Basic Cooking: All You Need to Cook Well Quickly (Basic Series) (Basic)

asked by markymark on November 11, 2006 11:24 PM

Where can twentysomethings learn to cook? Basic Cooking, first published in Germany and now Americanized, is a good starting place. Relying on bold layouts to keep things visually spirited and a "hip" authorial voice that jollies readers along, the book imparts solid cooking information and core recipes in a direct, friendly way. "Think basic and have fun," the authors exhort; most readers, of whatever age, will.

Assuming kitchen innocence but informed taste, the book offers its readers data on shopping and pantry setup (a sidebar usefully dissects refrigerator space), basic techniques (the labels "strong" and "gentle" cooking are its helpful way of dividing the wet-cooking methods), and over 150 attractive recipes. Recipe chapters begin with basic info--on rice types, for example--and then present photo-illustrated formulas for the likes of spaghetti with clams, caesar salad, baked salmon, and chocolate pudding. The recipes, which include extensive prep information, cover not only simple dishes, as above, but more sophisticated ones such as Whole Fish Baked in Salt, Provincial Vegetable Ragout, and Crème Caramel. With small tutorials such as "Five 5-Minute Savory Sauces" among its trove of show-and-tell material, the book should attract its intended audience and others as well. --Arthur Boehm

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Reviews

Write a book on Basic Cooking. There are much better basic cooking books out there. In the beginning of the book instead of focusing on their own book they attempt to disparage well known classics by saying it's no "Joy of" or other types of books. And I've notice on how the people featured don't looked like they've actually cooked anything. Just posed with food that has been cooked or in the process of being cooked by unseen REAL COOKS. Check out Cooks Illustrated Series or How to cook everything for real cooking. This is fluff.

reviewed by selena on November 22, 2006 7:50 PM

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I recently moved out into my own apartment, and I've been looking all over for a book like this. Finally a cookbook that's unpretentious, extremely simple, and has nice big pictures. I'm just as literate as the next cat at my university (actually, probably more so), but I really like to have pictures with recipes - it's the easiest way to tell whether or not I'm going to like something before cooking it. I respect that there are classic cookbooks which probably have better recipes, but since I never got basic kitchen 101, I'm not at that level yet, and this book is a great stepping stone. Hopefully, after a few years of cooking with this, I can actually understand the Joy of Cooking!

reviewed by corral on November 26, 2006 3:24 AM

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I mistakenly thought this book would teach me the basics of cooking, not really. Like every other cookbook I read through it without understanding the meaning of the technical cooking terms. Plus you gain little insight into the fundamentals of proper cooking technique.

The problem with this book is that if you can use Amazon then you don't need a basic cookbook. The internet is full of free recipes, most much better than the ones in this book. The writing is translated from German so its a little weird. At times it sounds like it was translated by a teenage girl. "Dont's at a barbeque, enemies attending!" Bizarre.

Anyway, I was pretty dissapointed with the content. But the photos and layout are very good.

reviewed by reviewer on November 28, 2006 2:27 AM

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I love this cookbook. I have had it for 5 years, and it is still my favorite. The best thing about it is that it teaches you everything you need to know about stocking your kitchen with essentials, how to cook all different types of foods, and even how to cook for company. The recipes are simple, and taste delicious. I could never get tired of it. Most of the meat dishes are now my staples.

I am actually an accomplished cook, but I bought this book because I used to be a vegetarian, so I did not know how to cook meats. It makes everything simple, and doesn't use crazy ingredients, which makes it a staple for everyday cooking. Also, it tells you how long it takes for prep time and cooking each dish so you can judge if you have time to make it.

I highly recommend this book to beginners and anyone looking for easy fast recipes that will have everyone thinking you are the best hostess ever.

reviewed by jbritt on November 29, 2006 9:40 AM

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Often, a cookbook is pretty or it's a textbook. This one has taught me more in 30 minutes of perusal than many others have in days of reading dull recipes. It is large and lays flat for easy consultation during cooking. The prep times have been pretty accurate even for a cooking klutz like me and the recipes are simple enough to allow plenty of room for experimentation. This book has given me the confidence I lacked (and lost more of when looking through other books of "basic cooking"). Love it. Have sent copies to other kitchenphobes in my circle.

reviewed by astrofizzy on November 29, 2006 7:21 PM

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