Beginner cookbooks

Kemik

Kemik

Kemik

Soldato
Joined
7 Nov 2005
Posts
4,961
Location
Widnes
Hi all,

Does anyone have any recommendations for some good beginner cookbooks?

I've always just blindly followed recipes so I think it's time to understand how it all works and go back to the basics. There are a lot of US recommendations but I want to avoid imperial measurements. Some of the US ones I've seen include:
  • I'm Just Here for the Food - Alton Brown
  • Joy of Cooking Hardcover - Irma S. Rombauer
  • The Essential New York Times Cookbook
They all teach you at the same time as going through basic recipes. Looking to avoid recipes where they ask you to buy some random ingredients that are expensive from the supermarket and you only use once. Should be aimed at cooking for one or two people ideally but I an only freeze the finished product.

Cheers!
 
What about some of the cookbooks aimed at students? They should give you exactly the sort of thing you're looking for.
 
Delia's Complete Illustrated Cookery Course is a winner for the basics IMO, though it's aimed at cooks rather than chefs so it depends how technical you want to get. For a decent grounding in cookery it's hard to fault it.
 
I found I improved the most by deciding on a particular food I wanted to make and then reading and trying lots of recipes.

Once you've got a really basic founding I'd also check out the SeriousEats Food Lab series as that is great for dispelling a lot of cooking myths that you're almost certain to pick up in the process of learning the basics.
 
Best thing I can suggest is just try things - watch tv programs, youtube, google etc, get ideas etc.

You don't need to go as fancy as tv programs etc but a good tomato sauce/mince mixture can make loads of things - chilli, spag bol, lasanga.

Curries are pretty simple and easy to freeze.
 
Someone bought me Saturday Kitchen Best Bites as a secret Santa one year - There's actually a number of good and easy ideas, from some of the top chefs. Gives you a nice variety of things to try.
 
The best cookbook I have ever received was from my mother-in-law which is "Good Housekeeping - How to Cook". I find myself returning to it all the time for all sorts of recipes - it has all the classics / bog standard stuff, as well as all sauces, stocks, desserts. It is a good, solid, foundation. I still use it regularly.
 
Sorted food - Youtube and cookbook
Donal Skehan - Youtube and cookbooks.

Both great to watch and the recipe's easy to follow and the books good as well :)
 
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