Xmas gift question: Very simple cookbook?
Hello all,
My wife and I are looking for a cookbook for a friend who is living alone and who does not know how to cook much of anything. (I worry for him; I'm sure his Italian mother lays awake at night convinced that he will waste away, lol.)
The only particular qualifications:
The book ought to be more of a recipe guide than a "learn how to cook" book. He doesn't know how to cook anything complicated and he doesn't have any interest in learning much, so we're looking for something that gives a lot of basics, preferably with recipes that show multiple variations on a technique. For example, good things to be in the book would be the skinny on how to scramble eggs, basics on cooking common meat (chicken breast, pork chops, etc).
The book needs to have lots of illustrations and pictures. I'm an experienced cook and I like to have something to look at so that I can get ideas on presentation, etc; he needs the pictures so that he knows whether or not the food is safe to eat, heh.
So far, the best book I've found is the Food Network Kitchens' How to Boil Water. It's not bad, but I'd have to guess there's something better out there. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
nickblesch
Dec 01, 2008 12:06AM
Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything. Recipes and technique
http://www.howtocookeverything.tv/pro...
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A Man, a Can, a Plan : 50 Great Guy Meals Even You Can Make by David Joachim (Author), The Editors of Men's Health (Author)
http://www.amazon.com/Man-Can-Plan-Gr...
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recently got my Dad "Everyday Food" by Martha Stewart. It fits your requirments: lots of great pictures, not too complicated recipes but good solid recipes. I liked it alot:
http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Food-G...
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People may scoff at me for this, but most people that I know started with the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook for those very reasons. The recipes are simple, cover a lot of the more common dishes and meats, and have variations built in. The only thing that may be a turnoff for you is that there aren't a massive amount of pictures (but there are specific techniques with lots of pictures). Neverthess, the BHG book is a good starter cookbook, and not the tome that Bittman's book is (although it's a great book). I avoid giving new cooks HUGE cookbooks because they can be a bit overwhelming to some people.
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I like Every Night Italian by Giuliano Hazan. The recipes are very simple and good though the book could have a few more photographs. It's also (obviously) an Italian cookbook and it seems you might be looking for something more generic.
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