Suggestions for beginner cooking books or DVD's etc.

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gary b

Cook
Joined
Mar 14, 2006
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73
Hi everyone,

I'm an amateur-home cook looking to improve my skills. I need a cookbook not of recipes but, of things like: correct use of herbs and spices, sauces and gravies: how to make and where to use them, best cooking techniques for various cuts of meat, etc. etc. Most of my cooking involves following recipes and techniques I learned from someone else, which is easy enough to do usually. But, I run into trouble when I try to create something new or change someones recipe a little. I have a certain taste in my mind I'm trying to get to, but sometimes the food goes in the wrong direction. I thought if I had a stronger mastery of basic-intermediate skills my cooking would go to a higher level. Am I thinking right or should I continue to mainly follow other peoples recipes?
thanks, Gary
 
Gary, you cannot go wrong with buying regional, usually comb-bound cookbooks by local charities. They will have tried-and-true recipes that cater to local tastes, and are cheap as well.

Over all, though, Joy of Cooking is king. Every step of the way is explained, and the recipes vary from very beginner to over-the-top gourmet, to ethnic recipes from all over the world. But mainly they will have instructions for every basic skill you will ever need. A good glossary of terms. You just cannot beat this if you're buying only one cookbook.
 
When I was 12 years old, I received my very first cookbook, the Betty Crocker cookbook. 25 years later and I'm still using it.

I also just picked up Rick & Lanies Excellent Kitchen Adventures by Rick Bayless and its great. Normally, a Rick Bayless recipe will make you pull your hair out, but these recipes are created by Rick and his daughter with very easy step by step notes and tips. They have a great "do this" list before you even start the recipe.

Gary, check out your local library. They have some many wonderful cookbooks. You can 'test drive' one before you buy it.
 
Check out Alton Browns books. they are not cookbooks although they do contain a small handful of recipes to help illustrate points. The books talk about the "why" of cooking. Very informative stuff!
 
"The Best Recipe" and the "New Best Recipe" are excellent, basic books with foolproof recipes for a very wide range of things.

The Joy of Cooking is very good, too.

So is "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman
 
Another good book that again is not a cookbook, but more about food science and the "why" of cooking is
What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained by Robert L. Wolke. It is much heavier on the science than Alton Browns books, but it is an amazing book.

As far as cookbooks, I agree with what jenny wrote about How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. That is an excellent all purpose cookbook and he does explain a lot.
 
gary b said:
... my cooking involves following recipes and techniques I learned from someone else, which is easy enough to do ...

I don't know, I've been cooking for a while and am actually can cook quite well, but following somebody elses recipe has never been easy, it is a hardest thing to do. I think you'll be okay as you cook more, with time yo will learn to do your own things, but for the beginer you have a wonderfull skill, one I am jellous about. Good luck.
 
Joy of cooking is great, it provides the basic mostly classic recipes so you can improve on them, I make my own recipes, but if something is new and i don't want a chef's version, the JOY is great for unadulterated recipes and info.
 
:) The Good House Keeping Illustrated Cook Book is real good
They have alot of information, the recipes are easy and illustrated step by step.They will have a color photo of each dish at the front of book so you can see what your finished dish should look like.
 
I'm going to sound like an echo here but I would definately start my cookbook collection with Joy of Cooking (Scribner Edition) NOT "The New Joy of Cooking". It has a lot of information about "stuff" in addition to tons of recipes - for example in the section on herbs it explains what each one is, what it taste like, and when they are most often used. You can almost always find these used at amazon.com for under $12-$15. Get the hardcover edition - not the comb-binding (I've heard the paper is so thin you don't have to turn the page to read what is on the next page). Also, I've been told by a couple of people who grew up with Joy to stay from the New Joy because they left out a lot of the "stuff" about foods and techniques to make room for just more recipes.

I also have to second the vote for any of the Cook's Illustrated cookbooks (The Best Recipes, The Quick Recipes, etc.). Before they give you the recipe they discuss what they tried to get the best results - what they tried, what worked and what didn't, and why.

How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman is also good.

Getting more into the science of cooking we have Alton Brown's books, Cookwise by Shirley Corriher (has some recipes based on the science discussions), What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained by Robert L. Wolke, and On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen (Revised Edition) by Harold McGee (just science - no recipes). If you are an Alton Brown Good Eats fan - the majority of his food science comes from Corriher (she has been a guest on several episodes) and McGee - so much so that I often think of Good Eats as "Harold and Shirly - The Movie!" :chef:

There are lots of good cookbooks that can teach you something about techniques (anything written by Julia Child for example). These are just some of my favorites for someone wanting to move beyond just following a recipe.
 
I also advocate the Joy of COoking as the best place to start, but I go for the New All Purpose one...why? It was updated for what's in markets today and a greater ethnic variety. Shoul dyou then also have the old standard Joy...sure, you may well find items there you like. (I fight with my sister about this all the time, cause I"M YOUNGER! ha)
 
I own both an old and the most recent Joy of Cooking. I find I use the newer one because it has more international dishes and uses more modern appliances.

CharlieD and Gary, I own hundreds of cookbooks, and many years of Gourmet and now Saveur magazines. But I consider them guidelines rather than hard-and-fast rules. I look up several recipes for something I want to make, take mental notes, then go off on my own tangent. You can't do this with baking, that is more a science and you have to have a lot of knowledge to vary from a recipe. I like to do a lot of ethnic cooking (the Dubuque oriental grocer knows me well, and the last time I was there told hubby, "Your wife is buying that? She must be a very, very good cook." Not for the first time he was told he was a "rucky" man!). Toot's recommendation of looking up cookbooks at a library is a good one as well, you can sit and browse and decide if it is worth your $$ to actually go find and buy it. A lot of people now use the computer, but I somehow find it cold compared to my old friends, the cookbooks and magazines.

Find a used book store or hit your library's annual book sale fundraiser if they have one. You'll be surprised what you find at bargain prices.
 
WOW! Thanks for all the great titles. My local library has, or can get in almost all of these. I'm going to look them over before I buy. I'm off to the library, thanks again. Gary
 
gary b said:
WOW! Thanks for all the great titles. My local library has, or can get in almost all of these. I'm going to look them over before I buy. I'm off to the library, thanks again. Gary

:LOL: I was just getting ready to tell you to go check out your local library to see what they have and you gone and beat me too it. I check out cookbooks all the time from mine. I have an addiction to cookbooks....you should see how many I have.....so this is a way to curb my need to buy.
 
CharlieD,
I used to be an aircraft mechanic and learned to follow written instructions (repair manuals etc.) to the letter and not to deviate from them. I think that has helped me follow cooking recipes better.
 
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Check out the very first cookbook to provide level measurements and easy-to-follow directions: The Fanny Farmer Cookbook.

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I read through Alton Brown (watched his shows too) and have accumulated a very large (but mostly untried) cache of culinary knowledge. Alton doesn't dip too deep into the biochemistry, but he gives you enough to know what the heck is going on in that oven.

I've also read What Einstein Told His Cook and the "sequel" to it. The first book is better in terms of content. The second reviews obscure and strange stuff, and sounds mostly like a paen to the author himself. He really brags about himself at every opportunity. Personall I wouldn't reccomend him, but the first book does contain some good knowledge.

I'm just picking up McGee's book, which as I understand it, is a classic in terms of knowing excessive amounts of cooking science.

Otherwise, just read forums and ask questions.
 

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