cookbooks
 

i want to start cooking real food - no more frozen pizzas, takeout chinese, and hot pockets :( does anyone know of any really good cookbooks with quick tastey meals :)

My boyfriend has this 4 ingredient cook book that has some GREAT stuff in it! you can also go to www.foodtv.com or www.cooking.com. Also, I have the Better Homes & Garden cook book and it has A LOT of good recipies - easy ones. Too! :)

who needs cookbooks?

go online to foodtv.com there are some good ones there...

or do a search online..

:D

happy cooking

When I went to college, my mom gave me "The Absolute Beginner's Cookbook." Pretty good cookbook - I still use it from time to time, though I'm far from a beginner!

If you get it, though, be sure to read the recipes carefully. The times they list for boiling an egg are for high altitude - if you live at sea level you will end up with a lot of hard-boiled eggs...!

I think it's Mens Health Magazine that publishes a cookbook called "A man, A can, A plan" - I've seen some decent recipes in there especially for someone with no cooking experience like you claim to be.

Edit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...14408?v=glance

The Joy of Cooking...

no kidding, it has the easiest recipes ever, and there are TONS of them

Ah, cooking - one of my favorite topics! I have lots of cookbooks, but the ones I can't live without are:

Fannie Farmer (had it since college, it's in pieces, but I LOVE it)
Joy of Cooking (a classic, as another posted mentioned)
I'm Just Here for the Food by Alton Brown (A fun read, and EXCELLENT at explaining basic cooking theory)
The Kitchen Survival Guide by Lora Brody (good, basic recipies to add to your everyday meal options)

Also, Bon Appetite has the best recipies out of all the cooking magazines I've read. Everything I've ever made has turned out wonderfully.

Good luck - learning to cook well is a skill that always comes in handy!

The best cookbook in the world is...my motorola cellphone.

-Rudey
--I just say what I want and in 30 minutes I get it. mmmmmmm mmmmmm

I have to second (or is it third?) the suggestion for The Joy of Cooking. I also have "Meal in a Bowl," which is kinda cool for quick meals with a little Asian flavor. If you're into veggie/vegan/organic, I also suggest the Whole Foods Market cookbook. My roomie has "The Busy Woman's Cookbook," which has 3 and 4 ingredient recipes.

ditto on food network recipes..

rachel ray is a chef who has a show on the food network called 30-minute meals. she has several cookbooks out that are really good that follow this concept - making a great meal thats simple (but sometimes impressive), tasty and without taking a lot of time to do it.

I agree with all those who say, use the net. A general search or a search for a specific type of dish will probably produce a wealth of information.

Another ditto on the foodtv.com recipe search!
Good luck in finding some good recipes!

http://smilies.jeeptalk.org/otn/wink/smily012.gif

I was one of those very lucky women who was taught to cook by my mama from the time I was 4-5 years old.

I've used a LOT of cookbooks of the years, and I keep coming back to two types:

Betty Crocker (whatever the basic is - it's great for everything from beginner's tips to making fancy tea sandwiches & such. Very good explanations on cooking terms!)

and

Any Cookbook put out by an organization (church, school, sorority, etc) which has the name of the person submitting the recipe printed. No one in their right mind will submit a recipe that doesn't work!

I agree with the foodtv.com supporters here!! Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals are a great resource.

And I second RedRoseSAI's nomination of I'm Just Here for the Food. Alton Brown is fantastic! (And you can find info on him at Foodtv.com!)
And he just released a book called Gear for your Kitchen. He really explains WHY you do things and HOW to do them, not so many recipies, but the theories and basics of cooking.

Also there is a great book out called Where's Mom Now That I Need Her: Surviving Away from Home - which has everything from cooking basics & substitutions to how to iron, take out stains, first aid/health questions. It's a great resource. (I recommend the binder version.... it's more durable and lays flat for easy reading.) And they also have Where's Dad Now That I Need Him: Surviving Away from Home which has BBQ and other cooking info, as well as info on finances, resume writing, and home repair. Good resources.

Epicurious.com is a good resource, too, though their recipies can be fairly complicated. They have a lot of basic things though, if you have patience.

Happy cooking!!!
Allison

Food TV rocks!!!

I also find that you can get a lot of good ones thought a search on the internet!

I'm seconding the nomination for the Better Homes & Garden cookbook. The recipes are really easy to use and so is the book. It has tabs for each type of recipe (e.g., cookies, poultry, pasta, vegetables, etc) so you can flip right to what you're looking for. Also, it has all kinds of recipes (quick ones and more complicated ones), and it tells how long they take to cook, number of servings, calorie content, etc.


I also *heart* foodtv.com for recipes, but sometimes it is nice to be able to flip through a book (especially if you're not really sure what you want).

Third!

I am obsessed with Nigella Lawson.I have several of her cookbooks.Many of her recipes are very simple but sometimes she uses exotic ingredients.If you have the style channel,she also has her own show.It is Nigella Bites or Forever Summer with Nigella.

I agree with Honeychile on Betty Crocker.

I learned how to cook from my mom's BC cookbook, and just received a huge BC binder as a wedding gift. Moderately priced, and the vast majority of the recipes are relatively simple.

Do any of you ladies want to prepare some of these favorite recipes of yours for the ultimate critic (me)????

I forgot to mention one thing: if you're a beginning cook, be sure to pick up a cook book (or two) that has a lot of pictures! If you don't know what it's supposed to look like, how else are you going to know if the recipe worked for you?

I'll also endorse the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook - IF it's the one with the pictures! I have one that doesn't, and it's frustrating!

http://www.recipegoldmine.com/index.html

The clones link on that site is awesome! They are "clone" recipes of popular restaurant dishes.

http://www.allrecipes.com is one of my personal faves. You can alter the number of servings and it alters the ingredient amounts for you!

Dee

Rachel Ray's 30minutes meals!! Yay for food tv!

I'm a huge fan of the Student's Vegetarian Cookbook (I can't remember the author right now, and I have no idea where it went... Carol something?). The recipes are easy, and it's stuff that non-vegetarians will like too (if my brother can eat it and like it, anyone can).