stuff, lots of gourmet ingredients. Then I turned to the new Joy of Cooking, and that was much better. But some of the recipes were just weird. A year later, I got the Bittman book. I adore it. I cook out of it more than anything. I feel like I really LEARN stuff, like "this is how I cook carrots", or "now I know how to cook a pork chop," not just "now I can make a hoisin bourbon braised tenderloin with red cabbage" once in a blue moon. It's not flashy, but it's great for basics. She can get flashy stuff from magazines or these otehr books here. Thu Jan 15 22:35:20 -0800 2004 1626653 0 Jenae R 2 1626822 I agree that Martha's Everyday Food magazine is very good. I gave one of my daughters a subscription for Christmas. Also Martha has lots of good recipes on her website. I learned to cook with Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, before moving on to the Joy, etc. D. Fri Jan 16 17:41:32 -0800 2004 1626597 0 Donna - MI 1 1626604 I apologize, but I can't make through the whole thread to see if these have been mentioned. I give people The New Basics, which is very accessible and good. If they have that, I give The Best Recipe, which is excellent and has more stuff on techniques and WHY you're roasting chicken this way. Thu Jan 15 16:01:24 -0800 2004 1626526 0 xavier 2 1626615 The three cookbooks that have seen the most use in my kitchen are The Best Recipe, my 1950-era Fannie Farmer, and Quick Vegetarian Pleasures, which is a holdover from my young vegetarian days that offers lots of cheap, yummy, easy weeknight dishes. After those three, it's onto Julia, dessert cookbooks, Chris Schlesinger, and other things too esoteric or advanced for a beginner. But those with those three anyone should be all set. I'm convinced people grow up on either Joy or Fannie, and never completely trust the other. As a New Englander, Fannie has my loyalty. Thu Jan 15 16:20:08 -0800 2004 1626604 0 curiousbaker 1 1626656 Having read the entire thread so far, had to add my two cents. My favorite all-around cookbook is _The Best Recipe_ from the folks at Cook's Illustrated (great magazine, by the way, highly recommended). This is a great cookbook for the beginner cook in my opinion because they explain everything in great detail. They never give vague directions and describe each step in great detail. They also have illustrations. In addition, they usually give a master recipe and then several variations on it. I think that's great for beginner cooks, because once you've got the one recipe suddenly you know how to make three other things too. Sure they have recipes for some extremely complicated things, but they also tell you how to do all sorts of simple things from grilling veggies to making a good hamburger to making a good salad. I tell everyone to get this book. Encyclopedic cookbooks are useful too. I grew up on Joy of Cooking and The James Beard Cookbook. Both are are very useful to have around for when you want to make classic American food. I haven't tried the new Joy yet, but I hear good things. I use them as references more than daily cookbooks. Thu Jan 15 19:04:42 -0800 2004 1626526 0 divstudent 2 1626675 I agree that The Best Recipe is a great all-around cookbook for any type of person who sits on a couch a reads cookbooks for fun. (My boyfriend doesn't understand this, or encyclopedia reading...) Only caveat is that to do their recipes right, you have to read the 2-3 page description first. If you go straight to the recipe, some stuff is left out. Once you've read a 3 page description on how to saute a chicken breast, it would be really hard to mess it up. If your daughter is the type who wants to pull out the book and start cooking immediately, How To Cook Everything is my vote. The Best Recipe is a bit limited on some types of food, so a duo might be in order anyway. The Best Recipe will make her a better cook in general, How to Cook Everything will make her able to prepare a dish well. Depends what you are going for. Based on the other posts, I subscribed to Martha's Everyday Food this afternoon. Thu Jan 15 20:51:37 -0800 2004 1626656 0 caliston 3 1626715 I don't think that Best Recipe and its kindred are good for novices; they are a more intermediate level approach. Fri Jan 16 10:11:25 -0800 2004 1626675 0 Karl S. 2 1626685 I grew up with the Joy of Cooking and have the last two editions still out where I use them most. But my son and daughter (22 and 28) have both become big Cook's Illustrated fans and I think they're right. I would give The Best Recipe, plus a subscription either to the on-line site or to the real magazine, depending on your daughter's delight in technology. My son cooked Christmas dinner completely out of Cook's Illustrated, and it may have been the best meal of my life. Delicious, detailed, foolproof. Link: http://cooksillustrated.com/ Thu Jan 15 22:40:14 -0800 2004 1626656 0 Ann Fisher 1 1626709 I have to second the only vote for Nigella Lawson's How to Eat. Very