This truly is the basics! Going to get a hard copy for my daughter.

Comprehensive cookbook that gave some great advice. My only problem - and it is my problem - is that I should not have purchased the Kindle version. When will I learn that I do not like ebook editions of cookbooks? Too difficult to just flip through and I really don't want my Kindle in the kitchen while I cook.

I heard about this book from my sister. He gives great and simple recipes for everything. I made the best Thanksgiving stuffing from a recipe in this book.

Excellent for starting cooks...I started here when I couldn't boil water, then graduated to the full edition once I was comfortable.

This book is the easiest cookbook I have ever used and I have actually managed to make tasty food. I recommend it to people like me who are trying to learn how to cook or who want to expand their culinary repertoire.

Excellent book!

The latest release has SO many pictures, it's unbelievable. Great book for those folks who are new to the kitchen or Intimidated in the kitchen. I use mine to pare down recipes and make simple, tasty food :)

Useful but forgot how measurements/ingredients would be listed in American English.....my bad but frustrating.

Whether you are a kitchen novice, or a seasoned chef in need of a restart, you will be delighted by Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything-The Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food"! Both enlightening and elegant in its simplicity, this book does not overwhelm with too much "stuff". Instead, it lets the innate natural goodness of food ingredients combine with useful, useable utensils and soothingly successful cooking techniques. The results: brand new basics that are a blend of the familiar and the newly discovered. The photography is "at your table fresh"--offering a clear look at ingredients, preparation techniques, and the finished product. Mark Bittman's goal is to state the case for the many essential and appealing benefits of home cooking. He wants to make you want to be a cook. This fabulous resource for foodies offers no intimidation--just encouragement and enticement. My favorite book sections--other than the irresistible recipes--were "Building Flavor" and "Techniques". Both of these sections highlight the benefits of making the most of the ingredients that you are using without overcomplicating the food. Speaking of food: "Quick Pickle Spears"; "Sweet Potato Fritters"; "Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon"; "Risotto with Butter and Parmesan"; "Skillet Pork Chops with Apples"; "Panfried Trout with Tartar Sauce"; "Blueberry Cobbler"; and "Coconut Layer Cake" are just a sampling of the overall user-friendly, yet sensational, recipes found in this wonderful cookbook. Do something good for yourself: cook your own food and enjoy the process. It's that simple. Highly recommended for foodies and cookbook addicts.

Review Copy Gratis Wiley Books

Excelente libro, no le doy 5 estrellas por qué en mi imaginario, el libro era mucho mejor. Sin embargo para gente que está empezando en este mundo ( como yo) es excelente. Lo mejor del libro son sus ilustraciones

Love this book. Buying a copy for my son when he moves out

I love this book! I was searching for a cookbook for a friend who was lamenting that she wants to learn to cook but felt uncertain of even the basics, so when I saw this at the library, I snapped it up to see if it lived up to its title. Indeed, it does!

I consider myself a moderately experienced, self-taught cook, and what I loved about this book was that it didn't take anything for granted. For example, not sure what the difference is between a "rolling boil" and a "gentle boil?" No worries, Bittman explains it to the reader and also provides photographs showing the difference. Confused about the difference between "minced" and "chopped?" Again, Bittman explains and illustrates the two techniques.

After going over the basic and more advanced tools a cook should arm herself/himself with, and reviewing important cooking terms, Bittman then delves deeper into specifics about everything ranging from vegetables to poultry to bread making. For example, in the breakfast section, he explains about eggs - from how to tell if one is fresh to how to poach one. In fact, following his instructions, I was finally able to make an omelet that didn't dry out or fall apart when I folded it (for some reason, eggs are my nemesis - I can create an intricate dessert or a tasty soup from scratch, but hard boiled eggs never turn out right - grr!).

So whether you're an experienced cook or just starting out, consider adding this great reference book to your cookbook shelf.