How to Cook Everything: The Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food--With 1,000 Photos: A Beginner Cookbook (How to Cook Everything Series, 2)

As someone who hasn't really ever been into cooking, this is a fantastic resource. Lots of great photos! Lots of basic info (such as what the ratio of lean to fat in ground beef for cooking burgers - or how long to cook hard-boiled eggs). Really happy with my purchase.

I'd shared cooking duties for years with my wife, and my subtle teenager summed it his take on my skills: "Dad, your cooking just has a low upside." Ouch!After one too many comments I decided to really learn to cook. So I thought, like any skill, the first step was to fully master the basics, then branch out. So, you can see how I was attracted a book titled "How to Cook Everything - the Basics."As a non-chef interested in learning fundamental skills, here's why I found this book so valuable:- Each recipe introduces you to new skills, starting easy and progressing to more advanced. Even if you don't cook each recipe, you learn a lot just reading through them.- There are pictures showing you how to prepare the dishes. For example, there was a pumpkin pie recipe that showed exactly when to recognize that it should come out of the oven - with just a bit liquidy in the center. While this could have been described, I found it much easier to understand visually. And there are full-color visuals like that for every recipe.- Each recipe includes variations, so you can start to learn how to improvise - what works with what. That also makes the recipes much more varied.- Really helpful for me, he emphasized "taste and adjust" for all your cooking. I never really did that and am learning that it can make the difference between okay and very tasty.- If you go through all the sections, you'll be inevitably be introduced to things you'd never have considered. We made bulgar with feta and shimp. I honestly had never even heard of bulgar, but it was quite tasty!- In the beginning of the book, there's a few sections about what you should have in your kitchen by way of utensils, spices, etc. That's probably in other books but I found it helpful.- I think it introduces you to a very wide range of food types and cooking skills, so that after you've plowed through it you can feel confident you've at least been exposed to most techniques.For me, the big test was Thanksgiving dinner, which I'd never cooked before. In addition to turkey, we had mashed potatoes, stuffing, glazed carrots, and homemade pie. To say my family was amazed was an understatement, and I felt like the How to Cook Everything made it seem simple, and not very stressful.I would like to point out some downsides:- I also purchased the Kindle version. While it's a fine complement to the book, I wouldn't suggest buying it instead of the book. Why? They changed the order somewhat and I found the tips/pictures for preparation pretty hard to follow.- Remember when your third-grade teacher said, when you open a new textbook, you need to "break the binding?" I didn't do that and after a couple months the pages started falling out. So, do open the book the the middle, stretch the pages flat, and so so for every 50 pages or so.- If you're already an accomplished cook, or just not a clueless as I was, this might be too basic. He has a lot of other books I'm sure would be better for you.BUT, if you never learned the basics, read through the book, try a select set of recipes, and you'll be amazed with your new-found cooking expertise!Bon Appetit!

I learned how to make a salad with this book.No, no, don't think "it's so easy, who needs to learn!" No, no.Before this, I make salad this way: go to the grocery, buy pre-boxed chopped vegetable, buy a bottle of dressing like sundried tomato and then a bag of garlic toast croutons.Now, I make a salad this way: buy 4 different kind of fresh vegie, as fresh as I can get. Learned how to clean them, and store them (so important, did you know they last for days?). Make my own croutons, such act that I never knew possible, and easy like making toast (3 mins top, and last for days). Make my own dressing (olive oil, vinegar of some sort, salt and papper). Toss them up and a salad. Flavor is woefully light, vegetable so fresh it's, well, refreshing. Croutons seasoned and not soaked in oil like the ones in the bags. I make my own bread (also in this book, 10 active minute, the rest watching tv and waiting). Everything in this salad is made from the basic ingredients. This is a "made" salad, nothing was processed, nothing pre-packaged. Each component was made from its basic ingredients.So I go around and tell people I learned how to make a salad proudly. They laughed, not understanding the delicate tastes of fresh ingredients and the simplicity of making it. They were a little shocked to taste my salad, so was I. It tastes so different! Well, which restaurant (or person for that matter) ever served us their salad with everything made from scratch (even the bread for the croutons)? None!With this I have learned what kind of lettuce there are, how croutons are made, what dressing consist off (and how light they should be, and how little they should be on the salad). And the time it takes to make a refreshing salad is so little that it shocked me. Like that one time I saw they sell "pre-diced" onions... does it take that long? (I also learned how to dice onion from this book).A true appreciation for food and cooking apparently is not from having tasted the best food, but the joy of how to make a delight meal with the slightest bit of effort, from the fundamentals. I ate my food right in the kitchen, because it felt like a chief seemingly threw something together at the end of his work day, so much different and simpler from what he make all day, and yet manage to blow my mind with it. When he's not trying to impress any guests with fancy techniques and exotic ingredients, his dish is the distillation of his arts.Anyway.I learned how to boil egg yesterday. And I shall be proud to share it to everyone I know.Also, i bought the joy of cooking, found at good will for $5.I learned how to set up a table from that book.

I wanted a basic cookbook for my 85 year old father. This has great photos, but is a little complicated to call basics. I wish there was larger text and some REALLY simple recipes. That’s why 4 stars. The recipes and directions are excellent.

As someone who was told to keep out of the kitchen as a kid when anyone was cooking, this has been a staple in starting my cooking journey. It really is about starting with the basics which not everyone needs. But for those who need it - it’s extremely helpful! Would definitely recommend

Got for my son. He enjoys cooking. Personally, I'm a seasoned cook and found the book hard to give up! May have to buy another!