Beginner's Cookbook

The one other review of this book, just a few days ago is an excellent commentary on the value of this particular cook book; E. Mennemeyer touches on all the organizational fine points that make this cookbook invaluable to one who is embarking on his or her own in making meals that are nourishing, healthy, and quite simple. For my part, I would tell you that there are over 100 recipes combined in this four part cookbook; the sections, by themselves are individual cookbooks by the same publishing company. I prefer the compendium, right here, as one could prepare a really nice meal for a small gathering of family or friends. There are recipes for vegetarian cooking, for pasta and pizza, for cakes and cookies, and for all sorts of entrees. Each recipe is presented over a 2-page spread, with illustrations to accompany the actual photos of food. There's only one thing better than a photo of a meal; that's eating the meal. There are step by step instructions, following a list of ingredients. In several parts of this combined book, there are tips on healthy eating, measurement of liquids and solids information, cooking hints, utensil preparation, rules of caution, and the index in the back of the book contains an alphabetical listing of the recipes in this book; if you see a v in parentheses, (v), you are advised that this recipe is vegetarian; this in itself is a tool for narrowing down possibilities when you are preparing a meal for guests who favor vegetarian, or for yourself, when "you just feel like tasting vegetarian". Who would benefit from this book? Anyone interested in learning to cook, any parent wanting to teach a child some simple recipes (using the sequential step method), and perhaps, the guy or gal embarking on learning to cook. The step by step pictures and instructions are, by far, the greatest asset to preparing the "cook to be" to cook for the "cook-ees". As Julia and Jacques would say: "Bon appétit!"

My daughter and I use this cookbook. [ISBN: 074603380X It's a quality paperback book, 194 pages.] Most of those pages are recipes, though a recipe usually takes up two pages. Each recipe has step by step directions and features many illustrations. There is a real photograph of the finished food and drawings that highlight individual steps. The recipes are broken into four categories: Beginners, Pasta and Pizza, Vegetarian Cooking, and Cakes and Cookies. The back cover of this book indicates that the recipes are also available under separate titles: 'Cooking for Beginners,' 'Pasta and Pizza for Beginners,' 'Vegetarian Cooking for Beginners,' and 'Cakes and Cookies for Beginners.' So if you currently own one of these other Usborne titles, you should expect the same recipes in the relevant subject. I would recommend this book for any beginner, as it is straightforward and offers lots of recipes. I don't think of the recipes as "kids food" - the pancakes don't have smiley faces, the pizza doesn't have a face, etc., but they are appealing and the directions are clear. I prefer this type of recipe for cooking with my daughter because she's learning recipe basics that she'll be able to use as an adult. Two great things about this book are that the user learns how to read and execute a recipe and it contains helpful tips for success. After some experience with this book, a traditional cookbook is much easier to work with. Some recipe examples: Spinach Strudel, Stuffed Peppers, Roasted Garlic Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, Marshmallow Crispies, Spaghetti Sauce, Tropical Spiced Rice, Three Bean Dip, Breadsticks, Chicago Pizza Pie, Minestrone Soup, Carrot Cake, Lemon Honey Cheesecake - and lots more. In addition to the recipes, there are also "tips" sections. Some examples of the included tips: 'Before You Bake,' 'Baking Tips,' Alternative Pasta Shape recommendations, and 'Cooking Hints.'