Styleforum › Forums › Lifestyle › Social Life, Food & Drink, Travel › First Cook Book recommendation
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

First Cook Book recommendation

post #1 of 20
5/8/11 at 8:15pm
Thread Starter 
Hi all, I will be moving out on my own in approximately a month, and amongst many other things I cannot wait to start cooking and trying out recipes. I was wondering if anyone have a good recommendation on a first cook book that is easy enough for a beginner but also has some interesting things to try out. I have almost literally no experience cooking. Thanks!
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 20
5/8/11 at 8:15pm
How to Cook Everything by Bittman
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 20
5/8/11 at 8:47pm
Cooking by James Peterson. http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-James-.../dp/1580087892

Awesome step by step pictures of techniques.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 20
5/8/11 at 11:06pm
both of those are very good recommendations. i bought my daughter "HTCE" when she went away to college, but "cooking" hadn't come out yet. partly it comes down to whether you want a good collection of reliable recipes or want to learn how to cook. Bittman is better at the former; peterson is better at the latter.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 20
5/9/11 at 6:25pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by KJT View Post
Cooking by James Peterson. http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-James-.../dp/1580087892

Awesome step by step pictures of techniques.

Looks like exactly what I was looking for, thanks!
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 20
5/10/11 at 2:57pm
If you don't know how to cook much at all, they might be a little challenging, but far and away the best cook books I've ever found are the Good Cook Techniques and Recipes series which were put out by Time-Life ages ago. They are great for teaching fundamental techniques (making roux and stock, cleaning meat, different kinds of dough, etc) that most other cookbooks tend to skim over or cheat on, and they have good photo diagrams. Recipe collections in them are really varied and will be much more interesting than the standards most beginner cookbooks will set you up with. They're pretty cheap used on amazon, and its definitely worth picking up at least the vegetable, pastry and common meat ones

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...es+and+recipes
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 20
5/10/11 at 3:10pm
people have largely forgotten about these books, but they are terrific (though maybe helpful for a more advanced cook). Richard Olney wrote and edited them.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 20
5/10/11 at 3:18pm
iammatt recommended I get the James Peterson when I first started cooking. I was happy with its straightforward instructions, helpful photos, and wide range but it is a very simple primer. None of its recipes is particularly exciting, though it should give you a solid grounding in a lot of classic preparations and a good foundation for a 'serious' approach to cuisine.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 20
5/10/11 at 5:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by foodguy View Post
people have largely forgotten about these books, but they are terrific (though maybe helpful for a more advanced cook). Richard Olney wrote and edited them.

I've got his Simple French Food on order after your suggestion.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 20
5/10/11 at 5:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by holymadness View Post
iammatt recommended I get the James Peterson when I first started cooking. I was happy with its straightforward instructions, helpful photos, and wide range but it is a very simple primer. None of its recipes is particularly exciting, though it should give you a solid grounding in a lot of classic preparations and a good foundation for a 'serious' approach to cuisine.
I agree with this, but I think that, as with all things, the basics are a good place to start. His food is tasty, even if not at all innovative. I've been to enough houses where I was served something out of a whipper when the person couldn't have boiled an egg.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 20
5/10/11 at 7:17pm
I'm curious as to why people still buy cookbooks when every recipe is on the internet? Seems like a poor investment to me.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 20
5/10/11 at 7:26pm
You really think that's true?
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 20
5/10/11 at 7:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jokerman View Post
I'm curious as to why people still buy cookbooks when every recipe is on the internet? Seems like a poor investment to me.

Does it also confuse you that people still read newspapers when there are blogs?
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 20
5/10/11 at 7:43pm
actually, that's a question that the industry is grappling with. i guess the best explanation is that a good cookbook is more than just a collection of recipes from anonymous sources. which is not to say that all blogs are, but that's pretty much what you get from all aggregators.
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 20
5/10/11 at 8:25pm
Don't get me wrong I have bought a cookbook or two but I have then regret it after finding out that I could have just found it on the internet without wasting $30 on the book. I am not one to normally vote for technology over the good old book but in this case I do. Just my opinion.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
Styleforum › Forums › Lifestyle › Social Life, Food & Drink, Travel › First Cook Book recommendation