contemporary, very relaxed and readable. THe important thing is to get comfortable in the kitchen and Nigella does just that without treating you like an idiot (Delia Smith does this, and I hate her for it). SOrry, but technique is something you can get only after you've played around for a while, no matter how detailed the school-like instructions. THey only make you nervous, whereas Nigella's recipies are designed to help you play around. Her enthusiasm is absolutely infectious, and will make her want to be in the kitchen rather than resolve to. Fri Jan 16 09:18:30 -0800 2004 1626526 0 drdawn 2 1626747 I rely on Fanny Farmer for basics. The recipes are tested and reliable. Cookwise is another great resource that offers blunders and reparations with tangible, easy to follow recipes. They are both a great place to start. Fri Jan 16 12:43:48 -0800 2004 1626709 0 CIAChef 1 1626784 Many thanks to all for such valuable advice. Chowhound can be amazing. I have sent my daughter Bittman and Fannie Farmer (clearly #1 and #2 -- I tallied the responses). Several of you suggested sending the two. I will have to get my own copy of Bittman (I read his Wednesday NYTimes columns but never have looked at his books). There are many other suggestions that I will follow up. And I love the comments about passing on "family favorite" recipes. Fri Jan 16 15:20:17 -0800 2004 1626526 0 Lew P. 2 1626789 It sounds like you made good choices! I like Bittman's book - and in fact gave it to my daughter, but it has one weakness- it does take license in simplifying ethnic recipes. For example she used it to make samosas and the seasoning of the potato filling really had to be kicked up with fried onions and extra herbs and spices to make it taste genuine. There are also ambiguities in a few of the instructions, so that is the benefit of giving her two books - if she is unsure, she can check the other. Or give you a call. If your daughter really starts to like cooking, Julia Child's "The Way to Cook" is a winner. At that point she can start diving into basic ethnic books too, like those by Marcella Hazan or Madhur Jaffrey which are accessible to beginners. Finally, there is also a book by, I think, Arthur Schwartz called something like "How to Cook Just about Anything" which is good for easily intimidated beginners and produces simple tasty dishes. Fri Jan 16 15:34:41 -0800 2004 1626784 0 jen kalb 3 1626839 To touch on a point made in the last post about beginner recipes, I always think the book that taught me to cook was Mollie Katzen's original Moosewood Cookbook. Both Mollie and I have renovated the recipes from the original edition I use. Most of the methods are pretty simple and most ingredients relatively inexpensive. Fri Jan 16 19:26:05 -0800 2004 1626789 0 poundcake 1 1626791 Whatever book you choose, make sure it helps her understand that not only is it okay to make mistakes and play around, but that things will not always happen "by the book." The ingredients any cook uses tend to differ slightly, and change the reactions. When my husband was learning to cook, he would often call me in because something was too thick or too thin, or otherwise not according to instructions. He would be very upset, thinking his dish was ruined. I would show him how to alter the dish or correct whatever the problem was. It took my husband (and most beginning cooks) a long time to understand that cooking is not exact, that there are a lot of variables involved, and you have to be prepared to adjust. He then wanted to know why all of these possible problems weren't included with the recipes. I said that nobody wants to write (or read) a book that thick. Fri Jan 16 15:40:08 -0800 2004 1626526 0 Colleen 1 1626862 For inexperienced cooks, the most important characteristic in a cookbook is reliability. That's why Joy of Cooking is such a classic - in my experience, every recipe works. Other cookbooks with that same reliability - everything by Julia Child (try "The Way to Cook"), and everything from the Cook's Illustrated Test Kitchen (try "The Best Recipe"). Also, the little old Betty Crocker Cookbook from Home Ec class - I call it Old Reliable. Also, everything by James Beard. Sat Jan 17 03:18:09 -0800 2004 1626526 0 Ilaine 1 1627095 I've been following this thread, but I can't for the life of me remember whether Donna Hay was mentioned. Donna doesn't go into all sorts of details about things like boning a fish, deglazing, or making a demi-glace(things that could potentially freak out absolute beginners). She does provide easy, quick, trendy and flavourful recipes, and every recipe is accompanied by a photo. Beginners need photos for inspiration and guidance. "Flavours", "New Food Fast", "The New Cook" - all good. Of course, none of these are useful reference guides in the same league as "Joy of Cooking", "Fannie Farmer", "La Varenne Pratique" etc., but you gotta have fun. Tue Jan 20 01:12:05 -0800 2004 1626526 0 bobsyeruncle